Risk Management (FUNLHN Annual Report 2020-21)

Risk and audit at a glance

The Flinders and Upper North Local Health Network Board have established an Audit and Risk Board Committee (ARC) with an external Chairperson to assist the Board with fulfilling its responsibilities regarding risk management, audit and assurance.

The ARC meets quarterly and receives regular risk reports from the Local Health Network as well as audit reports conducted by the Auditor-General’s office, Department of Health and Wellbeing and Internal Audits by the Rural Support Service (RSS).

The Flinders and Upper North Local Health Network have implemented a local Risk Management Procedure, which is consistent with the System-Wide Risk Management Policy Directive, providing staff with specific guidance on context, identification, analysis, evaluation, treatment, monitoring and communication of risk.

A consistent Audit Charter has been developed by the RSS and implemented in the Local Health Network, enabling the internal audit function to be delivered by the RSS. The Charter provides guidance and authority for audit activities.

Fraud detected in the agency

NB: Fraud reported includes actual and reasonably suspected incidents of fraud.

Strategies implemented to control and prevent fraud

The Flinders and Upper North Local Health Network Governing Board has established a Board Audit and Risk Committee and a Board Financial and Performance Committee to ensure oversight of operational process relating to risk of fraud. These committees meet on a regular basis and review reports regarding financial management, breaches and risk management. The Chair of the Flinders and Upper North Local Health Network Audit and Risk Committee is an independent member and liaises closely with SA Health’s Group Director Risk and Assurance Services.

The Flinders and Upper North Local Health Network Governing Board notes all Policy Directives relating to SA Heath and a process is established to implement polices through operational committees and structures. The SA Health Corruption Control Policy and Public Interest Disclosure Policy Directives are followed relating to risk of fraud. Allegations of fraud, including financial delegation breaches, are reported to the Board by Management. Shared Services SA provide a report to the Flinders and Upper North Local Health Network Chief Finance Officer providing details of any expenditure that has occurred outside of procurement and approved delegations. These breaches are reviewed and reported to the Board.

All Board members and senior management are required to declare any actual, potential or perceived conflict of interest. The register of interest is reviewed regularly and a standing item at the Flinders and Upper North Local Health Network Governing Board Meetings.

The Flinders and Upper North Local Health Network Board ensure that all employees complete SA Public Sector Code of Ethics training at orientation sessions. The Management team also provide updates to the Board from a Flinders and Upper North Local Health Network task group established to ensure sound administrative, contractual and attendance management processes are embedded in the Local Health Network.

With effect from 1 July Data for previous years is available at:
https://data.sa.gov.au/data/dataset/flinders-and-upper-north-local-health-network-funlhn

Public interest disclosure

Number of occasions on which public interest information has been disclosed to a responsible officer of the agency under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2018:
Three (3)

Data for previous years is available at: https://data.sa.gov.au/data/dataset/flinders-and-upper-north-local-health-network-funlhn

Note: Disclosure of public interest information was previously reported under the Whistleblowers Protection Act 1993 and repealed by the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2018 on 1/7/2019.