Issue - meetings

To receive a presentation on Risk Management from the Risk and Business Continuity Officer

The Committee received a presentation, from the Risk and Business Continuity Officer, on Risk Management. The objective of the presentation was to provide information that the Committee needed for a basic understanding of risk management within Cheshire East Council. It was the Sustainable Communities Scrutiny Committees responsibility to monitor the Risk Management process to ensure it is being carried out effectively.

The Risk and Business Continuity Officer gave the presentation; questions were asked and the following information arose.

·         The Corporate Risk Management Group develop, monitor, review and report on Corporate and Significant Risk Registers. The Group challenged and monitored risks to make sure they were assessed consistently. The risk register documented the Key Corporate Risks, risk owners, action being taken to deal with risk and future implications.

·         Corporate risks were not confidential and all Risk Management documents were available to Members and Officers on the Coucnil’s Centranet.

·         It was very necessary to manage risk as the consequences of failure in key areas could have created serious issues for the organisation. The costs associated with managing each risk, in terms of budgets and officer time, had to be balanced with the risk appetite and the effect failure would have.

·         The risk owners were officers at the strategic level of the organisation however risks were dealt with by the managers within the department associated with the risk. Portfolio Holders were also held responsible for risks and each Portfolio Holder received regular reports on the risks affecting their portfolio.

·         Risks were rated very high, high, medium or low based on their impact on the Council and their likelihood of occurring. Of the 17 Key Corporate Risks, 9 were high risk, 5 were medium risk and 3 were low risk.

·         Of the 17 Key Corporate Risks, three of them were part of the Sustainable Communities Scrutiny Committee’s remit. They were:

o   Information, research & business intelligence – High Risk

o   Partnerships – Medium Risk

o   Community Safety – Low Risk

RESOLVED:

(a)  That the Risk and Business Continuity Officer but thanked and the presentation be noted.

(b)  That the Committee receive more information relating to; the Information, research & business intelligence risk; partnerships risk; and community safety risk. The Committee should be kept informed about any significant changes to these three risks when they arise.

(c)  That the 14 Key Corporate Risks not relating to Sustainable Communities Scrutiny Committee be offered to the relevant Scrutiny Committee for monitoring. 

The Risk and Business Continuity Officer left the meeting.