Agenda item

The Assistant Director Corporate Services and Transformation introduced the corporate risk register and key developments as follows:

• All risks had been freshly reviewed and that more changes than usual were expected.
• Proposals for an independent audit of risk management governance would be included for the next audit year.
• LGR risks were being integrated through County level workstreams and tagged within the risk register.
• A new Power BI dashboard had been developed to give real time access to the Chair, Vice Chair, Risk Champion and Portfolio Holder.
• Staff and Member training on risk management would be arranged in the new municipal year.

Key risk changes highlighted were as follows:

• Contract management risk closed and moved to operational level.
• Cyber Security risk increased to 16, reflecting national guidance.
• Planning placed in special measures due to the quality of applications, moved to amber due to increased overturned decisions with risk score of 8.
• Customer Interface Project closed due to LGR context.
• Food waste implementation risk increased following Wyre Forest’s withdrawal from joint procurement.
• LGR risk updated with strengthened mitigations and residual risk remained at 12.
• The Section 151 Officer risk retained until permanent recruitment had been completed.

Following the presentation the key considerations discussed were:

• Requests for clarity on inherent vs residual risk scoring for corporate risks. - In response Members were advised that inherent and residual risks had been reviewed with internal audit to ensure meaningful reductions where mitigations existed.
• Concerns about unreadable formatting of printed risk pages.  – In response Officers would explore improving formatting or providing PDF alternatives.  Some Members advised that online versions did provide clearer reporting, which included colour.
• When would Members receive access to the Power BI Dashboard? – It was advised that dashboard demonstrations would shortly be provided to the Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Risk Champion and Portfolio Holder. 
• Concerns regarding the corporate risk for Adequate Workforce Planning was raised, particularly in relation to LGR and possible difficulties faced with recruitment. – In response the Section 151 Officer expressed the view that staff were feeling insecure.  However, assurances were given that Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment (TUPE)) would safeguard staff until the new authority was established.  Members noted that most risks were related to senior officers and not all staff.
• Requests for additional planning related risks to be added to the risk register, including speculative development pending the local plan. – Officers agreed that the concerns would be taken away for review.  Officers would determine whether the issues sat at a corporate or service level risk.
• Queries were raised regarding accountability of risk owners and whether contingency plans existed for high level risks. – It was explained that risk ownership was held at Director level, with risk leads at four tiers.  However, it was explained that full ownership mapping existed in the appendices within the report.  The Section 151 Officer added that the Power BI software was a good objective instrument, providing real time data.  Members were reassured to note that there was a good oversight of impacts to the services for the Council.
• Some Members queried if the risk for Bromsgrove District Council (BDC) being Placed in Special Measure for Speed of Plan Making should be raised to a high risk due to the pressure the team were under.  - The Chairman suggested that the issues should be raised with the portfolio holder.
• It was also queried what lessons had beenlearnt, due to the increase in the rate of decisions being overturned on appeal.  Officers agreed to discuss this with relevant Officers and would report back as an action.
• Members requested assurance that cyber penetration testing took place on a regular basis. – Members were informed that cyber contingency planning included regular network reporting to all Local Authorities which were reported to the Council’s Senior Leadership Team (SLT).  Members were also reassured that there was regular simulated attack exercises carried out within the Council.
• A query was raised for the high-risk concerning failure to meet waste requirements of the Environment Act 2021.  Members queried why Wyre Forest District Council (WFDC) had decided to withdraw from the process, what was the shortfall and was the Council likely to meet the statutory implementation date of
  April 2026? – In response the Section 151 Officer explained that the decision had been through the WFDC public consultation process, due to the Government’s decision not to provide dedicated funding to the scheme.  From BDC’s perspective, the risk was set as high due to decisions made by WFDC not to continue with the joint procurement exercise (Members noted this matter would be reported to Cabinet in due course).  Officers agreed to respond to the question if the Council were likely to meet the statutory implementation date and what were the impacts the Council was unable to make the statutory deadline.
• The Section 151 Officer informed the Members of a new corporate risk which would be added to the risk register for Income Collection/Liquidity.  This was due to the impact to the Council of income collection and people struggling to pay their bills i.e. council tax.

RESOLVED that

1)    The Committee were assured of the strategic risks and mitigations asdetailed in the Corporate Risk Register;

2)    The Committee were assured of the changes to risk scores, owners/lead officers and the removal and/or addition of risks; and

3)    The Committee were assured that the implementation delivery of the Council’s 4Risk dashboard system on Power BI wasup to date and on track.