Bristol quizzed over housing provider grants

摘要

The governance of grants worth millions to registered housing providers by Bristol City Council has been heavily criticised by internal auditors.A review was carried out after management staff raised concerns about the process, which affected grants paid out by the council worth about £2 8m over the past four years.Auditors found there was 'insufficient oversight' of administration and record keeping, while the council's grant tracker was described as 'not fit for purpose' and 'poorly maintained'.Their report to councillors also raised concerns about legal oversight and that 'the council could not be assured that grants provided did not constitute over-compensation'.The auditors added that their work was 'curtailed' when the staff member responsible for grant administration and the newly-appointed manager with responsibility for oversight left the council.After the findings were put before managers, a new team was 'swiftly put in place' and work is under way to review policies and make improvements to governance and oversight of housing grants.