In addition to the measures identified within both Standing Orders and the Code of Conduct for members, we recognise the importance of a fully accountable, open and honest approach to ensuring that fraud is deterred and provide a framework within which any fraud would be detected.
The following measures are already in place to deter fraud:
- All invoices examined and signed by two members of the Finance Sub-Committee
- All cheques for payment signed by two members of the Finance Sub-Committee
- Accounts for payment reviewed and approved at a full Council meeting
- Regular review of year-to-date expenditure compared against budget
- Annual review of Risk Register
- Annual review of internal controls as part of internal audit
- Annual internal audit to verify that records have been kept appropriately
- Annual accounts submitted to government appointed external auditor
Local Government Transparency Code, 2015 requires that we publish details of the following:
- Prevention of Social Housing Fraud: Stanford in the Vale Parish Council does not administer any social housing and therefore, does not undertake any counter-fraud measures with regard to this.
- We have no employees undertaking investigations and prosecutions of fraud
- We have no professionally accredited counter fraud specialists
- The investigation and prosecution of fraud has cost the Parish Council £0 (nil)
- We have not identified any cases of fraud, and therefore no cases have been investigated