Issue - meetings

This half year risk management report enables the committee to meet its responsibilities for monitoring the development and operation of the council’s risk management arrangements.  It also presents the latest Leadership Risk Register.

Declarations of interest:

None.

Witnesses:

Cath Edwards, Risk & Governance Manager

Key points raised during the discussion:

1.    The Risk & Governance Manager introduced the report and confirmed that risk arrangements continue to work well.  She highlighted wording changes on some of the risks in the Leadership Risk Register, as well as two new risks.

2.    The Director of Finance informed the committee that the Statutory Responsibilities Network had begun a strategic review of the Leadership Risk Register to ensure that it contains only the key risks that could cause significant disruption to the council.  The outcomes of the review would be reported to the committee and to Cabinet.

3.    Members highlighted security risks to staff, particularly on the front desk at County Hall.  The Director of Finance confirmed that terrorism risks had been discussed by the Statutory Responsibilities Network.  It had been agreed to note national guidelines and make sure that staff were also aware of those guidelines.  All Business Continuity Plans were also being revisited.  The Chairman proposed to raise the issue of front desk security with the Chief Executive (Recommendations Tracker ref: A45/15).

4.    With regard to L13 Safeguarding – Adult Social Care, a Member raised the risk inherent in partnership working, for example hospital referrals for social care assessment and the need to ensure domiciliary care was in place when patients are discharged from hospital.  The Director of Finance explained that she could not respond for Adult Social Care but confirmed that this risk did have a high residual risk level and would always be a high risk.  The value of the Leadership Risk Register was to ensure that the right people were having discussions.  The Audit Performance Manager explained that Adult Social Care and Children’s Services has its own Quality Assurance processes but that Internal Audit had recently audited Quality Assurance in Children’s Services.

5.    The Director of Finance confirmed that she, along with the Director of Legal and Democratic Services and the Chief Internal Auditor, had input into the Children’s Improvement Board on governance issues.  The Governance Plan for the Children’s Improvement Plan had been to the Statutory Responsibilities Network twice.  The Deputy Chief Executive also provides monthly updates to the Statutory Responsibilities Network on the Improvement Plan.

Action/Further information to note:

The Chairman to raise the issue of front desk security with the Chief Executive.

RESOLVED:

The committee NOTED the report.