Issue - meetings

To receive a report from the Corporate Performance & Improvement Manager and the Head of People, Performance & Waste providing Members with a quarterly update on the Corporate Risk Register.

The Committee had before it, and NOTED, a report * from the Corporate Performance and Improvement Manager and the Head of People, Performance & Waste providing Members with a quarterly update on the Corporate Risk Register.

The following was highlighted within the report:

·         The report presented the Council's current corporate risks with an updated position following the most recent review period. These were the risks which were most likely to impact the Council in trying to meet its objectives. This report was produced quarterly and presented to this committee for Member’s scrutiny, comment and feedback.

·         Paragraph 2.1 of the report presented a summary table of the 17 corporate risks that the Council was currently managing.

·         A risk matrix was presented at Appendix 1 showing the relative position of a corporate risk.

·         Appendix 2 of the report provided further details for each risk in a standard template.

·         Any significant changes to the Corporate Risk Register since it was last reported to committee were listed in the covering report at paragraph 2.3.

Discussion took place regarding:

·         The Council’s approach to enforcement, not only in the Planning area but also in regard to safeguarding and anti-social behaviour. This came up again and again as an issue for residents. It was explained that enforcement was a discretionary service and there needed to be proportionate measures in place to deal with compliance and income protection. More resource was now available within the Planning Enforcement team which it was hoped would alleviate some of the concerns in this area moving forwards. It was the officer’s view that at the moment enforcement was being effectively managed but the Corporate Risk Register was ‘owned’ by Members so if they felt the risk needed to be rated differently then it was within their gift to amend. It was confirmed that the next Corporate Risk review cycle consideration would be given by officers to ensuring enforcement was appropriately considered on the Corporate Risk Register.

·         Staffing levels within the Building Control area and whether the risk needed to have a higher rating?

·         The rating of risks should be considered in relation to the other risks on the Corporate Risk Register, such as Cyber Security.

·         Some people had been on the Devon Home Choice Band C or D for many years. Could more be done to help with this and move people up the banding? Officers agreed it would be a useful discussion to be held by Homes PDG.  The Council was being proactive in building more social housing. There are many components to the housing crisis, if the Committee wanted the Risk Register to have more information streams within it regarding this issue then it could request this.

·         It was agreed that the risk description against the ‘cost of living crisis’ needed to be updated from the 2022/2023 description to include reference to increases in relation to rising costs for such things as water, Council Tax and utilities.

·         More context was provided around the rating for ‘Financial Sustainability’ in terms of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 19