Issue - meetings

A report highlighting the Strategic Risks facing the Council along with an overview of processes.

The item was introduced by Chris Norton, who stated each service area had its own risk register. Risk appetites had been introduced to describe what would be an appropriate level of risk for each service area. Until now the assumption was that the higher a risk was, the worse the service area’s overall position was.

Responding to a point raised by Councillor Brian Hammersley, Rob Powell said the Council had a good notion of the level of demand for each service area. Sometimes there were unexpected pressures, but the Council had historically been able to demonstrate an aptitude for meeting unanticipated levels of demand.

Members noted the high risks associated with a potential cyber attack. Councillor Ian Shenton said this was something that had been discussed numerous times at the Local Pension Board, and members had said they were satisfied there was adequate resilience in place to deal with a cyber attack. Councillor Ian Shenton said the current cost of living crisis would lead to possible funding challenges in certain service areas.

In response to a question from the Chair, Councillor Brian Hammersley stated his belief that elected members were generally aware of the risk profiles of service areas. Members were told that reports on risks would go to Cabinet and the various Overview and Scrutiny Committees on a regular basis. Avtar Sohal said the processes were in line with those used by other councils and no weaknesses had been identified.

Members noted the contents of the report.