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Agenda item

Corporate Risk Register Quarter 4

Minutes:

The Head of People and Business Change presented this item.

 

In Q4, the Council is dealing with 46 risks including those in the corporate risk register across all service areas. All detail of these risks is contained within the report. There were 6 service areas where risks were closed within this quarter.

There is also some change in direction of corporate risks also within report. The Brexit risk has reduced. In year financial management reduced risk due to year end closing. Covid-19 pandemic risk receding by end of March due to vaccination programme; this continues to be monitored carefully. NCC property estate risk has increased due to St Andrew’s Junior School, and there are mitigations in place for this. Out of County Placements for Special Educational Needs risk has also increased at the end of Q4.

 

The Performance and Research Business Partner explained that at the end of Q4, we have identified a number of risks that have remained at the same score over the last year. In light of this, corporate management team (CMT) will be taking a more proactive approach looking at performance and risk over the coming year. They will be undertaking deep dive reviews to understand why certain risks remain high, and what can be done to mitigate and reduce these risks in order to achieve the target risk scores. As part of good practice, the CMT and Cabinet will be looking at the current risk appetite statement, and consider whether the risk appetite statement needs to change to reflect what risks are being faced internally and externally. In due course, the committee will receive this risk appetite statement for comments and consideration, and this will be taken to Cabinet.

 

Discussion included the following:

·         Members commented that they were pleased a number of risks had fallen. It was queried why has the risk gone up for out of county placements, despite more places being opened up for children in care.

o   The Performance and Research Business Partner explained that Out of County placements are due to the change in legislation regarding additional learning needs, which has placed additional demands on the service. We need to utilise Out of County placements due to the increase in demand.

o   Members commented that the report could be clearer in explaining that the risk had gone up due to increased demands placed on the service.

·         Members asked regarding the property estate risk and wanting to achieve carbon neutral by 2030, how would this affect that risk due to significant investment needed?

o   The Head of People and Business Change replied that becoming carbon neutral by 2030 is a huge challenge. Carbon is spread across a range of activities, partly property related, but also a lot of this footprint comes from procurement of services, as well as transport activities. That risk is associated across our entire estate, and when issues arise such as the St Andrews property, they do have an impact on risk. The carbon reduction plan will have an impact on that.

·         The Chair commented that CMT are taking more ownership of risk than perhaps they previously were. On page 49, we have 10 red risks that aren’t moving, which implies that not much is being done to mitigate these risks. Will CMT look to mitigate these risks?

o   The Head of People and Business Change replied that there is a lot going on to mitigate these risks, but some of them are very challenging. It is necessary to bring in different views, ideas and resources to approach these risks. Risks are taken very seriously, and there is lots of work going on. Moving forward, need to consider how we consider performance management and risk together, and would be useful to do a deep dive approach. Some of these risks are beyond the control of CMT. We need to address how we determine what our target risk score is. We may need to accept that sometimes our target risk scores are perhaps too high.

o   The Performance and Research Business Partner explained that having a more mature approach is what we’re aiming to do, in relation to risk management. CMT are taking more ownership and responsibility. We would be happy to undertake deep dives and call in any owners of risks to explain the standing of various issues.

Agreed:

This paper was duly noted and approved.

 

Supporting documents: