Policy & Resources

24 October 2018

 

Corporate Risk Update

 

Final Decision-Maker

Policy & Resources Committee

Lead Director

Mark Green - Director of Finance & Business Improvement

Lead Officer and Report Authors

Alison Blake – Audit Manager (Risk Management Lead)

Classification

Public

Wards affected

All

 

Executive Summary

In this report we provide Members with an update of the Council’s corporate risks, and the overall risk profile. We provide this update twice a year.

 

This report makes the following recommendations to this Committee:

That the Corporate risks (as set out in Appendix 1) are noted. 

 

 

Timetable

Meeting

Date

Policy & Resources Committee

24 October 2018



Corporate Risk Update

 

1.    INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

 

1.1     Effective risk management is a vital part of the Council’s governance, and contributes greatly to the successful delivery of services and key priorities. The Council has always recognised and supported the need to have effective processes to identify, evaluate and mange risks. This is set out in the Risk Management Framework and supporting appetite statement and guidance. These include a programme of monitoring and review for Officers and Members. As a result, we have been providing updates twice a year to this Committee to present risk information and detail how the corporate level risks are being managed.

 

1.2     We (Mid Kent Audit) have lead responsibility to co-ordinate and embed risk management processes across the Council. Our role includes reporting regular updates to Officers and Members, through the Corporate Leadership Team (CLT), Policy & Resources Committee and the Audit, Governance & Standards Committee. We also provide support and training to help ensure that risks are being effectively managed.

 

1.3     Having valuable and up to date risk information allows for both the management and oversight functions to happen effectively.  This report provides Members with:

 

·         Updates to each corporate risk

·         Horizon scanning of potential risks

·         Operational risk profile

·         Planned work for 2018/19

 

1.4     The update report is attached in appendix 1 and a full copy of the Corporate Risk register is attached in appendix 1A

 

 

2.        AVAILABLE OPTIONS

 

2.1     In order for any risk management process to be effective it is vital that risk information is reported, that risks are monitored and that action is taken to manage risks to an acceptable level. This has been recognised by the Committee who have requested updates twice a year.

 

2.2     An alternative option would be for the Committee to change the frequency of our reporting of risks, or stop it altogether. This would however be contrary to previous requests.

 

 

3.        PREFERRED OPTION AND REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS

 

3.1     This report is largely for noting and for discussion during the meeting. This has been a valuable exercise in past meetings, and so the preferred option would be for these updates to continue in this format.

 

 

4.       RISK

4.1    The focus of this report is risk management. The update is presented for information only and so has no risk management implications.

 

 

5.       CONSULTATION RESULTS AND PREVIOUS COMMITTEE FEEDBACK

 

5.1     All risks are allocated an owner, that is, someone in the Council who is best placed to co-ordinate a response and to monitor progress. Risk owners range from our Managers, Heads of Service, up to Corporate Leadership Team.

 

5.2     Risk owners provide their own updates and so all of the Officers identified in the report, and all of the Corporate Leadership Team, have been consulted on the content of this update.

 

 

6.       NEXT STEPS: COMMUNICATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DECISION

 

6.1     Unless requested otherwise, we will continue to report risk updates to Members of this Committee every 6 months.

 

 

7.       CROSS-CUTTING ISSUES AND IMPLICATIONS

 

 

Issue

Implications

Sign-off

Impact on Corporate Priorities

Risk management is a key component in the Council’s governance. Good governance underpins everything that the Council does.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alison Blake

 

Audit Manager and Risk Lead

 

 

 

 

Keith Trowell, Team Leader (Corporate Governance), MKLS

Risk Management

Risk management is the focus of this paper.

Financial

Risk management support is provided through the Mid Kent Audit partnership within existing budgets.

 

This decision therefore has no direct financial implications.

Staffing

There are no staffing implications to this decision.

Legal

The Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015 require the Council to have a sound system of control which includes arrangements for the management of risk. This Report is part of those arrangements and is designed to ensure that the appropriate controls are effective

There are no immediate legal implications arising from this report.

Privacy and Data Protection

There are no privacy or data protection implications to this decision.

 

 

Alison Blake

 

Audit Manager and Risk Lead

Equalities

The recommendations do not propose a change in service therefore do not require an equalities impact assessment

Crime and Disorder

Not applicable

Procurement

Not applicable

 

8.        REPORT APPENDICES

 

The following documents are to be published with this report and form part of the report:

·         Appendix 1: Policy and Resources Committee Risk Update

 

 

 

 

 

9.        BACKGROUND PAPERS

 

The risk management framework (detailed guidance) was reported to Policy and Resources Committee in February 2016 and is publically available on the Council’s website.

The Council’s risk appetite statement was agreed by Policy and Resources Committee in October 2017 and is publically available on the Council’s website.