Minutes:
The Chief Executive provided a verbal update to the meeting in relation to the Council’s Strategic Risk Register and Partnership arrangements. There was a strategic risk register for each service area.
The latest quarterly Risk Management Group (RMG) meeting had taken place on 23rd January 2024, and chaired by Councillor Clive Moesby, Portfolio Holder for Resources.
There were currently 15 corporate risks:
· Introduction of government legislation or any parliamentary uncertainty that may have an adverse impact on the Council’s budget or ability to carry out its statutory functions. The Council keeps an eye on any release of white papers and upcoming general elections legislation which may impact on the Council;
· Delivering a balanced budget;
· Operational failure which may have a major impact on provision of services, residents, communities, and businesses, for example, major ICT or utilities failure;
· Difficulty in recruiting to professional posts;
· Delivery of statutory services alongside the Council’s vision – need to align everything to the Council’s Corporate Plan.
· Emergency Planning and Business Continuity and the Council’s failure to meet the required standards of the Civil Contingencies Act. The Council works closely with DCC regarding this;
· Lack of appropriate strategic direction. The Council had a full Senior Leadership Team across all areas of the Council;
· Failure to meet the required standards of governance;
· Failure to have in place robust comprehensive and up to date policies and procedures around safeguarding. A recent refresh of the Council’s Safeguarding Adults and Children was undertaken and approved;
· Failure to recover from the impact of Covid 19 on the Council, the local economy and local community. The Group were looking at changing this to any pandemic;
· Cyber Security. The Assistant Director ICT provides regular updates to the RMG and would be happy to speak to Audit Committee at a future meeting if Members so wished;
· Significant increase to the general cost of living which may affect the Council’s income, i.e., council tax, rent arrears and leisure income;
· Housing pressures – homelessness provision and resettlement schemes from the Government;
· Climate Change Officer. A new officer had recently been appointed;
· Dragonfly Development and Dragonfly Management Ltd to ensure the appropriate governance was in place. This would regularly be reviewed.
The Assistant Director of Housing Management and Enforcement had informed the RMG of the new Social Housing Regulations Act 2023 which would come into force on 1st April. The Council had been selected as one of the very first councils to have an inspection regarding this.
It had also been a heavy year for the Elections Team: there had been two elections in May and there would be a parliamentary election due soon.
The Section 151 Officer had taken the group through the reports in relation to council tax, budgets, and rents etc.
Strategic Emergency Planning risks – Adam Ballard, Emergency Planning Officer, had given a presentation to Members at Council.
Insurance premiums had escalated and this was being monitored.
In response to Members questions, the Chief Executive advised Committee that regular meetings were held in relation to ICT security to ensure that everything was being done and an update could be provided to Members at a future meeting. With regard to temporary housing accommodation, the Council had around ten to twelve units which were only used when absolutely necessary. The Council did not have the same issues with temporary accommodation which some other larger councils had and the Chief Executive could provide further information regarding homelessness and temporary accommodation to Members at a future meeting.
Moved by Councillor Tom Munro and seconded by Councillor Duncan Haywood
RESOLVED that the verbal update report be noted.