Agenda item

Context:

We were presented with the Strategic Risk Assessment 2015, which provided members with an overview of the current strategic risks facing the authority.

Key Issues:

1.    The risk assessment ensures that:

·         Strategic risks are identified and monitored by the authority.

·         Risk controls are appropriate and proportionate

·         Senior managers and elected members systematically review the strategic risks facing the authority.

2.    The existing risks on the Strategic Risk Assessment have been updated based on evidence available in 2015.  Changes to the council’s risk management policy were approved by Cabinet in March 2015. These are:

·         including pre-mitigation and post-mitigation risk scores, this was also a key recommendation from scrutiny of the 2014 risk assessment

·         ensuring greater clarity to the phrasing of risk so that each statement includes an event, cause and effect.

3.    The risk assessment only covers high and medium level risks. Lower level operational risks are not registered unless they are projected to escalate within the three years covered. These need to be managed and monitored through teams’ service plans. The pre and post mitigation risk levels are presented separately. In most cases mitigating actions result in a change to the likelihood of the risk rather than the consequences as our actions are generally aimed at reducing the chance of a negative event occurring rather than lessening it’s impact. Clearly there will be exceptions.

4.    Following presentation to select committees, the risk assessment will be presented to Cabinet for sign off.

5.    The risk log is a living document and will evolve over the course of the year as new information comes to light. The risk assessment appended was scrutinised by the other three Council Select Committees in December 2015, since then some risks have been revised as new evidence has become available, while other risks will now need further development in light of new evidence. An up-to-date risk log is available to members on the Council’s intranet - The Hub. This will ensure, as well as the ongoing specific scrutiny of the risk assessment annually, that select committees are able to re-visit the information at any point in the year to re-prioritise their work plan as appropriate.

Member scrutiny:

• The Chair highlighted the need for risks to be considered and for members to identify whether these were appropriate, whether any should be added or whether further information was required from the Executive member.
• Reassurance was requested regarding contingencies in place for highway issues, due to recent bad weather.  The improvement officer advised that these would be managed through service plans and arrangements would be in place with emergency planning.
• Members highlighted that due consideration was required for future risk assessments.
• We noted that if members requested specific information then the Emergency Planning team could be invited to attend.  The purpose of the report presented was an opportunity to look at whether appropriate risks were include.

Recommendations:

We resolved to agree recommendations within the report:

1.    That members consider the strategic risks presented for the next three years, in particular those of relevance to the committee and scrutinise the extent to which:

·         all relevant risks facing the authority are appropriately captured,

·         the level of risk applied is appropriate based on the matrix in the council’s risk management policy and guidance and

·         mitigating actions are proportionate and appropriate

2.    That members use the risk assessment on an on-going basis to hold the responsibility holders to account to ensure that risk is being appropriately managed.

3.    Use the risk assessment to inform the future work programme of the committee.