To update the Committee on progress to revise the Risk Management Strategy

To approve the 2023/24 Statement of Accounts and associated letter of representation from Grant Thornton, the external auditors.

To seek the view of the committee as to whether the Annual Governance Statement (AGS) for 2023/24 properly reflects the internal control environment the council is operating in and the appropriateness of actions identified to improve.

To consider the external audit findings report for the year ended 31 March 2024.

To brief the Children and Young Scrutiny on the Quality Assurance Framework for Herefordshire Children’s Services, including the values and principles underpinning this. Also to describe the means by which quality assurance activity is undertaken, the outcomes from quality assurance activity in the last year and the impact of the quality assurance activity in the Herefordshire Children’s Services improvement journey.

To inform the committee of performance in the areas of complaints, data incidents and requests for information made to the council over the municipal year 2023/24.

To brief the Committee on the Children's Social Care Quality Assurance Framework, the process for undertaking quality assurance activity and the outcomes and impact of our quality assurance activity.

To present to the Audit and Governance Committee the External Auditor’s Annual Report 2023/24 for
information and discussion.

To scrutinise the Herefordshire Children’s Services and Partnership Improvement Plan Phase 2

To provide the committee with the work programmes of Herefordshire Council's scrutiny committees.

To seek approval to spend up to £5m of the Acquisition Fund For Housing Development allocation in the Capital Programme, to enable the council to respond to short term opportunities to acquire and develop key strategic sites to meet critical social and affordable housing need.

To agree Scrutiny Management Board's work programme

Appointment of Independent Persons

To review the better care fund (BCF) 2024/25 quarter one report, as per the requirements of the Better Care Fund (BCF) programme.