Kingston's 'Homes for Ukraine' scheme experienced security lapses, according to a report presented at the Kingston upon Thames Audit, Governance and Standards Committee meeting on Wednesday 25 June 2025. The audit, part of the Annual Internal Audit Report, revealed that pre-pay cards were stored in an accessible location, a £50 'Save the World' voucher was missing, and taxi expenditure had not been properly allocated.
The audit also highlighted issues with corporate credit card usage and a lack of independent checks on transactions. The report stated, The audit found that Pre-Pay cards were stored in a location accessible by the general public, and on review the key was found to be in the lock and there was no record documenting the items deposited and taken out.
The 'Homes for Ukraine' audit was one of several audits that received limited assurance opinions. Other audits with limited assurance included Cemeteries and Crematoria (failings in fire and health and safety management), Disabled Facilities Grant (need for clearly defined procedural guidance), Building Safety (gaps in fire risk assessments), Health and Safety (uncompleted fire risk assessment actions), and Supported Living, Service Users with Appointeeships (poor control over service user money).
The Annual Internal Audit Report summarised the work of the Internal Audit Service during 2024/25 and included the Chief Audit Executive's opinion on the council's governance, risk management, and internal control processes. While the Chief Audit Executive was satisfied that sufficient internal audit work had been undertaken, the report noted that assurance can never be absolute, and only reasonable assurance can be provided.
Councillor Lynn Henderson, Chair of the Audit, Governance & Standards Committee, along with Councillor Mark Beynon, Councillor Rowena Bass, Councillor Mariana Goncalves, Councillor Tom Reeve, Julian Adams, and Manpreet Mahal were in attendance at the meeting. The committee also reviewed the 2024/25 Audit Plan and the Annual Treasury Management Report.