Agenda item

(To receive a report which provides the Committee with an update on how well the Council's biggest risks are being managed as well as reporting on the progress made in assisting the Council to adapt and change the way it 'thinks' about risk)

 Consideration was given to a report which would assist the Committee in its role to gain assurance that the Council was effectively managing its key risks and had good risk management systems and processes in place that enabled decision makers to understand the level of risk being taken that the Council was prepared to accept.  The report would provide an update on how well the Council's biggest risks were being manged as well as reporting on the progress made in assisting the Council to adapt and change the way it 'thinks' about risk.

Members were provided with the opportunity to ask questions to the officers present in relation to the information contained within the report and some of the points raised during discussion included the following:

·          It was noted that three of the risks for adult care had limited assurance, and it was queried how much control the authority had over these risks and whether they were price led.  Members were advised that there was a shortage of care workers.  However, this was a national problem as well as a local one, but Lincolnshire was starting to move in the right direction.

·         It was important to recognise that the environment that the public sector was working in had changed, and it was about recognising the level of risk that the authority was prepared to accept in each area of business.

·         Different areas would have different appetites for risk, and it was about understanding the risk and ensuring that people who were making the decisions understood the level of risk.  Members were advised that it was CMB and the Executive who set the risk appetite.

·         'Risk' implied that sometimes things would not always go in the authority's favour, but the purpose of the Audit Committee was to ensure that systems were in place to manage the risk and that they were being managed properly.

·         It was commented that a common theme with a lot of the risks was recruitment and retention of staff.  It was important to be able to develop people internally.  It was queried whether there was a strategy to address the issue of being able to attract the right staff.  It was commented that some businesses promoted courses at the university.  Members were advised that these issues went beyond the County Council, and the LEP had an Employment and Skills Sub-Committee which was looking at the key areas.  As a Council, directorates were about to do a major restructure, as Environment and Economy in particular was holding too many vacancies.  This would be much more about job matching, and some new jobs would be designed which had not been in the Council before.

·         The authority was working with some specialists on what would make people in the social care sector come to Lincolnshire, and how it could attract professionals.  There was a need for people to feel that the job was professionally challenging, but also that they would be looked after as an employee.

·         The CMB was looking into a post-graduate apprenticeship scheme, but there were other elements happening as well.  The Committee was advised that this information could be co-ordinated into a report for the meeting in September.

·         It was commented that it was important that people felt there was a career path to follow.  It was necessary for this committee to get assurance that the processes were in place to look at the authority's ability to recruit and retain staff.

·         Members were advised that the operational risks from the Director areas were escalated to the Risk and Safety Group as and when required.  However, the majority, if not all the risks were noted as strategic risks.   It was reported that risks were monitored at a strategic level as well as at directorate level.

·         It was suggested that when CMB and the Executive had refreshed the Risk Register the Committee should undergo some risk management training.

·         It was commented that after the last election, there were a lot of new members, and it was suggested that it would be useful to have training on risk management.

RESOLVED

            That the Committee note the current status of the strategic risks facing the Council.