Agenda item

The Director of Finance, Assets and Information Services will submit a report on a further review of the Strategic Risk Register undertaken in October, 2015 and presenting the outcomes of that review.

The Director of Finance, Assets and Information Services submitted a note presenting a report submitted to Cabinet on the 13^th January, 2016 on a full review of the Strategic Risk Register undertaken in October 2015.

The report, which was presented by Mr A Hunt, Risk and Governance Manager formed part of the Committee’s assurance process where it was agreed that following the completion of the review of the Strategic Risk Register, the Committee consider the latest version and provide appropriate comments thereon.

The Register contained those high level risks that were considered significant potential obstacles to the achievement of the Authority’s Corporate Objectives.  It was important that the Register remain up to date and be reviewed regularly in order to accurately reflect the most significant risks to the achievement of objectives and facilitate timely and effective mitigations to those risks.

Following a review of the Strategic Risk Register in February 2015, a further review had been undertaken in October, 2015 the outcomes of which were detailed within the report.  Mr Hunt outlined in some detail the way in which eh register had been reviewed together with the role of the Senior Management Team in this process.  He commented on the main components of the review and the items included.

The report outlined:

·         the following areas which had been explored during update meetings with Risk Owners including:

o   Child Sexual Exploitation – particularly in the light of recent issues within South Yorkshire

o   The Customer Services Organisation programme – which had now moved into delivering phase two of the programme

o   The developing City Region devolution deal affecting leadership, skills, employment business support, transport and housing

·         The key risks across the six ‘concern’ rating classifications

·         The changes to the risks logged since the last review

o    The inclusion and upgrading of risk 3034 ‘Failure to deliver the Medium Term Financial Strategy’ in view of the uncertainties surrounding the Comprehensive Spending Review and Autumn Statement

o   The inclusion of a new risk 3699 ‘Failure to ensure the Council’s commercial/trading arm is effective in its operation, and is a well governed organisation

o   The inclusion of risk 3514 ‘Failure to be able to deliver the ambitions and outcomes associated with the Customer Services Organisation Programme’ within the Risk Profile

·         The significant/red risks and new and emerging risks and  the risk mitigating actions

·         Other significant changes to the Strategic Risk Register

A further review of the Register was now programmed with other governance related reports relating to Corporate Finance and Performance management in order for the Cabinet to receive and consider governance related reports as a broad suite of documents.

The report and Register indicated how assurance against significant risk was being managed appropriately and Appendices to the report provided details of:

·         The background to the Strategic Risk Register

·         The improved and worsened risks

·         The ‘direction of travel’ trends

·         The risks that had been completed/closed

·         The new and updated risk mitigation actions

·         A copy of the full Strategic Risk Register

Reference was also made to the embedding of the risk management culture throughout the Authority.

In the ensuing discussion, particular reference was made to the following:

·         The ‘risk owners’ and to the actions/tasks they were charged with to manage those risks. 

·         In response to specific questioning, the Director of Legal and Governance referred particularly to risk 3699 – Failure to ensure the Council’s commercial/trading arm.  Arising out of this discussion reference was also made to the ‘devolved’ procurement arrangements of Area Councils and the grants issued by Ward Alliances and the ways in which potential risks were managed

·         There was a discussion of concerns at the increasing amount of time committed by both the Senior Leadership Team and by Senior Members to the developing city region devolution deal.  The Director of Legal and Governance briefly outlined his and the Director of Finance, Assets and Information Services respective roles in this process and commented that this was not currently an issue in terms of workload and time commitment.  It was accepted that this was an emerging area of importance but it was equally important the Cabinet continued to monitor time commitments to ensure that there was no detriment to the Council

·         Risk 3024 – lack of educational attainment was noted as was the role of the Barnsley Alliance Board and the revised approach to assessing performance in schools

·         There was a discussion of the increasing role and involvement of volunteers, to the potential risks involved and to the ways in which such risks could be mitigated

·         A report by the Director of Finance, Assets and Information Services providing an update on risk 3030 – Failure to be prepared for an emergency response or business continuity threat and on the decision to bring the IT service back ‘in house’ (particularly in relation to business continuity) would be presented to the next meeting.

·         There was a discussion of the ways in which Business Plans and Health and Safety Resilience  was tested and the Risk and Governance officer commented that details of this could be included in the next update report to be submitted in September, 2016.  Arising out of this discussion, the Service Director Finance informed the Committee that all Business Units had Business Continuity Plans.

RESOLVED:

(i)            That the report on the outcome of the recent review of the Strategic risk Register in relation to the management, challenge and development of the Register be noted and the Committee continue to receive periodic updates as to the process of t4he actions taken and their impact on the Strategic Risk Register;and

(ii)          That the next update report provide details of the ‘test regime’ for Business Continuity Plans and Health and Safety Resilience