Cabinet had before it a report
* and NOTED from the Corporate Manager for People,
Governance and Waste and the Corporate Performance and Improvement
Manager on the Corporate Risk Quarter 2.
The Leader of the Council and
the Corporate Performance and Improvement Manager outlined the
contents of the report with particular reference to the
following:
-
Considerable progress had been made over the past
year to manage the most significant risks. Many of the risks on the
register had seen their risk scores reduced through the work of the
Council for example 3 Rivers, Cullompton Town Centre Relief Road,
and Homes for Ukraine Scheme.
-
Even where risk scores had not improved, there had
been a huge amount of work to ensure the Council had maintained its
risk position and was in a position to improve – such as in
the areas of cyber security, climate change, and financial
sustainability.
-
A robust process was in place for managing corporate
risks and presenting this information to the Audit Committee and to
Cabinet. Members further strengthened the process through their
check and challenge and there had been positive engagement in the
past year. The approach had proved effective in 2024, and would
provide the Council with a strong foundation to manage the risks of
2025.
-
The Council’s current corporate risks with
their updated position as of early November. Those were the risks
which had been identified that may be most likely to impact the
Council meeting its objectives.
-
Any significant changes to the Risk Register since
it was last reported to Cabinet were listed in the covering report,
at paragraph 2.3.
-
Audit Committee Members asked that Corporate Risk 9
and 9a related to 3 Rivers be reviewed by the Leadership Team given
the closure of the company, with the remaining risk to focus on
reputational risk.
Discussion took place
regarding:
-
The risk rating 3, failure to meet Climate Change
Commitments by 2030, would this be reviewed before the next
quarter?
-
Had the Council been subject to any Cyber-attacks
and what security was in place to measure this?
-
3 Rivers Developments Limited was formally dissolved
on 29th November 2024. This dissolution would be formally reported
to Cabinet as part of the next financial report, but it was
relevant to the discussion today regarding the review of the Risk
Register.
-
CR9 related specifically to the risks surrounding
the closure of 3 Rivers Developments Limited. CR9a, on the other
hand, pertained to the reputational risks experienced by the
company and, by extension, the Council as its shareholder. At a
recent Audit Committee meeting, there was a robust debate on
whether those risks would remain on the Risk Register in their
current form. Audit Committee’s input was a vital advisory
body to the Council and this administration.
-
CR9 and CR9a be replaced with one combined risk that
reflected the current circumstances and identified the tangible
risks and mitigation actions relevant today. This approach ensured
the Corporate Risk Register remained focused on the strategic risks
most likely to impact the corporate priorities of the
Council.
Note: * Report previously
circulated.