Decision details

To note the Legal, ICT and Internal Audit shared services annual reports.

Matter for Decision

The Officer’s report summarized the performance for the 3Cs ICT, Legal Shared Services and the Greater Cambridge Shared Internal Audit Service during 2017/18.

Decision of Executive Councillor for Finance and Resources

i.             Noted the content of the report.

Reason for the Decision

As set out in the Officer’s report.

Any Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

Not applicable.

Scrutiny Considerations

The Committee received a report from the Strategic Director.

The Committee made the following comments in response to the report:

     i.        Wanted to see an annual report detailing the development of cost and profit since the inception of the shared services.

    ii.        Asked if there could be a joint scrutiny process with the 3 councils involved in the shared services.

   iii.        In relation to Legal Services, the comment regarding the absence of complaints was an out dated way to review processes.

  iv.        Hoped the shared service would improve staff retention and resources.

   v.        Asked whether any lack of staff resources in the audit service had meant any specific work wasn’t able to be resourced.

The Strategic Director, Chief Executive, Head of Legal Practice and Head of Shared Internal Audit Services said the following in response to Members’ questions:

     i.        Would consider reporting on baselines and unfortunately there was not enough time to make amendments to the reports because report deadlines for the scrutiny committees were all at the same time.

    ii.        In relation to the joint scrutiny process, no further conversations had been had with other councils to date. There was a desire not to introduce a new layer of scrutiny committees.

   iii.        Customer satisfaction with Legal Services needed to be looked at. At the end of a matter, feedback would need to be requested from clients so that the service could be improved.

  iv.        Commented that agency workers had been used in the Audit Service and the Audit Plan was reviewed by the Civic Affairs Committee.

The Committee unanimously resolved to approve the recommendations.

The Executive Councillor approved the recommendation.

Conflicts of Interest Declared by the Executive Councillor (and any Dispensations Granted)

No conflicts of interest were declared by the Executive Councillor.