Issue - meetings

The Insurance and Risk Business Advisor presented a report to the Committee on the Strategic Risk Register, covering the period April - June 2020. He said the major risk to the Council currently was COVID-19 and the associated financial challenges. There had been an amendment to the previously agreed strategy in that senior Officers would not monitor highest level service, project and corporate risks, due to the fact that these risks were addressed in a separate quarterly report which had been initiated by the Communications, Strategy and Policy team.

The Chairman asked who would consider these reports. The Insurance and Risk Business Advisor said that they would be received by senior officers.

Councillor Stowe asked about the fact that only around half of the 4,000 EU residents in the district had applied for settled status. The Insurance and Risk Business Advisor said he would follow this up with the Head of Communications, Strategy and Policy, but he expected an increase in this number as the deadline grew closer.

Councillor Huggins said that references in the report to COVID-19 restrictions lifting, in light of recent developments, seemed short-sighted. He also commented that other factors, aside from regrading and pay proposals, could have contributed to the reduction in staff turnover, such as staff not wanting to leave secure employment during a pandemic.

The Chairman asked about the Council’s capacity and skills to deliver services as detailed in the report, and said he thought the impact score should be graded at three, rather than two, given the likelihood score was three. He also commented that the impact would likely depend on the amount of staff lost. He asked if the next report could be presented in a tracked change format to highlight to Members what changes had been implemented.

The Insurance and Risk Business Advisor referred to the scoring matrix and said that whilst this event would not be a minor impact, it would not be a catastrophic failure either. However, this could be fed back to the Head of Human Resources and Organisational Development. It was agreed that the next report could be presented in a tracked change format. Although considered, Officers were not advised of any further action that could be taken to manage risk. 

RESOLVED – that the Strategic Risk Register be received.