diff --git a/.github/workflows/scheduled-repository-template-sync.yaml b/.github/workflows/scheduled-repository-template-sync.yaml
index 5b3cd1f..a227476 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/scheduled-repository-template-sync.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/scheduled-repository-template-sync.yaml
@@ -16,19 +16,21 @@ jobs:
 
     steps:
     - name: Check out the repository
-      uses: actions/checkout@v3
+      uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
     - name: Check out external repository
-      uses: actions/checkout@v3
+      uses: actions/checkout@v4
       with:
-        repository: nhsdigital/nhs-notify-repository-template
+        repository: NHSDigital/nhs-notify-repository-template
         path: nhs-notify-repository-template
+        token: ${{ github.token }}
 
     - name: Run syncronisation script
       run: |
-        /scripts/githooks/sync-template-repo.sh
+        ./scripts/githooks/sync-template-repo.sh
 
     - name: Create Pull Request
+      if: ${{ !env.ACT }}
       uses: peter-evans/create-pull-request@v7.0.1
       with:
         token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
@@ -40,15 +42,12 @@ jobs:
           # Resultant drift from repository template
 
           ## Who should respond to this PR?
-          The team which owns the responsibility for the services the repository maintains
+          The team which owns the responsibility for this component repository. You may want to consult other contributors.
 
           ## How to progress this PR
-          The repositories guardians should review the contents of the PR and decide
-          how to proceed, you may wish to back-out certain changes or accept them from the upstream
-          `nhsdigital/nhs-notify-repository-template` repository.
+          The repositories guardians should review the contents of the PR and decide how to proceed, you may wish to back-out certain changes or accept them from the upstream `nhsdigital/nhs-notify-repository-template` repository.
 
-          If there are changes you do not wish to see again, it is recommended you add exclusions to
-          `scripts/config/.repository-template-sync-ignore`
+          If there are changes you do not wish to see again, it is recommended you add exclusions to `scripts/config/.repository-template-sync-ignore`.
         labels: |
           template
           automation
diff --git a/scripts/config/.repository-template-sync-ignore b/scripts/config/.repository-template-sync-ignore
index 009adf1..7564f3e 100644
--- a/scripts/config/.repository-template-sync-ignore
+++ b/scripts/config/.repository-template-sync-ignore
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 # Files and folders to ignore when syncing nhs-notify-repository-template back in to this repository
 scripts/config/.repository-template-sync-ignore
+.github/workflows/
+nhs-notify-repository-template/
 
 # Files and Folders in this repository to ignore
 .vscode/
diff --git a/scripts/githooks/sync-template-repo.sh b/scripts/githooks/sync-template-repo.sh
index 994d430..060aaa4 100755
--- a/scripts/githooks/sync-template-repo.sh
+++ b/scripts/githooks/sync-template-repo.sh
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ is_ignored() {
   fi
 
   for ignored in "${IGNORED_PATHS[@]}"; do
-    if [[ "$file" =~ $ignored ]]; then
+    if [[ -n "$ignored" && "$file" =~ $ignored ]]; then
       return 0
     fi
   done