## **Report to Those Charged with Governance**
**Community Relations Council** 2022-23
**24 November 2023**
## **Contents**
**1. KEY MESSAGES ............................................................................................................................................. 1 2. AUDIT SCOPE ............................................................................................................................................... 4 3. SIGNIFICANT RISKS ....................................................................................................................................... 5 4. FINDINGS FROM THE AUDIT ......................................................................................................................... 6 5. MISSTATEMENTS ...................................................................................................................................... 12 APPENDIX ONE – LETTER OF REPRESENTATION ........................................................................................... 155 APPENDIX TWO – AUDIT CERTIFICATE ........................................................................................................... 20 APPENDIX THREE – IMPLEMENTATION OF PRIOR YEAR PRIORITY ONE RECOMMENDATIONS ..................... 266**
_We have prepared this report for the Community Relations Council’s sole use. You must not disclose it to any third party, quote or refer to it, without our written consent and we assume no responsibility to any other person._
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## **1. Key Messages**
This report summarises the key matters from our audit of the 2022-23 Community Relations Council’s financial statements which we must report to the Audit and Risk Assurance Committee, as those charged with governance. We would like to thank the finance team for their assistance during the audit process.
## **Audit Opinion**
The Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) has reported on the 2022-23 financial statements with an unqualified audit opinion, without modification on 22[nd] November 2023.
The Audit Certificate is included at Appendix Two.
## **Misstatements**
## **Financial Statement Adjustments**
The net effect of adjustments on the financial statements was to increase Net Expenditure by £809 and increase Total net liabilities by £809.
## **Uncorrected misstatements**
Uncorrected misstatements would decrease expenditure and increase net assets by a further £23,885.
## **Irregular expenditure**
As disclosed in the Governance Statement, there was irregular expenditure of £15,302 in 2022-23. This was not considered to be material. Further information is provided in the Findings section.
## **Audit Findings**
During the audit we reviewed internal controls; accounting systems; and procedures to the extent considered necessary for the effective
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performance of the audit. We identified one priority 1 recommendation in relation to regularity[1] and the internal control environment.
Full details of findings are included at Findings from the Audit.
## **Status of the Audit**
Audit fieldwork is now complete. The Chief Executive signed the Annual Report and Accounts together with a letter of representation, which is included at Appendix One, on 14[th] October 2023.
The total audit fee to be charged is in line with that set out in our Audit Strategy.
## **Independence**
We consider that we comply with the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) Ethical Standard and that, in our professional judgment, we are independent and our objectivity is not compromised.
Charges for non-audit services provided to the Community Relations Council for participation in the National Fraud Initiative have been disclosed in the financial statements (£1,319).
## **Management of information and personal data**
The Community Relations Council is required to comply with the UK General Data Protection Regulations (UK GDPR) in the handling and storage of personal data. Those Charged with Governance should ensure they have made sufficient enquiries of management to form a view on whether there were any significant specific data incidents which should be disclosed in the Governance Statement. We are unaware of any data handling incidents during the year. Confirmation to this effect has been sought within the letter of representation included at Appendix One.
During the course of our audit we have access to personal data to support our audit testing. We have established processes to hold this data securely
> 1 Regularity - expenditure and income have been applied to the purposes intended by the Northern Ireland Assembly and that the transactions conform to the authorities which govern them.
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within encrypted files and to destroy it where relevant at the conclusion of our audit. We can confirm that we have discharged those responsibilities communicated to you in accordance with the requirements of UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and Data Protection Act 2018.
## **Actions for the Audit and Risk Assurance Committee**
The Audit and Risk Assurance Committee should note the findings set out in this report, including management comments.
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## **2. Audit Scope**
We have completed our audit of the 2022-23 financial statements in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs) issued by the Financial Reporting Council; with Practice Note 10 ‘Audit of Financial Statements of Public Sector Entities in the United Kingdom’; and with the Audit Strategy presented to the Audit and Risk Assurance Committee in May 2023.
There are no new matters to communicate concerning the planned scope and timing of the audit. Completion of the audit was delayed due to the need to amend the accounts submitted for audit to properly reflect the impact of IFRS 16 Leases.
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## **3. Significant Risks**
The significant risk identified in our Audit Strategy has been addressed as follows:
## **Significant Risk 1**
## **Management override of controls**
Under ISA (UK) 240, there is a presumed significant risk of material misstatement due to fraud through management override of controls.
## **Audit Response**
As required by ISA (UK) 240, we:
- Tested the appropriateness of journal entries recorded in the general ledger and other adjustments made in the preparation of the financial statements;
- Reviewed accounting estimates for biases and evaluated whether the circumstances producing the bias, if any, represent a risk of material misstatement due to fraud; and
- Considered significant transactions that are outside the normal course of business for the entity, or that otherwise appear to be unusual.
## **Outcome**
During the course of the audit no significant items have come to our attention which would indicate an override of the control systems in place. However, please see Finding 2 on page 10 regarding the ability to post journals without review or approval.
No additional significant risks were identified during our audit fieldwork.
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## **4. Findings from the Audit**
## **Financial Reporting**
As part of our audit, we evaluate the qualitative aspects of accounting practices and financial reporting. In this section we draw to your attention any significant changes or issues in respect of accounting policies; accounting estimates; and financial statement disclosures.
The Community Relations Council has robust processes in place for the production of the accounts and have produced good quality supporting working papers. Officers dealt efficiently with audit queries, effectively prioritising them. However, the audit process was delayed due to the need to amend the accounts submitted for audit to properly reflect the impact of IFRS 16 Leases.
## **Accounting Policies**
Except for the amendments required to the accounts to properly reflect the impact of IFRS 16 Leases, accounting policies applied by the Community Relations Council are considered to be appropriate.
## **Accounting Estimates**
Judgments made with regards to accounting estimates were considered appropriate.
## **Financial Statement Disclosures**
We have made a number of suggestions to improve narrative disclosures and to ensure completeness of the disclosures required under the Financial Reporting Manual, Statement of Recommended Practice and other relevant guidance _._
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## **Going Concern**
No events or conditions were identified from our audit work that cast significant doubt about the Community Relations Council’s ability to continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting.
## **Annual Report**
The Annual Report was considered to be consistent with our understanding of the business, and was in line with the other information provided in the financial statements.
## **Remuneration Report**
The parts of the Remuneration Report to be audited were considered to be properly prepared in accordance with the Department of Finance’s guidance.
## **Accountability Report**
The parts of the Accountability Report to be audited were considered to be properly prepared in accordance with the directions issued by The Executive Office under the Companies Act 2006.
## **Governance Statement**
The Governance Statement was considered to reflect compliance with the Department of Finance’s guidance.
## **Regularity, Propriety and Losses**
There is an ongoing issue in respect of salary adjustments for historical differences in the level of employee contributions to pension schemes, which has resulted in irregular expenditure of £15,302 in 2022-23. The amount is not considered to be material and therefore the audit opinion has not been qualified.
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## **Internal Control**
No material weaknesses in the design and implementation of internal control have come to our attention during the audit.
## **Related Parties**
No significant matters arose during the audit in connection with the Community Relations Council’s related parties.
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## **Audit Recommendations**
This section outline the findings arising from our audit, as well as management’s response and target date for implementation. Our findings are defined as:
- **Priority 1** – significant issues for the attention of senior management which may have the potential to result in material weakness in internal control.
- **Priority 2** – important issues to be addressed by management in their areas of responsibility.
- **Priority 3** – issues of a more minor nature which represent best practice.
## **Finding 1 Employee Superannuation Contributions**
The Community Relations Council continues to ‘gross up’ the basic salaries of some employees by 6% to make a contribution to the cost of employees’ superannuation contributions to the NILGOSC pension scheme. This was to ensure that staff were not disadvantaged as a result of paying what were historically higher contributions to the NILGOSC pension scheme compared to the PCSPSNI. We note that from 2014-15, the 6% grossing up is not applied to new members of staff.
The Community Relations Council calculated that, for 2022-23, staff were better off in their net pay as a result of this 6% uplift by £15,302 (202122: £19,373).
In our opinion, as this is contrary to guidance letter FD(DFP) 05/16 Pay Remit Approval Process, it is considered to be irregular. The Community Relations Council have obtained legal advice that the additional 6% must continue to be paid.
We note that the Community Relations Council, as required by the Department of Finance, are actively trying to obtain a resolution to the issue and last met with their sponsor department, The Executive Office (TEO), in May 2023 to discuss this issue. TEO advised CRC that they are hoping to progress this matter, although there are ongoing court cases involving other bodies which will impact this issue.
## **Priority Rating**
1
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## **Recommendation**
The Community Relations Council should continue to engage with TEO on this matter and agree a plan and timeline for resolution of this longstanding issue.
It is important that this matter is brought to a conclusion at the earliest opportunity.
## **Management Response (including target date)**
Ongoing.
Since October 2023 The Executive Office has commenced regular meetings with CRC to discuss the content and timetable for approval of the business case (previously provided by CRC to TEO in 2020). As was previously the case, the business case will be approved by CRC Board before resubmission to TEO and the options will take into account legal advice.
## **Finding 2**
## **Lack of Manual Journals Approval**
Our review of journals identified that Finance employees have the ability to post journals without any review or approval. This can increase the likelihood of journals being posted in error or the risk of fraud.
## **Priority Rating**
2
## **Recommendation**
The Community Relations Council should ensure that there is appropriate review of all manual journals posted and that evidence of this review is retained.
## **Management Response (including target date)**
Completed.
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Due to staff vacancies and difficulties in recruitment during 2022-23, CRC was operating largely without a Director of Finance, Admin and Personnel. This position was resolved in 2022-23 as the post of Director of Finance, Admin and Personnel was filled part time from March and full time since September 2023. The organisation also has a temporary Finance Manager with much more experience of ALB processes. Both are qualified accountants. The Director of Finance, Admin and Personnel now reviews and approves all journals.
A review of management’s implementation of priority one recommendations made in our prior year Report to those charged with Governance is set out at Appendix Three.
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## **5. Misstatements**
## **Adjusted misstatements**
During the audit process we identified the following misstatements above our clearly trivial threshold of £2,147. These misstatements have been adjusted and the net effect on the Statement of Financial Activities and the Balance Sheet was £809.
|**ISSUE**|**AREA**|**SoFA**|**Balance Sheet**|
|---|---|---|---|
|||**DEBIT / (CREDIT)**|**DEBIT / (CREDIT)**|
|||**£**|**£**|
|**Implementation of IFRS 16**
**Leases**|Tangible fixed assets||216,253|
|||||
||Depreciation|49,905|(49,905)|
||Expenditure|||
|||(49,096)||
||Current Liabilities – Finance
Lease|||
||||(49,594)|
|||||
||Non Current Liabilities – Finance
Lease|||
||||(117,563)|
|||||
|**TOTAL**||**809**|**(809)**|
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## **Uncorrected misstatements**
The table below lists unadjusted misstatements which exceed our clearly trivial threshold of £2,147. Uncorrected misstatements would decrease expenditure and increase net assets by a further £23,885.
|**ISSUE**|**AREA**|**SoFA**|**Balance Sheet**|
|---|---|---|---|
|||**DEBIT / (CREDIT)**|**DEBIT / (CREDIT)**|
|||**£**|**£**|
|**Being the recognition of a**
**grant clawback balance in**
**the accounts**|Debtors: Grant Clawbacks|||
|||-|8,250|
||Charitable
Activities/Expenditure: Grant
Expenditure|||
|||(8,250)|-|
|||||
|**Being the correction of an**
**under accrual for agency**
**costs**|Charitable
Activities/Expenditure: Staff
Costs|||
|||2,529|-|
|||||
||Creditors: Accruals|||
|||-|(2,529)|
|**Being the release of an over**
**accrual against Intercomm**
**grants**|Creditors: Grants Payable|||
||||18,164|
||Charitable
Activities/Expenditure: Grant
Expenditure|||
|||(18,164)||
|||||
|**TOTAL**||**(23,885)**|**23,885**|
|||||
We recommend that uncorrected misstatements be corrected by the Community Relations Council.
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## **Irregular Expenditure**
The following irregular expenditure was identified during the course of our audit.
|**DESCRIPTION**|**AMOUNT £**|
|---|---|
|**Employee Superannuation Contributions**|15,302|
This amount is not considered to be material and therefore the audit opinion has not been qualified. Please refer to Finding 1 for more details.
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## **Appendix One – Letter of Representation**
The Comptroller and Auditor General Northern Ireland Audit Office 106 University Street BELFAST BT7 1EU
## **LETTER OF REPRESENTATION: THE NORTHERN IRELAND COMMUNITY RELATIONS COUNCIL 2022-23**
As Chief Executive of the Northern Ireland Community Relations Council I have fulfilled my responsibility for preparing accounts that give a true and fair view of the state of affairs, net movement in funds and cash flows; and the related notes of the Northern Ireland Community Relations Council for the year ended 31 March 2023.
In preparing the accounts, I was required to:
- observe the accounts direction issued by The Executive Office , including the relevant accounting and disclosure requirements and apply appropriate accounting policies on a consistent basis;
- make judgements and estimates on a reasonable basis; and
- state whether applicable accounting standards have been followed and disclosed and explain any material departures in the accounts; and
- make an assessment that the Northern Ireland Community Relations Council is a going concern and will continue to be in operation throughout the next year; and ensure that this has been appropriately disclosed in the financial statements.
I confirm that for the financial year ended 31 March 2023:
- having considered and enquired as to the Northern Ireland Community Relations Council’s compliance with law and regulations, I am not aware of any actual or potential noncompliance that could have a material effect on the ability of the Northern Ireland Community Relations Council to conduct its business or on the results and Balance Sheet disclosed in the accounts;
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- all accounting records have been provided to you for the purpose of your audit and all transactions undertaken by the Northern Ireland Community Relations Council have been properly recorded and reflected in the accounting records. All other records and related information, including minutes of all management meetings which you have requested have been supplied to you; and
- the information provided regarding the identification of related parties is complete; and the related party disclosures in the financial statements are adequate.
All material accounting policies as adopted are detailed in note 1 to the accounts.
## INTERNAL CONTROL
I have fulfilled my responsibility as Chief Executive for the design and implementation of internal controls to prevent and detect error and I have disclosed to you the results of my assessment of the risk that the financial statements could be materially misstated.
I confirm that I have reviewed the effectiveness of the system of internal control and that the disclosures I have made are in accordance with the Department of Finance guidance on the Governance Statement.
## FRAUD
I have fulfilled my responsibility as Chief Executive for the design and implementation of internal controls to prevent and detect fraud and I have disclosed to you the results of my assessment of the risk that the financial statements could be materially misstated as a result of fraud.
I am not aware of any fraud or suspected fraud affecting the Northern Ireland Community Relations Council and no allegations of fraud or suspected fraud affecting the financial statements has been communicated to me by employees, former employees, analysts, regulators or others.
## ASSETS
## **General**
All assets included in the Balance Sheet were in existence at the reporting period date and owned by the Northern Ireland Community Relations Council and free from any lien, encumbrance or charge, except as
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disclosed in the accounts. The Balance Sheet includes all tangible assets owned by the Northern Ireland Community Relations Council.
## **Non Current Assets**
All assets over £500 are capitalised. They are not revalued annually and instead are held at depreciated cost. Depreciation is calculated to reduce the net book amount of each asset to its estimated residual value by the end of its estimated useful life in the Northern Ireland Community Relations Council’s operations.
## **Other Current Assets**
On realisation in the ordinary course of the Northern Ireland Community Relations Council’s operations the other current assets in the Balance Sheet are expected to produce at least the amounts at which they are stated. Adequate provision has been made against all amounts owing to the Northern Ireland Community Relations Council which are known, or may be expected, to be irrecoverable.
## **Pension Assets**
I have considered the IAS 19 report produced by the NILGOSC actuary and I am satisfied that the pension liability included in the financial statements is a reasonable estimate. It is based upon the best information available at the time.
## LIABILITIES
## **General**
All liabilities have been recorded in the Balance Sheet.
There were no significant losses in the year and no provisions for losses were required at the year end.
All litigation and claims have been disclosed to you and correctly accounted for.
## **Provisions**
There are no provisions in the financial statements and I confirm that I am not aware of any provisions that should be made.
## **Contingent Liabilities**
I am not aware of any pending litigation which may result in significant loss to the Northern Ireland Community Relations Council.
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## OTHER DISCLOSURES
## **Results**
Except as disclosed in the accounts, the results for the year were not materially affected by transactions of a sort not usually undertaken by the Northern Ireland Community Relations Council, or circumstances of an exceptional or non-recurring nature.
## **Uncorrected Misstatements**
The following uncorrected misstatements have been brought to my attention:
|**ISSUE**|**AREA**|**SoFA**
**DEBIT / (CREDIT)**
**£**|**Balance Sheet**
**DEBIT / (CREDIT)**
**£**|
|---|---|---|---|
|**Being the**
**recognition of a**
**grant clawback**
**balance in the**
**accounts**|Debtors: Grant
Clawbacks|-|8,250|
||Charitable
Activities/Expenditure:
Grant Expenditure|(8,250)|-|
|**Being the**
**correction of an**
**under accrual for**
**agency costs**|Charitable
Activities/Expenditure:
Staff Costs|2,529|-|
||Creditors: Accruals|-|(2,529)|
|**Being the release**
**of an over**
**accrual against**
**Intercomm**
**grants**|Creditors: Grants
Payable||18,164|
||Charitable
Activities/Expenditure:
Grant Expenditure|(18,164)||
|**TOTAL**||**(23,885)**|**23,885**|
I consider the effect of these uncorrected misstatements to be
immaterial, both individually and in aggregate, to the financial statements taken as a whole.
## **Events after the Reporting Period**
Except as disclosed in the accounts, there have been no material changes since the reporting period date affecting liabilities and commitments, and no events or transactions have occurred which, though properly excluded
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from the accounts, are of such importance that they should have been brought to notice.
## **Accounting Estimates**
The methods, significant assumptions and the data used in making the accounting estimates and the related disclosures are appropriate to achieve recognition, measurement or disclosure that is in accordance with the financial reporting framework.
## **Management of Personal Data**
Except as disclosed in the Directors’ Report, there have been no personal data related incidents in 2022-23 which are required to be reported _._
## **Jaqueline Irwin Chief Executive and Accounting Officer Northern Ireland Community Relations Council**
## **14[th] November 2023**
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## **Appendix Two – Audit Certificate**
## **NORTHERN IRELAND COMMUNITY RELATIONS COUNCIL**
## **THE CERTIFICATE AND REPORT OF THE COMPTROLLER AND AUDITOR GENERAL TO THE NORTHERN IRELAND ASSEMBLY**
## **Opinion on financial statements**
I certify that I have audited the financial statements of the Northern Ireland Community Relations Council for the year ended 31 March 2023 under the Companies (Public Sector Audit) Order (Northern Ireland) 2013. The financial statements comprise: the Statement of Financial Activities; Balance Sheet; Statement of Cash Flows; and the related notes, including significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice.
I have also audited the information in the Directors’ Report that is described in that report as having been audited.
In my opinion the financial statements:
- give a true and fair view of the state of the company’s affairs as at 31 March 2023 and of its incoming resources and application of resources, including income and expenditure for the year then ended;
- have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice; and
- have been properly prepared in accordance with the Companies Act 2006.
## **Opinion on regularity**
In my opinion, in all material respects the expenditure and income recorded in the financial statements have been applied to the purposes intended by the Assembly and the financial transactions recorded in the financial statements conform to the authorities which govern them.
## **Basis for opinions**
I conducted my audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (ISAs) (UK), applicable law and Practice Note 10 ‘Audit of Financial Statements and Regularity of Public Sector Bodies in the United Kingdom’. My responsibilities under those standards are further described
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in the Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of this certificate.
My staff and I are independent of the Northern Ireland Community Relations Council in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to my audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the Financial Reporting Council’s Ethical Standard, and have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements.
I believe that the audit evidence obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for my opinions.
## **Conclusions relating to going concern**
In auditing the financial statements, I have concluded that the Northern Ireland Community Relations Council’s use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.
Based on the work I have performed, I have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the Northern Ireland Community Relations Council's ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.
The going concern basis of accounting for the Northern Ireland Community Relations Council is adopted in consideration of the requirements set out in the Government Financial Reporting Manual, which require entities to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements where it is anticipated that the services which they provide will continue into the future.
My responsibilities and the responsibilities of the Accounting Officer and Directors with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.
## **Other Information**
The other information comprises the information included in the annual report other than the financial statements, the parts of the Directors’ report described in that report as having been audited, and my audit certificate and report. The Accounting Officer and Directors are responsible for the other information included in the annual report. My opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information
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and except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in my report I do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon.
My responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or my knowledge obtained in the audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If I identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, I am required to determine whether this gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. If, based on the work I have performed, I conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, I am required to report that fact.
I have nothing to report in this regard.
## **Opinion on other matters**
In my opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of the audit:
- the parts of the Directors’ Report to be audited have been properly prepared in accordance with the Government Financial Reporting Manual; and
- the information given in the Strategic Report and Directors’ Report for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements; and
- the Strategic Report and Directors’ Report have been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements.
## **Matters on which I report by exception**
In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the Northern Ireland Community Relations Council and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, I have not identified material misstatements in the Strategic Report and Directors’ Report. I have nothing to report in respect of the following matters which I report to you if, in my opinion:
- adequate accounting records have not been kept; or
- the financial statements and the parts of the Directors’ Report to be audited are not in agreement with the accounting records; or
- certain disclosures of remuneration specified by the Government Financial Reporting Manual are not made; or
- I have not received all of the information and explanations I require for my audit; or
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- the Governance Statement does not reflect compliance with the Department of Finance’s guidance.
## **Responsibilities of the Accounting Officer and Directors for the financial statements**
As explained more fully in the Statement of Accounting Officer’s and Directors’ Responsibilities, the Accounting Officer and Directors are responsible for:
- preparing the Annual Report, which includes the Remuneration and Staff Report, in accordance with the Companies Act 2006;
- the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view;
- such internal controls as management determines are necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud of error; and
- assessing the Northern Ireland Community Relations Council’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the Accounting Officer anticipates that the services provided by the Northern Ireland Community Relations Council will not be provided in the future.
## **Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements**
My responsibility is to audit, certify and report on the financial statements in accordance with the Companies (Public Sector Audit) Order (Northern Ireland) 2013.
My objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error and to issue a certificate that includes my opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.
I design procedures in line with my responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of non-compliance with laws and regulation, including fraud.
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My procedures included:
- obtaining an understanding of the legal and regulatory framework applicable to the Northern Ireland Community Relations Council through discussion with management and application of extensive public sector accountability knowledge. The key laws and regulations I considered included governing legislation and any other relevant laws and regulations;
- making enquires of management and those charged with governance on the Northern Ireland Community Relations Council’s compliance with laws and regulations;
- making enquiries of internal audit, management and those charged with governance as to the Northern Ireland Community Relations Council’s susceptibility to irregularity and fraud, their assessment of the risk of material misstatement due to fraud and irregularity, and their knowledge of actual, suspected and alleged fraud and irregularity;
- completing risk assessment procedures to assess the susceptibility of the Northern Ireland Community Relations Council’s financial statements to material misstatement, including how fraud might occur. This included, but was not limited to, an engagement director led engagement team discussion on fraud to identify particular areas, transaction streams and business practices that may be susceptible to material misstatement due to fraud. As part of this discussion, I identified potential for fraud in the posting of unusual journals;
- engagement director oversight to ensure the engagement team collectively had the appropriate competence, capabilities and skills to identify or recognise non-compliance with the applicable legal and regulatory framework throughout the audit;
- documenting and evaluating the design and implementation of internal controls in place to mitigate risk of material misstatement due to fraud and non-compliance with laws and regulations;
- designing audit procedures to address specific laws and regulations which the engagement team considered to have a direct material effect on the financial statements in terms of misstatement and irregularity, including fraud. These audit procedures included, but were not limited to, reading board and committee minutes, and agreeing financial statement disclosures to underlying supporting documentation and approvals as appropriate, testing of journal entries and reviewing internal audit reports; and
- addressing the risk of fraud as a result of management override of controls by:
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- performing analytical procedures to identify unusual or unexpected relationships or movements;
- testing journal entries to identify potential anomalies, and inappropriate or unauthorised adjustments;
- assessing whether judgements and other assumptions made in determining accounting estimates were indicative of potential bias; and
- investigating significant or unusual transactions made outside of the normal course of business.
A further description of my responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements is located on the Financial Reporting Council’s website www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of my certificate.
In addition, I am required to obtain evidence sufficient to give reasonable assurance that the expenditure and income recorded in the financial statements have been applied to the purposes intended by the Assembly and the financial transactions recorded in the financial statements conform to the authorities which govern them.
## **Report**
I have no observations to make on these financial statements.
**Dorinnia Carville Comptroller and Auditor General Northern Ireland Audit Office 106 University Street BELFAST BT7 1EU**
## **22[nd] November 2023**
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## **Appendix Three – Implementation of Prior Year Priority One Recommendations**
## **Recommendation 1**
## **Employee Superannuation Contributions**
The Community Relations Council should continue to press the sponsor department to re-engage on this matter and agree a plan and timeline for resolution of this longstanding issue.
It is important that this matter is brought to a conclusion at the earliest opportunity.
## **Status**
## **Not cleared**
This is still an ongoing issue – see Finding 1.
## **Recommendation 2 Quality of Financial Reporting**
The Community Relations Council should ensure that appropriate resources are secured so that they can be confident that financial reports/ accounts produced by the finance team are robust and can be relied on. A proper system of quality review of financial reports/ accounts should also be established.
## **Status**
## **Cleared**
An agency worker with previous public sector experience was engaged to prepare the 2022-23 Annual Report and Accounts. A new Director of Finance, Administration and Personnel was also appointed. As a result, the quality of the draft accounts presented for audit was much improved.
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