Issue - meetings

Report of the Director of Finance (DF/22/53).

(Councillor Barnes declared a personal interest in this item by virtue of working for a trade union representing care workers.)

The Committee considered the Report of the Director of Finance and Public Value of the Risk Management Annual Report for 2021/22, which set out the changes to risk management during 2021/22 and confirmed the role of the Audit Committee as per the Council’s Risk Management Policy.

The Report provided Members with a summary of the Current Risk Position as at 12 May 2022.  Of the 173 risks, 10 showed a Current Risk score of Very High (relating to Children’s Social Care, Integrated Adult Social Care, the COVID-19 pandemic and Cyber-attack). 

Points particularly highlighted in the report included:

·         Members were referred to the online Power Bi – Current Risk Data which provided further information on the latest position of existing risk.

·         The CIRS Scrutiny Committee would have oversight of the Council’s Race Equality Audit 2021 outcomes, and the Race Equality framework and action plan which was being developed, however, relevant updates would be provided to the Committee as required.

Member’s questions and discussion points covered:

·         Query on page 94 of the report relating to the timing of the Government’s ruling on mandatory vaccinations for care workers, which would be looked at.

·         The new Children’s Social Care Service risk relating to death or serious injury to a child, which was now included in the system.

·         Officers would look at whether the Risk and Mitigation could be shown alongside each other in future reports.

It was MOVED by Councillor Peart, SECONDED by Councillor Roome and

RESOLVED that the Risk Management Policy (updated May 2022) be endorsed.

Report of the County Treasurer (CT/21/48)

RESOLVED that

a)    the following be considered by the Committee in relation to its oversight of the Risk Management Process:

i)             the movement of risks during 2020/21;

ii)            the changes and updates to the risk management process (as supported by Devon Audit Partnership);

iii)           the plans for further enhancements for Risk Management for 2021/22;

iv)           the summary risk position for current risks;

v)            the extract of risks currently ranked the highest;

and that

b)    the Corporate Risk Management Group role and responsibilities document (updated June 2021) be endorsed.

The Committee considered the Report of the County Treasurer (CT/21/48) of the Risk Management Annual Report for 2020/21 which set out the changes to risk management during 2020/21 and confirmed the role of the Audit Committee as per the Council’s Risk management Policy.

The Report provided Members with a summary of the Current Risk Position as at 28^th May 2021, with two risks showing a Current Risk score of Very High. Members were also presented with a Risk Information dashboard which would provide Members a live summary of the Council’s risk position.

Member’s discussion points included:

·         clarification on the different categories of risk; namely, the distinction between Inherent Risk (before controls were put into place) and Current Risk (after controls were put into place); and

·         some risks had a higher Current Risk rating than Inherent Risk and the reasoning behind this. It was explained that the Inherent Risk rating was drafted on pre-pandemic scenarios.

It was MOVED by Councillor Roome, SECONDED by Councillor Hall and

RESOLVED that

a)    the following be considered by the Committee in relation to its oversight of the Risk Management Process:

i)             the movement of risks during 2020/21;

ii)            the changes and updates to the risk management process (as supported by Devon Audit Partnership);

iii)           the plans for further enhancements for Risk Management for 2021/22;

iv)           the summary risk position for current risks;

v)            the extract of risks currently ranked the highest;

and that

b)    the Corporate Risk Management Group role and responsibilities document (updated June 2021) be endorsed.