Issue - meetings

Report of the Director for Finance and Corporate Services

The Service Manager – Corporate Services presented the Risk Management Progress Report which provided a mid-year update of the Council’s risk management activities as well as changes to risks in the Council’s risk register since last reported in February 2022.

The Service Manager - Corporate Services advised the Group that the Council's risk management group met on 21 June and 16 August, a risk management audit was carried out by the Council's internal auditor and received a substantial rating, and general risk management training had been provided to Lead Specialists and above, with Service Managers participating in a more specific session about Opportunity Risk, and the training Councillors received earlier this evening.

The Group were informed that the number of risks within the register will fluctuate throughout the year as active risk management is undertaken, it was noted there are currently 41 corporate risks and 28 operational risks

The Service Manager – Corporate Services referred to Appendix A circulated with the report, which presents the Council’s Risk Register containing corporate and operational risks.

The Service Manager – Corporate Services advised the Group that there are seven new risks and fifteen risks have been removed, as a result recent reviews, concluding that many of these risks were related to the Covid-19 pandemic. Additionally, the Group were advised that there have been three increases and four reductions to risk ratings.

The 7 new risks include:

·       Delivery of the new Core Strategy

·       Failure to secure the LDO for Radcliffe on Soar site

·       The increase in interest rates should the Council need to borrow funds

·       Homes for Ukraine Scheme

·       Failure to deliver the Carbon Management Plan.

Plus 2 opportunity risks:

·       Interest rates / investment income

·       Insourcing of Streetwise

The Service Manager – Corporate Services asked the Group to consider the standard risk register presented in the report, which contained information about each of the risks identified as well as explanations where changes have been made since the last review of the risk register.

The Service Manager – Corporate Services highlighted the current high level ‘red risks’ so that the Group could review controls and mitigating actions if needed. 

The Group referred to the Risk Management Training that had been delivered prior to the meeting and asked questions relating to strategic risk and new projects for the Council and the risks associated with them, requesting when/how these risks would be added to the risk register for scrutiny. The Service Manager – Corporate Services explained that officers were looking at the forward plan for next year, adding that risk checks are made bi-monthly and would appear in the register next time round. The Service Manager – Corporate Services agreed to send the Group an update and link to the webpage.

The Group asked a specific question in relation to a traveller site and the risk associated to people living in the area. The Director – Finance and Corporate Services advised that the Council were not advanced enough in finding an appropriate site for the travelling community,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 15