Agenda item

The Director of Delivery, Communication and Political Governance submits a report for noting to the Audit and Risk Committee which provides an update on the Strategic and Operational Risk Registers and Health & Safety data.

The Director of Delivery, Communications and Political Governance submitted a report for noting to the Audit and Risk Committee which provided an update on the Strategic and Operational Risk Registers and Health & Safety data.

Sonal Devani, Manager for Risk Management, presented the report, and had been compiled following review by all Strategic Directors and the following points highlighted:

·         Risks were summarised at Appendix 1 to the report.

·         It was noted that 19 risks had been updated at Appendix 2, mainly to do with target dates. The risk controls to specific risks (2, 11, 16 and 17) were amended.

·         Appendix 3 provided a summary of day-to-day risks for the operational running of the Council. Significant risks scoring 15 or above were transferred to the operational risk register. 21 risks were amended, 1 ‘deleted’, and 4 added for the period. Members were reminded that where a risk was ‘deleted’ did not always elude to the risk being eliminated, but referred to the risk score no longer being high and so would not appear on the operational risk register, and was a sign that controls were working and risks were being managed and reduced.

·         There was a 56% decrease in corporate incident reporting, such as Injury Incident, compared to the same quarter in 2019-20 thought to be due to Covid-19 restrictions and service closures.

·         The Coronavirus pandemic had been recognised in divisional risk registers, though in most divisions had not scored highly as it was being managed effectively.

In response the questions from Members the following points were made:

·         Members noted they received a snapshot in time with the risk registers and   questioned about receiving a dynamic picture showing how a risk had changed over time instead of a static picture The Manager, Risk  Management clarified that by referring to Appendix 1, this indicates over  a period of time how risks levels have changed. It is common that risks can remain static due to the nature of strategic risks.

·         Members asked how long officers would tolerate a high risk, and if there was complacency in some areas. It was noted that questions on individual risks were best answered by Directors who would decide on how long they would want to, or need to, tolerate a particular risk. The Committee was reminded that risk owners could be called to this Committee to explain why risks remained high.

·         Cyber risk was noted as high as when looking at the industry and globally it was seen as an unknown threat, but the Committee were assured it had good systems in place.

·         Members noted in Appendix 3, 15 Adult Social Care and Safeguarding Mental Health scoring Impact 4 and Likelihood 5, and 17 Adult Social Care and Commissioning – Passenger transport for children and vulnerable adults also scoring 4(I) and 4(L) as causes for concern, and asked for further information on the risks. The Manager for Risk Management would contact the relevant risk owners and feedback.

Colin Sharpe, Deputy Director of Finance, picked up on the point made by Members on strategic scores which had not changed in over nine months or longer and would discuss the strategic risk registers with the Manager for Risk Management and Director for Delivery, Communications and Political Governance.

The Chair thanked the officer for the report.

RESOLVED:

That:

1.    The Strategic Risk Register and Operational Risk Register be noted.

2.    The Health Safety Data be noted.

3.    Additional information on Appendix 3, 15 Adult Social Care and Safeguarding Mental Health and 17 Adult Social Care and Commissioning – Passenger transport for children and vulnerable adults be provided to Members by the Manager for Risk Management. discussion on risk registers and static scores to be held with the Deputy Director of Finance, Director for Delivery, Communications and Political Governance.