Auditors have awarded West Lindsey District Council the second highest award for its awarding of Covid-19 Business Grants.
Between June and October, Auditors monitored the programme and found that the scheme was to be awarded with a “substantial assurance” rating.
The Council was noted as being focused on getting payments to support businesses out quickly during the early parts of the pandemic, while it was recommended that additional assurance checks could have taken place earlier in the application process rather than in post payment.
Chair of the Governance & Audit Committee, Cllr John McNeill, said:
“We take the recommendation made by auditors on board, and I can confirm that additional assurance checks now do take place prior to payment for all subsequent and current grant schemes set up to support businesses in the pandemic. Auditors have confirmed that in all cases all the checks and assurance checks were followed in every case – as mentioned we have now changed our strategy and thank the auditors for their recommendation.”
Senior Growth Strategy & Projects Officer, Wendy Osgodby, said:
“Looking after eligible businesses at the start of the pandemic was our main focus. I am immensely proud of the work that we have done as a Council to support all those local shops that make up our streets, towns and villages in West Lindsey. Although we are in a different stage of the pandemic, we still have a part to play to help where we can, and I want to thank everybody in the team for their efforts over the past 18 months.”
Learn more about our business grants initiative.
The Audit was awarded as part of a series of independent Audit Inspections on different Council areas over the past few months.