Issue - meetings

Reporting Person – Kevin Foster

Following pre-decision scrutiny by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee at its meeting on 21 November 2022, the Executive received a report on the Council’s Risk Management arrangements which included the Strategic Risk Register.  It was noted that risk management training had been delivered to Councillors and Senior Managers.  It was suggested that, when risk management was next reviewed by the Executive, it would be useful to see the changes between now and then in the Strategic Risk Register.

RESOLVEd

That the Strategic Risk Register reflects the key risks currently facing the Council and that measures to mitigate each risk have been recorded and are being actioned by officers.

Reason:   To provide an update in relation to Risk Management arrangements and to provide assurance that the Strategic Risk Register reflects the key risks currently facing the Council.

For the Committee to receive an update on the Council’s approach to Risk Management.

Reporting Person: Pino Mastromarco

Kevin Foster, Strategic Director for Corporate Resources, presented the report on Risk Management that was due to go before the Executive on 19 January 2023.

A review of how the Council handled risk management had elicited several recommendations.  One of the recommendations had been to provide Members with training on risk management.  This had been provided.

The Council had committed to making its Strategic Risk Register public, which was included at appendix two of the Item.

Members recommended several changes to the Risk Register: the inclusion of how risks change between editions; the removal of acronyms or inclusion of a glossary of terms, for the benefit of residents; implicit in several other risks, energy costs and inflation be more overtly displayed; and risk of not meeting the Council’s 2030 Carbon Neutral target.  Officers undertook to consider the recommendations.

It was emphasised that the register contained risks to the Council rather than issues experienced by the Council.  The Medium Term Financial Strategy had been developed in recognition of the Risk Register.

Each directorate operated its own Risk Register and items were considered for inclusion on the Council’s Strategic Risk register if the corresponding Strategic Director considered that the risk required input at a corporate level.

RECOMMENDED TO THE EXECUTIVE

That the Strategic Risk Register reflects the key risks currently facing the Council and that measures to mitigate each risk have been recorded and are being actioned by officers.