02:00PM, Wednesday 25 March 2026
Town Hall.
The Royal Borough’s internal audit plan for the next financial year shows there are ‘outstanding areas of weakness’ which will be looked into on a deeper level.
An internal audit report breaks down a local authority’s risk management and governance over its services.
A plan for managing these risks in the 2026/27 financial year was presented to councillors at an audit and governance committee meeting on Monday (March 23).
Alastair Woodland, the assistant director of internal auditors SWAP, told the Town Hall meeting this is an ‘agile’ plan which can be adjusted during the year if needed.
The audits that will be carried out include looking into children and adult social care and the council’s finances.
Councillor Julian Tisi (Lib Dem, Eton and Castle) said: “The biggest risk is obviously on the financial side, I think.”
He asked what the ‘core audits’ are that look into the council’s finances.
Mr Woodland said: “There are many reviews in here that have a financial impact that might not be as clear by the audit title.”
For adult services, for example, audits will be picking up on financial assessments and income collection to make sure all income due to the council is there, the meeting heard.
But Cllr Simon Bond (Lib Dem, Belmont) said there were ‘quite a few priority actions outstanding’ that were being worked through in previous years.
“Is the balance right between following up those previous issues that were identified and the new audits here?” he asked.
“If people are concentrating on new stuff, it may mean that they’re struggling to fix previously identified things.”
Mr Woodland explained that although there are ‘outstanding areas of weakness’ the follow-up audits into these already identified issues will be looking at ‘slightly different angles’.
He reassured councillors that the audits planned are deliverable.
Rachel Howard, the council’s executive director of resources, said: “I think the team are prepared for that and recognise that we need to follow up on those old actions, but also keep the programme of internal audit moving forward.”
The main areas of concern, which were rated as ‘high risk’ in 2025/26, were temporary accommodation and governance and oversight of Optalis, the adult social care provider it owns alongside Wokingham Borough Council.
Business continuity planning and premises health and safety were also high-risk areas that the council needs to assess in more detail.
Follow-up audits are due to take place in the next financial year to see if previously agreed actions for these risk areas were implemented and decide if the risks these pose to the council have reduced.
Cllr Jack Douglas (Ind, St Mary’s) asked what level of assurance the audit plan can offer over risk areas.
Mr Woodland said he can summarise the audit plan as having a ‘reasonable’ level of assurance, but that the plan cannot give ‘absolute assurance’.
“Internal controls certainly help you achieve your outcomes but they’re never a guarantee that you will achieve [them], but you’re more likely to,” he said.
“So, in terms of why we say we don’t or can’t give absolute assurance, it’s because even if the controls are effective, it might be that it still doesn’t achieve its intended outcomes.”
However, he said that each individual area of risk receives a rating indicating whether it is an area of substantial, reasonable or limited assurance or if it gives no assurance at all.
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