Wealden District Council

2024/25

Core Principles of Good Governance Self-assessment. The following tables should be read in conjunction with the Local Code of Corporate Governance.

Principle A. Behaving with integrity, demonstrating strong commitment to ethical values, and respecting the rule of law

Local government organisations are accountable not only for how much they spend, but also for how they use the resources under their stewardship. This includes accountability for outputs, both positive and negative, and for the outcomes they have achieved. In addition, they have an overarching responsibility to serve the public interest in adhering to the requirements of legislation and government policies. It is essential that, as a whole, they can demonstrate the appropriateness of all their actions and have mechanisms in place to encourage and enforce adherence to ethical values and to respect the rule of law.

Sub-principles (in bold) and behaviours and actions that demonstrate good governance in practice	Wealden’s Compliance & Supporting Evidence for 2024/25
Behaving with integrity Ensuring Members and officers behave with integrity and lead a culture where acting in the public interest is visibly and consistently demonstrated thereby protecting the reputation of the organisation	Constitutional Review Councillor Development Strategy and Councillor Development Panel Wealden Council Values incorporated into the performance appraisal system for all employees Declaration of Gifts / Hospitality Councillor Register of Interests Declaration of Interests is a standing item on agendas Staff Appraisal System New Protocol for Member/ Officer Relationships Member Code of Conduct Officer Code of Conduct Role of Standards Committee
Ensuring Members take the lead in establishing specific standard operating principles or values for the organisation and its staff and that they are communicated and understood. These should build on the Seven Principles of Public Life (the Nolan Principles)	Council Strategy Service Plans Chief Executive leads regular Staff and Member Briefings
Leading by example and using these standard operating principles or values as a framework for decision making and other actions	Wealden Council Values Mandatory training requirements for elected Members to be specifically trained before serving on Planning Committees and Licensing Committees Constitution sets out decision making practices Declarations of interests made at meetings Standards Committee to provide oversight and uphold high standards of conduct Full Council support for LGA “Debate Not Hate” Campaign
Demonstrating, communicating and embedding the standard operating principles or values through appropriate policies and processes which are reviewed on a regular basis to ensure that they are operating effectively	Anti-Fraud and Anti-Corruption Framework Register of Interests reviewed annually (Members and staff) Declarations of Interests recorded at meetings and reflected in published Minutes New Whistleblowing and Speaking Up Policy and Toolkit Annual customer insights report to Cabinet (December 2024) includes reporting on complaints, Ombudsman findings and information requests Use of committee report template with key considerations including legal, finance, risk, resources, Human Resources and equalities implications identified in all Council reports
Demonstrating strong commitment to ethical values Seeking to establish, monitor and maintain the organisation’s ethical standards and performance	Member of CIPFA Better Governance Forum Standards Committee Work Programme Monitoring Officer Protocol Clear mechanisms in place for reporting / referral to the Monitoring Officer
Underpinning personal behaviour with ethical values and ensuring they permeate all aspects of the organisation’s culture and operation	Standards Arrangements Role of the Standards Committee
Developing and maintaining robust policies and procedures which place emphasis on agreed ethical values	Wealden Social Value Policy Procurement policy and approach include good governance and ethical conduct Annual declarations in relation to potential officer conflicts of interests Member Register of Interests Form with supporting guidance
Ensuring that external providers of services on behalf of the organisation are required to act with integrity and in compliance with high ethical standards expected by the organisation	Partnership Guidelines and Principles in place Procurement Strategy Partnership Register Outside Body Feedback New Whistleblowing and Speaking Up Policy and toolkit Data protection and ethical procurement requirements specifically built into contract specification
Respecting the rule of law Ensuring Members and staff demonstrate a strong commitment to the rule of the law as well as adhering to relevant laws and regulations	Constitution Role of Audit and Governance and Scrutiny and Performance Committees Role of Internal and external audit Legal considerations are mandatory in relation to all Cabinet and Committee reports Role of Statutory Officers New Monitoring Officer Protocol in Constitution
Creating the conditions to ensure that the statutory officers, other key post holders and Members are able to fulfil their responsibilities in accordance with legislative and regulatory requirements	Compliance with CIPFA’s Statement on the Role of the Chief Financial Officer in Local Government (CIPFA, 2016) Section 151 Officer reports directly to the Chief Executive The Section 151 Officer and Monitoring Officer attend Corporate Management Team and Audit and Governance Committee The Section 151 Officer leads on the budget monitoring reports, financial strategy reports and can promote to the organisation the delivery of good financial management. In discharging this role, the Section 151 Officer is supported by a team of officers, including a deputy, and these arrangements ensure adequate resources to support the design and maintenance of sound financial governance arrangements New Monitoring Officer Protocol in Constitution Role of Statutory Officers Role of Corporate Governance Group
Striving to optimise the use of the full powers available for the benefit of citizens, communities and other stakeholders	In house legal services team available to support the work of the Council and provide input into Cabinet and Committee reports
Dealing with breaches of legal and regulatory provisions effectively	Monitoring Officer is part of the Corporate Management Team Legal team provide in-house advice and guidance
Ensuring corruption and misuse of power are dealt with effectively	Corporate Governance Group – membership includes Statutory Officers Anti-Fraud and Anti-Corruption Framework Grievance and disciplinary procedures in place for officers Monitoring Officer and Standards Committee have oversight of Member conduct New Whistleblowing & Speaking Up Policy

Principle B. Ensuring openness and comprehensive stakeholder engagement

Local government is run for the public good; organisations therefore should ensure openness in their activities. Clear, trusted channels of communication and consultation should be used to engage effectively with all groups of stakeholders, such as individual citizens and service users, as well as institutional stakeholders.

Sub-principles (in bold) and behaviours and actions that demonstrate good governance in practice	Wealden’s Compliance & Supporting Evidence for 2024/25
Openness Ensuring an open culture through demonstrating, documenting and communicating the organisation’s commitment to openness	Dedicated online engagement website Let’s Talk Wealden which supports the Council’s engagement with the Wealden community “Ask the Leader” Staff ‘Idea Box’ Regular performance reports to CMT and Cabinet 5 Star Customer Service Standards Freedom of Information publication scheme Publication of key information relating to the Council’s finances including Revenue and Capital Budgets, Statement of Accounts, Annual Audit Letter, Fees and Charges. Webcasting of all Committee meetings which are made available for view on the website Publication of Wealden Weekly My Wealden: a self-service portal, designed to help residents, as well as customers living outside the district, to use our online services
Making decisions that are open about actions, plans, use of resources, forecasts, outputs and outcomes. The presumption is for openness. If that is not the case, a justification for the reasoning for keeping a decision confidential should be provided in accordance with rules governing e.g. exemptions.	Access to Information Procedures Forward Plan Contracts Register
Providing clear reasoning and evidence for decisions in both public records and explanations to stakeholders and being explicit about the criteria, rationale and considerations used. In due course, ensuring that the impact and consequences of those decisions are clear	Decision making protocols Minutes of meetings published Committee report template including requirement to obtain professional advice in key areas Calendar maintained and published of reporting deadlines with active monitoring
Using formal and informal consultation and engagement to determine the most appropriate and effective interventions/ courses of action	Tenant Involvement Strategy 2021-26 LetsTalkWealden online engagement hub and “Ask the Leader” Annual budget consultation Benefit Outreach Day Wealden Equalities Reference Group Regular Staff and Member Briefings Internal Equalities Group EDI Plan Wealden Dementia Alliance and Wealden Disability Involvement Group
Engaging comprehensively with institutional stakeholders Effectively engaging with institutional stakeholders to ensure that the purpose, objectives and intended outcomes for each stakeholder relationship are clear so that outcomes are achieved successfully and sustainably	Wealden Community Engagement Strategy Statement of Community Involvement Hosting annual Parish Conference Wealden has formed the Southern Water Local Authority Stakeholder Group which brings together more than 20 Councils from across the southeast, working with the Environment Agency, OFWAT and Southern Water Wealden District Association of Local Councils
Developing formal and informal partnerships to allow for resources to be used more efficiently and outcomes achieved more effectively	Partnership Register Outside Body Feedback Wealden Community Lottery Wealden Strategic Partnership Safer Wealden Partnership Southern Water Local Authority Stakeholder Group My Alerts/ Wealden Weekly information sharing Shared services for Legal, Building Control and Environmental Health, Equalities. The Council is also part of the East Sussex Emergency Resilience Partnership Working with Hailsham Food Bank
Ensuring that partnerships are based on: trust; a shared commitment to change; a culture that promotes and accepts challenge among partners; and that the added value of partnership working is explicit	Wealden’s Partnerships: key principles established for successful partnerships
Engaging stakeholders effectively, including individual citizens and service users Establishing a clear policy on the type of issues that the organisation will meaningfully consult with or involve individual citizens, service users and other stakeholders to ensure that service (or other) provision is contributing towards the achievement of intended outcomes.	Online record of public consultations Feedback reports on public consultations Consultation responses included in relevant Cabinet reports e.g. budget Tenant Involvement Strategy 2021 – 2026 Service User satisfaction surveys
Ensuring that communication methods are effective and that Members and officers are clear about their roles with regard to community engagement	Cabinet Advisory Groups 5-star Customer Service Standards
Encouraging, collecting and evaluating the views and experiences of communities, citizens, service users and organisations of different backgrounds including reference to future needs	Development of EDI plan 2024-2028 Watch this Sp_ce: project to harness the power of inclusion to drive innovation Cost of Living Strategy Wealden Disability Involvement Group
Implementing effective feedback mechanisms in order to demonstrate how their views have been taken into account	Compliments, Complaints and Feedback Reports include feedback on options and consultation undertaken
Balancing feedback from more active stakeholder groups with other stakeholder groups to ensure inclusivity	ED Plan Watch this Sp_ce Project
Taking account of the interests of future generations of tax payers and service users	Council Strategy Cabinet, Scrutiny and Audit reports Strategic Housing Needs Assessment

Principle C. Defining outcomes in terms of sustainable economic, social, and environmental benefits

The long-term nature and impact of many of local government’s responsibilities mean that it should define and plan outcomes and that these should be sustainable. Decisions should further the authority’s purpose, contribute to intended benefits and outcomes, and remain within the limits of authority and resources. Input from all groups of stakeholders, including citizens, service users, and institutional stakeholders, is vital to the success of this process and in balancing competing demands when determining priorities for the finite resources available.

Sub-principles (in bold) and behaviours and actions that demonstrate good governance in practice	Wealden’s Compliance & Supporting Evidence for 2024/25
Defining outcomes Having a clear vision which is an agreed formal statement of the organisation’s purpose and intended outcomes containing appropriate performance indicators, which provides the basis for the organisation’s overall strategy, planning and other decisions	The Council Strategy MTFS and Capital Programme Performance management framework Council’s Values
Specifying the intended impact on, or changes for, stakeholders including citizens and service users. It could be immediately or over the course of a year or longer	Community and Engagement Strategy Consultation exercises e.g. Climate Change Strategy Residents Surveys Let’s Talk Wealden
Delivering defined outcomes on a sustainable basis within the resources that will be available	Quarterly budget reports Quarterly performance monitoring reports Medium Term Financial Strategy
Identifying and managing risks to the achievement of outcomes	Risk management policy and framework Risk assessments for specific projects Work of Internal and External Audit
Managing service users’ expectations effectively with regard to determining priorities and making the best use of the resources available	Annual Service Plans Performance Reporting How your Council Tax is Spent leaflet issued with annual Council Tax bills
Sustainable economic, social and environmental benefits Considering and balancing the combined economic, social and environmental impact of policies, plans and decisions when taking decisions about service provision	Council Strategy Service Plans Capital programme Medium Term Financial Strategy Treasury Management strategy
Taking a longer-term view with regard to decision making, taking account of risk and acting transparently where there are potential conflicts between the organisation’s intended outcomes and short-term factors such as the political cycle or financial constraints	Medium Term Financial Strategy Mandatory training (e.g. for the Planning Committee and Licensing Committee)
Determining the wider public interest associated with balancing conflicting interests between achieving the various economic, social and environmental benefits, through consultation where possible, in order to ensure appropriate trade-offs	Consultation and Engagement Strategy Let’s Talk Wealden Engagement Hub
Ensuring fair access to services	Five Star Customer Standards Internet crystal mark awarded by the Plain English Campaign Watch this Sp_ce: project to harness the power of inclusion to drive innovation 24/7 Website offering >100 online services Corporate Complaints Processes in line with the Ombudsman Codes Clear policies explaining the Council’s processes and what customers can expect from the Council e.g. housing allocations policy, complaints policy Regular engagement with the Wealden Disability Involvement Group (WDIG) Translation and interpreting services available Read Speaker and enhanced zoom enabled website Benefits Outreach Days Internal Equalities Group Community Equalities Reference Group

Principle D. Determining the interventions necessary to optimise the achievement of the intended outcomes

Local government achieves its intended outcomes by providing a mixture of legal, regulatory, and practical interventions. Determining the right mix of these courses of action is a critically important strategic choice that local government has to make to ensure intended outcomes are achieved. They need robust decision-making mechanisms to ensure that their defined outcomes can be achieved in a way that provides the best trade-off between the various types of resource inputs while still enabling effective and efficient operations. Decisions made need to be reviewed continually to ensure that achievement of outcomes is optimised.

Sub-principles (in bold) and behaviours and actions that demonstrate good governance in practice	Wealden’s Compliance & Supporting Evidence for 2024/25
Determining interventions Ensuring decision makers receive objective and rigorous analysis of a variety of options indicating how intended outcomes would be achieved and including the risks associated with those options. Therefore ensuring best value is achieved however services are provided	Options appraisals within key decision reports Legal, Financial, Risk and HR implications considered as part of every decision and evidenced within committee reports Climate Change impact and considerations embedded in all reports Individual risk assessment on larger projects e.g. Elections Corporate Risk Register reported to Cabinet and Audit and Governance Committee
Considering feedback from citizens and service users when making decisions about service improvements or where services are no longer required in order to prioritise competing demands within limited resources available including people, skills, land and assets and bearing in mind future impacts	Consultation outcomes incorporated within Council reports Corporate Complaints Procedure Annual Budget consultation
Planning interventions Establishing and implementing robust planning and control cycles that cover strategic and operational plans, priorities and targets	Calendar of meetings Forward Plan Annual work programmes for Audit and Governance and Scrutiny and Performance Committees
Engaging with internal and external stakeholders in determining how services and other courses of action should be planned and delivered	Communications and Engagement Strategy Regular engagement through WDIG
Considering and monitoring risks facing each partner when working collaboratively including shared risks	Performance Monitoring Cycle Service and Corporate Risk Registers – reviewed by Senior Leadership Team
Ensuring arrangements are flexible and agile so that the mechanisms for delivering outputs can be adapted to changing circumstances	Report cycles allow flexibility to respond to changing priorities
Establishing appropriate key performance indicators (KPIs) as part of the planning process in order to identify how the performance of services and projects is to be measured	Council Strategy Service Plans Performance Management Framework Financial performance regularly measured through quarterly budget meetings and report
Ensuring capacity exists to generate the information required to review service quality regularly	Performance management system Quarterly performance management reporting
Preparing budgets in accordance with organisational objectives, strategies and the medium term financial plan	Clear alignment between corporate objectives and resources Regular budget monitoring analysis and reporting across all Council Services
Informing medium and long term resource planning by drawing up realistic estimates of revenue and capital expenditure aimed at developing a sustainable funding strategy	Medium Term Financial Strategy 2024-29 Capital Strategy – reports to Cabinet / Audit and Governance on performance / progress
Optimising achievement of intended outcomes Ensuring the medium term financial strategy integrates and balances service priorities, affordability and other resource constraints	Annual Budget consultation Audit and and Governance financial reporting cycle
Ensuring the budgeting process is all-inclusive, taking into account the full cost of operations over the medium and longer term	Full and detailed budgeting exercise Internal and External Audit review
Ensuring the medium term financial strategy sets the context for ongoing decisions on significant delivery issues or responses to changes in the external environment that may arise during the budgetary period in order for outcomes to be achieved while optimising resource usage	Medium Term Financial Strategy External auditor report gives assurance Quarterly budget reporting
Ensuring the achievement of ‘social value’ through service planning and commissioning. The Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 states that this is “the additional benefit to the community…over and above the direct purchasing of goods, services and outcomes”	Social Value Strategy Social value assessed as part of award process under procurement Social value embedded across the organisation through the Social Value Group Annual procurement report updates Members on social value achieved through procurement

Principle E. Developing the entity’s capacity, including the capability of its leadership and the individuals within it

Local government needs appropriate structures and leadership, as well as people with the right skills, appropriate qualifications and mind-set, to operate efficiently and effectively and achieve their intended outcomes within the specified periods. A local government organisation must ensure that it has both the capacity to fulfil its own mandate and to make certain that there are policies in place to guarantee that its management has the operational capacity for the organisation as a whole. Because both individuals and the environment in which an authority operates will change over time, there will be a continuous need to develop its capacity as well as the skills and experience of the leadership of individual staff members. Leadership in local government entities is strengthened by the participation of people with many different types of backgrounds, reflecting the structure and diversity of communities.

Sub-principles (in bold) and behaviours and actions that demonstrate good governance in practice	Wealden’s Compliance & Supporting Evidence for 2024/25
Developing the entity’s capacity Reviewing operations, performance use of assets on a regular basis to ensure their continuing effectiveness	Asset Management Strategy Commercial Strategy
Improving resource use through appropriate application of techniques such as benchmarking and other options in order to determine how the authority’s resources are allocated so that outcomes are achieved effectively and efficiently	CIPFA benchmarking External Audit Use of Resources Statement
Recognising the benefits of partnerships and collaborative working where added value can be achieved	Wealden Strategic Partnership South East Local Economic Partnership Significant commitment to partnership working Partnership Register Joint working / shared services (East Sussex Procurement Hub, Environmental Health, Legal Services) Wealden Volunteering
Developing and maintaining an effective workforce plan to enhance the strategic allocation of resources	People Strategy sets out the strategic Human Resources agenda for 2023 to 2027 focusing on three key cross-cutting strategic HR priorities which are: Be a Great Place to Work Grow our Own Help our Managers Lead the Way Leading Wealden management programmes across all levels of the organisation Commitment to apprenticeships including higher level apprenticeships for established staff Wealden Apprenticeships Commitment to Continuing Professional Development Internal Coaching and Mentoring Framework for staff
Developing the capability of the entity’s leadership and other individuals Developing protocols to ensure that elected and appointed leaders negotiate with each other regarding their respective roles early on in the relationship and that a shared understanding of roles and objectives is maintained	The Constitution contains job descriptions for lead Members Officer Job descriptions/ person specifications Officer Member protocol within Constitution Monitoring Officer Protocol
Publishing a statement that specifies the types of decisions that are delegated and those reserved for the collective decision making of the governing body	Constitution Scheme of Delegation Financial Procedure Rules Individual reports for major projects set out decision making basis so that this is open and transparent, particularly for new projects
Ensuring the Leader and the Chief Executive have clearly defined and distinctive leadership roles within a structure whereby the Chief Executive leads the council in implementing strategy and managing the delivery of services and other outputs set by Members and each provides a check and a balance for each other’s authority	Job description for Chief Executive Role profiles (including for Leader) in Constitution
Developing the capabilities of Members and senior management to achieve effective shared leadership and to enable the organisation to respond successfully to changing legal and policy demands as well as economic, political and environmental changes and risks by: ensuring Members and staff have access to appropriate induction tailored to their role and that ongoing training and development matching individual and organisational requirements is available and encouraged ensuring Members and officers have the appropriate skills, knowledge, resources and support to fulfil their roles and responsibilities and ensuring that they are able to update their knowledge on a continuing basis ensuring personal, organisational and system-wide development through shared learning, including lessons learnt from governance weaknesses both internal and external	Regular meetings between Cabinet and Corporate Management Team Senior Leadership Training & Development Programmes SOLACE Springboard/ Development Programmes Working towards the Councillor Development Charter Induction programme for both staff and Members Annual staff appraisal Commitment to apprenticeships including those at a higher level and support for appropriate professional qualifications Presentations by service departments to Overview and Scrutiny Committee Operation of CAGs Member support through dedicated Democratic Services team Dedicated Learning and Development team and each department has a learning co-ordinator Officer training e.g. professional training, continuing professional development, management and leadership training Role of Internal Audit
Ensuring that there are structures in place to encourage public participation	Let’s Talk Wealden Regular user satisfaction surveys Wealden Together Housing Board Wealden Disability Involvement Group Statement of Community Involvement sets out what consultation will take place when the Council is developing and reviewing its planning policy documents (including the new Local Plan) and when determining planning applications
Taking steps to consider the leadership’s own effectiveness and ensuring leaders are open to constructive feedback from peer review and inspections	Commitment to attaining Member Development Charter Participation in Peer Reviews
Holding staff to account through regular performance reviews which take account of training or development needs	Annual performance appraisals and probationary appraisals Capability procedure Regular Service Team Meetings and 1:1 Meetings
Ensuring arrangements are in place to maintain the health and wellbeing of the workforce and support individuals in maintaining their own physical and mental wellbeing	Gold Award Wellbeing At Work 2024 Employee Assistance Programme – Confidential Helpline Mental Health First Aiders Workplace Health Group Young Person’s Network Menopause Workplace Pledge Wellbeing Hour Initiative Wellbeing Hub Carers Champions Council policies to support employees e.g. flexible working

Principle F. Managing risks and performance through robust internal control and strong public financial management

Local government needs to ensure that the organisations and governance structures that it oversees have implemented, and can sustain, an effective performance management system that facilitates effective and efficient delivery of planned services. Risk management and internal control are important and integral parts of a performance management system and crucial to the achievement of outcomes. Risk should be considered and addressed as part of all decision-making activities. A strong system of financial management is essential for the implementation of policies and the achievement of intended outcomes, as it will enforce financial discipline, strategic allocation of resources, efficient service delivery, and accountability. It is also essential that a culture and structure for scrutiny is in place as a key part of accountable decision-making, policy making and review. A positive working culture that accepts, promotes and encourages constructive challenge is critical to successful scrutiny and successful delivery. Importantly, this culture does not happen automatically, it requires repeated public commitment from those in authority.

Sub-principles (in bold) and behaviours and actions that demonstrate good governance in practice	Wealden’s Compliance & Supporting Evidence for 2024/25
Managing risk Recognising that risk management is an integral part of all activities and must be considered in all aspects of decision making	Risk Management Policy and Framework kept under review Risk management reported to Cabinet and Audit, Finance & Governance Committee Service and corporate risk registers Risk assessments on all projects
Implementing robust and integrated risk management arrangements and ensuring that they are working effectively	Risk Management Policy and Framework Annual internal audit plan Emergency Plan and Business Continuity Plan Regular exercises to test the Emergency Plan, Rest Centre provision, Business Continuity Plan, Disaster Recovery and Cyber Security
Ensuring that responsibilities for managing individual risks are clearly allocated	Risks assigned with responsible owners Named officers for e.g. Health and Safety, Data Protection, Emergency Planning, Business Continuity
Managing performance Monitoring service delivery effectively including planning, specification, execution and independent post implementation review	Performance reported to Cabinet on a quarterly basis Departmental Service Plans which are reviewed regularly Performance monitoring CIPFA Benchmarking
Making decisions based on relevant, clear objective analysis and advice pointing out the implications and risks inherent in the organisation’s financial, social and environmental position and outlook	Report template to Cabinet / Committees includes specific sections for analysis, options, risk, finance, and other relevant considerations Decision notices and minutes published after meetings Commitment to being open and transparent in the way it serves the public and compliance with Transparency requirements
Ensuring an effective scrutiny or oversight function is in place which encourages constructive challenge and debate on policies and objectives before, during and after decisions are made thereby enhancing the organisation’s performance and that of any organisation for which it is responsible	Constitution defines roles and responsibilities of Scrutiny and Performance Committee and Audit and Governance Committee Annual work programme for these committees Regular training sessions for committee members pertinent to that committee and the wider business and functions of the Council Recruitment of independent members for Audit and Finance Committee
Providing members and senior management with regular reports on service delivery plans and on progress towards outcome achievement	Annual timetable / calendar of meetings Forward Plan of upcoming decisions Work programmes for Cabinet and Committees
Ensuring there is consistency between specification stages (such as budgets) and post implementation reporting (e.g. financial statements)	Contract Procedure Rules Financial Procedure Rules Annual accounts and Statement of Accounts External auditor reports
Robust internal control Aligning the risk management strategy and policies on internal control with achieving the objectives	Internal Audit Plan Regular reports from Internal Audit to Audit, Finance & Governance Committee
Evaluating and monitoring the authority’s risk management and internal control on a regular basis	Risk Management Policy and Framework Internal Audit Review of Effectiveness Annual Governance Statement External Audit Annual Report
Ensuring effective counter fraud and anti-corruption arrangements are in place	Anti-fraud and anti-corruption Framework Whistleblowing and Speaking up policy Reporting to Audit and Governance Committee on counter fraud activity
Ensuring additional assurance on the overall adequacy and effectiveness of the framework of governance, risk management and control is provided by the internal auditor	Role of the Internal Audit Service Regular reporting to Corporate Governance Group and Audit and Governance Committee
Ensuring an audit committee or equivalent group/ function, which is independent of the executive and accountable to the governing body: -provides a further source of effective assurance regarding arrangements for managing risk and maintaining an effective control environment -that its recommendations are listened to and acted upon	Role of the Audit and Governance Committee
Managing data Ensuring effective arrangements are in place for the safe collection, storage, use and sharing of data, including processes to safeguard personal data	Designation of Senior Information Risk Owner Designation of Data Protection Officer, Deputy Data Protection Officer and dedicated Information Governance Team The Council has a suite of policies covering information and data security designed to keep data held by the Council protected Information Governance Framework and Panel Information Security Incident Management Policy ICT Access and Password Policy
Ensuring effective arrangements are in place and operating effectively when sharing data with other bodies	ICT Security Guidance Acceptable Use Policy for Internet, Email & Telephone PSN Acceptable Use Policy Data Protection: key information relating to the management of data is made available.
Reviewing and auditing regularly the quality and accuracy of data used in decision making and performance monitoring	Data Sharing Agreements are in place to document the sharing of information with partner and other organisations Procedures are in place for the reporting, monitoring and review of data breaches All officers and Members are required to undertake mandatory e-Learning training on information governance including data protection and cyber crime/security Performance Management Framework
Strong public financial management Ensuring financial management supports both long term achievement of outcomes and short-term financial and operational performance	Finances of the Council
Ensuring well-developed financial management is integrated at all levels of planning and control, including management of financial risks and controls	Embedded financial management process covering process from beginning to end Annual Star Chamber Process to examine all service budgets External audit review Finance considerations mandatory part of reports

Principle G. Implementing good practices in transparency, reporting, and audit to deliver effective accountability

Accountability is about ensuring that those making decisions and delivering services are answerable for them. Effective accountability is concerned not only with reporting on actions completed, but also ensuring that stakeholders are able to understand and respond as the organisation plans and carries out its activities in a transparent manner. Both external and internal audit contribute to effective accountability.

Sub-principles (in bold) and behaviours and actions that demonstrate good governance in practice	Wealden’s Compliance & Supporting Evidence for 2024/25
Implementing good practice in transparency Writing and communicating reports for the public and other stakeholders in an understandable style appropriate to the intended audience and ensuring that they are easy to access and interrogate Striking a balance between providing the right amount of information to satisfy transparency demands and enhance public scrutiny while not being too onerous to provide and for users to understand	Internet Crystal Mark awarded by the Plain English Campaign Publication of all reports and decisions on website Transparency: The Council is committed to being open and transparent in the way it serves the public New report template for all committee reports Roles of Audit, Finance & Governance and Overview and Scrutiny Committees
Implementing good practices in reporting Reporting at least annually on performance, value for money and the stewardship of its resources	Annual performance report that supplements quarterly performance and budget reports External Audit – Value for money opinion Statement of Accounts Work of Internal Audit
Ensuring Members and senior management own the results	Constitution sets out responsibilities for functions Each portfolio holder operates a Cabinet Advisory Group and has regular portfolio holder briefings with officers Senior management subject to appraisal process
Ensuring robust arrangements for assessing the extent to which the principles contained in the Framework have been applied and publishing the results on this assessment including an action plan for improvement and evidence to demonstrate good governance (annual governance statement)	Annual Governance Statement Local Code of Corporate Governance
Ensuring that the Framework is applied to jointly managed or shared service organisations as appropriate	Shared Service Agreements Annual Governance Statement
Ensuring the performance information that accompanies the financial statements is prepared on a consistent and timely basis and the statements allow for comparison with other similar organisations	CIPFA benchmarking Regular performance reporting to CMT and Members
Assurance and effective accountability Ensuring that recommendations for corrective action made by external audit are acted upon Ensuring an effective internal audit service with direct access to Members is in place which provides assurance with regard to governance arrangements and recommendations are acted upon	Process for the assessment and follow-up for all Internal and External Audit recommendations Appointment of 2 independent members to the Audit and Governance Committee in line with external auditors’ recommendation Annual Opinion on the Control Environment report from Internal Audit Compliance with Public Sector Internal Audit Standards Annual review of effectiveness of internal audit reported to Audit and Governance Committee Annual Governance Statement Action Plan and follow up
Welcoming peer challenge, reviews and inspections from regulatory bodies and implementing recommendations	Welcome and proactive approach to external peer challenge e.g. LGA Corporate Peer Review (2024) and LGA Peer Review of Housing Services
Gaining assurance on risks associated with delivering services through third parties and that this is evidenced in the annual governance statement	Annual Governance Statement Risk management reporting Performance report Requirement for performance information to management is specified in contract specification
Ensuring that when working in partnership, arrangements for accountability are clear and that the need for wider public accountability has been recognised and met.	Partnership arrangements

Good Governance Self Assessment

2024/25