Audit Risk Assurance Committee minutes: 22 September 2021
Updated 23 October 2023
Applies to England
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Present
Martin Spencer, Chair
Venessa Willms, Board member
Laura Wyld, Board member
Julie Kirkbride, Board member
James Aston, Co-opted member
Also in attendance
Amanda Spielman, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Accounting Officer
Matthew Coffey, Chief Operating Officer
Louise Grainger, Director, Finance, Planning and Commercial
Board Secretary and Corporate Governance Manager
Corporate Governance Officer
Emily Williams, Deputy Director, Strategy, Governance and Private Office (item 10)
Carol Hartley Burdett, GIAA
Tony Smith, GIAA
Rob Laid, GIAA (item 6)
Colin Wilcox, NAO
Neil Harris, Ernst and Young
Apologies
There were no apologies.
Status
Approved.
1. Chairman’s introduction, declarations of interest, minutes, actions and matters arising
The minutes of the meeting held on 22 June 2021 were agreed, subject to one minor amendment.
The committee reviewed the action log and noted that the report on the lessons learned during Covid would be circulated to members for information.
2. Report from Chair and Members
Committee members shared updates from their external roles. The return to the workplace; challenges the education system faces in the next phase of the pandemic, and the resumption of routine inspection activity was discussed.
Members also reflected on a busy agenda for the parliamentary session ahead and the forthcoming Spending review.
The chair has joined the DfE Digital Data and Technology Working Group.
3. Report from HMCI
All Ofsted remits have now returned to full routine inspection and regulatory activity. Initial feedback from inspections has been positive, and the next priority is monitoring implementation to make sure that any issues are quickly identified and addressed.
The return to offices is on track following further easing of national restrictions. The situation continues to be risk assessed reflecting up-to-date government guidance.
The committee was updated on meetings with the new ministerial team and priorities.
4. Progress against audit recommendations
Eighteen management actions have been completed since the last report to the committee, including the final seven actions relating to the use and analysis of post inspection surveys.
One action arising from the Regulatory Review audit has been reported as being at risk of not meeting its completion date. This risk was classified by GIAA as low priority and will be completed by the end of October rather than end of September.
5. Internal audit report
Progress against the 2021-22 internal audit plan remains on track with no changes to the agreed programme at this stage. The final audit reports are on track to be delivered at the March 2022 meeting.
6. Issued internal audit reports
The committee reviewed the audit reports issued since the last ARAC meeting. Moderate assurance was provided in respect of the Data Modernisation audit which found that overall, effective governance processes are in place.
In response to questions from the chair about the recommendation to implement a testing strategy, it was clarified that this had been identified as a project deliverable, but not enacted at the time of the audit. Management actions relating to this, and the production of a responsibility assignment (RACI) matrix are on track for completion.
The HR Assurance advisory report found that Ofsted’s benefits and recognition arrangements are consistent with good practice GIAA has identified in other government departments. Overall, a very positive report with minor areas identified for further improvement.
7. External audit update
Ernst and Young confirmed that the draft external audit plan would be presented at the November committee meeting.
8. External audit update - Value for Money and insight work
The committee noted the NAO value for money update report.
9. Finance report
[Redacted]
The committee noted that where resources and budget allow, HMCI’s priority is to bring forward appropriate inspections to avoid peaks of inspections in future years and reduce the average time between inspections.
10. Spending review update
The committee was briefed on the spending review bids, which have been submitted. This will be a multi-year spending review setting resource and capital budgets and the baseline settlement will be on a flat cash basis.
The chair sought assurance that workforce implications have been considered in line with the spending review submission. It was confirmed that proposals to increase capacity have been discussed at executive board and will be delivered as part of the Inspector Workforce Delivery plan. The workforce risk has also been increased to high probability on the risk register to reflect increased demand as a result of the spending review initiatives.
11. Risk report
The committee reviewed the changes to the strategic risk register since its last meeting.
[Redacted]
[Redacted]
[Redacted]
12. ARAC Effectiveness Plan update
The committee received an update on progress against each of the actions arising from the ARAC self-assessment exercise.
The implementation of assurance mapping will be aligned to the process undertaken for the interim and final assurance statements for the Governance statement in the Annual report and Accounts.
13. AOB
There was no other business.
End of meeting
The next audit and risk assurance committee meeting will take place at 10:30am on Wednesday 17 November 2021.