INTERNAL AUDIT UNIT

MID-YEAR ASSURANCE STATEMENT

TO THE PATIENT & CLIENT COUNCIL

FROM THE

HEAD OF INTERNAL AUDIT

ISSUED ON 27TH SEPTEMBER 2011

MID-YEAR ASSURANCE STATEMENT FROM THE HEAD OF INTERNAL AUDIT /
INTERNAL AUDIT UNIT

INTRODUCTION

The DHSSPS require the Chief Executives of HSC organisations and NDPBs to provide them with a Mid-Year Assurance Statement. The function of this document is to enable each Chief Executive, as accounting officer of an arm’s length body, to attest to the continued robustness of their organisation’s system of internal control.

My Head of Internal Audit Mid Year Assurance Statement is designed to assist the Chief Executive in the completion of her Mid Year Assurance Statement. The Statement provides an independent and objective assurance on the aspects of the system of internal control reviewed and reported on by Internal Audit in the first six months of 2011/12, including the organisation’s implementation of previous accepted Internal Audit recommendations.

INTERNAL AUDIT ASSIGNMENTS COMPLETED AND REPORTED ON BY MID YEAR

AUDIT ASSIGNMENT / LEVEL OF ASSURANCE PROVIDED BY INTERNAL AUDIT
Financial Management Systems / Satisfactory
Organisational Structures / Satisfactory
Complaints/Advocacy Services / Satisfactory

No Priority One findings were identified in the above audit assignments.

FOLLOW UP ON PREVIOUS ACCEPTED INTERNAL AUDIT RECOMMENDATIONS

During September 2011, Internal Audit reviewed the implementation ofPriority One and Two recommendations that had not previously been followed up or had not previously been implemented.

Audit Report/Priority / Number of Recommendations / Total Number of
Recommendations
That Should Now be
Implemented / Percentage of
Fully Implemented Recommenda-tions
Implemented / Partially Implemented / Not Implemented / Previously confirmed as fully implemented
2009/10
A – RISK MANAGEMENT
Priority Two / - / 1 / - / 6 / 7 / 86%
2010/11
B – PERSONAL & PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT
Priority Two / 4 / - / - / - / 4 / 100%
TOTAL / 4 / 1 / 0 / 6 / 11 / 91%

91% of the recommendations examined were fully implemented; a further 9% (one recommendation)was partially implemented. The Patient and Client Council should ensure that all outstanding issues are addressed as soon as possible.

Written and Issued By:

Catherine McKeown, BSO Head of Internal Audit