Newham Council's Audit and Governance Committee convened on Wednesday to discuss a range of financial and governance matters, including contract waivers, counter-fraud measures, and the handling of complaints.
The committee, comprised of Councillors Carleene Lee-Phakoe, Aktharul Alam, Melanie Onovo, Thelma Odoi, Anthony McAlmont, Anamul Islam, Terence Paul, and Areeq Chowdhury, along with officers Conrad Hall, Meinir Hall, Nicole Metivier, Nick Sharp, and Andrew Ward, reviewed the waivers for the period of 1 July 2025 to 1 October 2025.
The agenda for the meeting also included discussion of the Best Value Response, internal audit progress, risk management, human resources, treasury management, the annual complaints report, a report from EY regarding their withdrawal from the Housing Benefit Assurance Process, and a quarterly report on the Savings Delivery Programme.
Contract Waivers and Scaffolding
According to the minutes from the previous meeting on 16 July 2025, the committee considered a report that held one contract waiver for the last quarter. A member requested details of the full spend on the related project to the contract waiver. Officers responded that the scaffolding had been erected for emergency remedial work, but a different contractor won the subsequent window replacement project.
Counter-Fraud Measures
The committee was scheduled to discuss the quarterly counter fraud progress report. The previous meeting in July 2025 included a discussion of housing tenancy fraud. One notable case involved illegal sub-letting that lasted nine years and resulted in the recovery of £68,000.
Internal Audit, Risk Management, and Best Value
The Audit and Governance Committee received a quarterly update on internal audit activities. The committee also reviewed a quarterly update on risk management, including the risk register, and the Best Value Response.
Annual Complaints Report
The committee was scheduled to note the council's performance in handling complaints during the 2024-25 fiscal year. The report included appendices for the Annual Complaints Report 2024-25, a letter from the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, and a self-assessment.
