Finding 522208 (2024-001)

Significant Deficiency
Requirement
N
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2024
Accepted
2025-02-06

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: Significant non-compliance in required training for employees, with 92% failing HIPAA training, 16% failing Security Awareness, and 60% failing Service Delivery training.
  • Impacted Requirements: Internal controls over training compliance are inadequate, risking noncompliance with federal regulations and potential penalties.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: Improve tracking and monitoring of training completion, assign responsibility for compliance, and consider a rolling-year training schedule to enhance efficiency.

Finding Text

Criteria: 2 CFR 200.303 states a non-Federal entity must establish and maintain effective internal controls over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. Condition: During our audit, auditors tested 25 employees for completion certificate of required training as a condition of the grants. Three of the required annual training were significantly non-compliant. • The Annual HIPPA Training 23 of the 25 (92%) of employees did not properly complete the training. • The Annual Security Awareness Training 4 of the 25 (16%) of employees did not properly complete the training. • The Annual Service Delivery for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Training 15 of the 25 (60%) of employees did not properly complete the training. Questioned Costs: No questioned costs were noted. Cause: The cause of this condition appears to be a lack of oversight in monitoring training completion records and insufficient internal controls over training compliance. Effect: Failure to properly complete required training increases the risk of noncompliance with federal program requirements, potentially leading to disallowed costs, penalties, or other adverse consequences.Recommendation: We recommend that management, enhance internal controls over training compliance by implementing more effective tracking and monitoring system and assign responsibility for ensuring timely completion of required training to a specific individual or department. Additionally, we recommend Hibiscus consider implementing a rolling-year training schedule rather than an annual hire-date renewal process. This approach can streamline tracking, reduce administrative burdens, and ensure consistent compliance by aligning training requirements with a standard cycle applicable to all employees.

Corrective Action Plan

Staff at Hibiscus Children's Center are required to complete training curriculums on an annual basis. All Full-Time staff that work directly with children, supervisors and directors must complete a minimum of 40 hours of training annually. All Part-Time staff that work directly with children must complete a minimum of 20 hours of training annually. Program Directors and Supervisors are responsible to monitor their staff to ensure that they successfully complete their annual training requirements. The Program Directors will compile information for each of their staff that identifies the required training, and the dates that they successfully completed each training session. The Program Directors will be responsible for collecting the training certificates and submitting them to Human Resources so they can be placed in the individual personnel files. To better manage the completion and tracking of the required trainings, staff will be required to complete their designated training requirements during the period of July 1 to December 31st. This will allow for the trainings to be logged in time for our annual re-licensing and audits. If the staff do not meet the required training hours, and/or do not meet the required time frame, the Program Directors will take necessary action to ensure compliance and appropriate disciplinary measures.

Categories

Internal Control / Segregation of Duties Subrecipient Monitoring Matching / Level of Effort / Earmarking

Other Findings in this Audit

  • 1098650 2024-001
    Significant Deficiency

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
93.556 Promoting Safe and Stable Families $544,700
93.658 Foster Care - Title IV-E $543,952
93.870 Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Grant Program $210,121
16.575 Victim of Crimes Act $155,636
93.667 Social Services Block Grant $534