Agenda item

To receive the report from the Head of Finance.

The committee received the corporate risk review, presented by the risk and insurance team leader. The report was brought to the committee as it was a regular half yearly item.

The risk and insurance team leader informed members that there were 25 risks identified in March 2023, but that had now increased to 31 – identified in part by the council’s new risk forum and risk champions. This was noted as being due to the changing local government landscape, new councils’ priorities, and over Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF1). The top ten risks identified included a failure to provide suitable temporary housing for asylum seekers, failure to secure a waste depot, and increased homelessness. However, two regular risks involving IT cyber security had been moved to business as usual as effective mitigation measures had been put in place, reducing exposure to cyber incidents.

Members asked the risk and insurance team leader about broad risks that could affect the organisation itself. Some of the risks suggested in that category were about the risk of losing leadership through staff turnover, causing a loss of corporate memory of best practice, or about culture failures, both of which could potentially cause very serious issues. In response, the risk and insurance team leader confirmed that a point about effective recruitment and retention was on the risk register and that the council officers did engage in collaborative working, even when hybrid working. However, she acknowledged that these macro-organisational risks were interesting points to examine moving forward.

The people and culture manager also informed the committee that they produced quarterly reports on staff turnover which helped to identify areas where a loss of staff could potentially result in a loss of key practical knowledge. She also added that a workforce strategy was going to be put to the senior management team to assist with strategic workforce planning and that leadership and management training was provided for any managers or project leads to help educate and train the staff. The risk and insurance team leader stated that the development of a workforce strategy was a further mitigation action on the risk register against risks 84 South and 86 Vale – with regards to effective recruitment and retention strategy.

Some members of the committee inquired into the hybrid working arrangement of the officers and if the council was looking at other organisations and authorities to look for best practice. The people and culture manager confirmed that studies from outside the council were being brought to the senior management team but emphasised that the council’s hybrid working arrangements was a large positive in the recruiting and retaining of staff compared to other organisations. 

The committee asked for an update on point 78/80 in the risk register, and the risk and insurance team leader confirmed that the council’s property team working were currently on this, and the head of finance added that this risk was currently on many local authority’s risk registers. Also, members enquired into point 77/79, and the risk and insurance team leader clarified that this was about the loss of the current waste depot due to the housing development in Culham and needing to secure a new one, and not about the waste contract itself on which work was progressing towards an extension and so was mitigated. Finally, on point 76/78 members asked why this was a new risk when it had been expected, but the head of finance responded that the exit for the Five Councils Partnership was still a few years away but that it was now the appropriate time to start taking mitigating actions, which was why it was a new action on the register.

Overall, members thanked the risk and insurance team leader for the report and emphasised that broader, organisational risks, such as over corporate culture, could be future points to be brought into the risk register.