Minutes:
Jo Brown, Assistant Chief Executive, supported by Simon Dennis, Corporate Improvement and Risk Manager, presented a report providing details of the Risk Register and risk management activity within the Assistant Chief Executive’s Directorate.
The Directorate was spilt into 6 service areas and were the corporate champions for the Council’s risk management process. The Directorate currently had 18 risks items listed and due to the cross-cutting nature of the work of the Assistant Chief Executive’s Directorate, 5 of the 18 risks also featured on the Council’s Strategic Risk Register.
Risks were aligned to service and team plans and progress to mitigate risks were monitored through management team meetings. Risks were also regularly discussed and reviewed at the Directorate Leadership Team by individual members of DLT and where necessary risks were escalated to the next strategic level for inclusion on the risk register. The Assistant Director of Human Resources also managed a service level risk register.
As part of the programme to embed risk management into the culture of the Council, all managers from the Assistant Chief Executive’s Directorate were required to attend the mandatory “Risk Management Training for Managers” workshops. New managers were invited to attend workshops as soon as possible after commencement in role and all staff were required to complete a mandatory risk management e-learning module.
The revised risk register (Appendix 1) was aligned to the Council Plan and Year Ahead Delivery Plan. Since the last report to the Committee in September, 2023, 3 risks had been amended and 1 new risk added. There was only 1 risk currently assessed as being high risk and marked Red on the register. The Committee were advised that the red risk was also influenced by elements of national policy.
The risk heat map detailed within the report was based on current scores determined as at September 2024.
Further to Minute No. 22 of the meeting held on 30th July, 2024 regarding the impact score of Corporate Strategic Risk SLT09 the Assistant Chief Executive confirmed that this had now been reconsidered and the score had subsequently been increased. Rationale was also provided to the Committee in response to the request made regarding the downgrading of the risk rating for Corporate Strategic Risk SLT10.
The Committee noted that the Incident Notification to Elected Officials Protocol had been distributed to Ward Members in January 2024 and sought assurance that this had also been issued to the newly Elected Members. This would be followed up with the Head of Service to ensure the information was provided.
The Committee also asked questions relating to Parish Council engagement and the delivery of the Council’s corporate priorities and an explanation as to how those issues were being managed was provided.
The Committee referenced the Household Support Fund allocation and sought an update on how this was being implemented.
Resolved:- (1) That the progress and current position in relation to risk management activity in the Assistant Chief Executive’s Directorate, as detailed in the report submitted, be noted.
(2) That an update on the implementation of the Household Support Fund be submitted to the November meeting of this Committee.
(Exempt under Paragraph 3 (information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the Council) of Part 1 of Schedule 12A))