Agenda item

(Director of Resources) To consider the attached report (FPM-027-2015/16).

The Director of Resources presented a report regarding the Council’s Corporate Risk Register.

The Corporate Risk Register had been considered by both the Risk Management Group on 10 December 2015 and Management Board on 16 December 2015. These reviews identified amendments to the Corporate Risk Register but no additional risks or scoring changes. The amendments were as followed;

(a)          Risk 1 Local Plan

The vulnerability had been amended to include the Government’s announcement that Local Authorities must complete their Local Plan by 2017 or face sanctions and an additional Vulnerability, Trigger and Consequence had been added to advise of the proposed changes to the New Homes Bonus regime where planning approvals granted on appeal may not qualify for bonus, which could result in lost revenue.

(b)        Risk 2 Strategic Sites

The Effectiveness of controls/actions had been amended to advise the updated position for the key sites.

(c)        Risk 3 Welfare Reform

The Key date had been amended to advise that the start date for the full implementation of universal credit was still unclear and the Action Plan item for restructure of Audit and Housing Benefit which arose from the single fraud investigation service had been removed because both Internal Audit and Housing Benefit were operating effectively.

(d)        Risk 4 Finance Income

The Vulnerability had been updated to advise that the Government would be consulting on significant changes to responsibilities and financing. District Councils were likely to suffer large reductions in grant income and New Homes Bonus.

(e)        Risk 6 Data / Information

The Existing control had been amended to advise that the updated Data Protection policy had been approved by Corporate Governance Group and was being rolled out through meta-compliance. The Required further management action had been updated to advise the new F.O.I. system was being implemented in early 2016.

(f)        Risk 7 Business Continuity

The Existing control/action had been updated following the adoption of the Corporate Plan. The Required further management action had been updated, to show the need for guidance to be issued on updating service plans.

(g)        Risk 8 Partnerships

Internal Audit had carried out an audit of Partnerships and was given a substantial assurance rating. The Existing Control had been updated to reflect this rating. The audit report recommended Directorates should identify Partnerships and Joint Working within their service areas to ensure risks were identified, managed and incorporated in the Directorate risk register as necessary, which had been added to the required further management action within the risk action plan.

(h)        Risk 9 Safeguarding

The Action Plan for the risk had been updated to reflect the progress made, which advised that the number of safeguarding issues identified had quadrupled. This had resulted in both the Safeguarding Officer and the associated part time admin post being proposed for CSB growth, which had been put in the Existing control/action and the Effectiveness of controls/actions within the risk action plan.

(i)         Risk 10 Housing Capital Finance

The risk Vulnerability had been updated to advise that the Government was introducing right to buy for tenants of housing associations, which could be financed through the sale of Council properties as they became void. The scheme was initially being piloted and developed with five housing associations before a national scheme was put in place.

Members were asked to consider the updated Corporate Risk Register and whether the risks listed were scored appropriately and if there were any additional risks that should be included.

Recommended:

1.            That the Vulnerabilities, Trigger and Consequence within the Action Plan for Risk 1, Local Plan be updated;

2.            That the Effectiveness of controls/actions for Risk 2, Strategic Site be updated;

3.            That the Key date be updated and one of the Existing Control/action for Risk 3, Welfare Reforms be removed;

4.            That the Vulnerability within Risk 4, Finance Income be updated;

5.            That the Existing Control and Required further management action within Risk 6, Data/Information be updated;

6.            That the Existing Control and Required further management action within Risk 7, Business Continuity be updated;

7.            That the Effectiveness of Control/Actions and the Required further management actions within Risk 8, Partnerships be amended;

8.            That the Action Plan for Risk 9,Safeguarding be updated;

9.            That the Vulnerability within Risk 10, Housing Capital Finance be updated;

10.          That, including the above agreed changes, the amended Corporate Risk Register be recommended to Cabinet for approval.

Reasons for Decisions:

It was essential that the Corporate Risk Register was regularly reviewed and kept up to date.

Other Options Considered and Rejected:

Members may suggest new risks for inclusion or changes to the scoring of existing risks.