Agenda item

To provide an update on the Council’s strategic risks for the period 1st April 2022 to 30th June 2022 (report of the Assistant Director – Governance enclosed).

Consideration was given to the report of the Assistant Director–Governance which provided an update on the Council’s strategic risks for the period 1 April 2022 to 30 June 2022.

Members were advised that as part of the annual risk register review, alongside the formation of the South and East Lincolnshire Partnership a complete review of South Holland District Council’s strategic risk register had been undertaken.  Where appropriate, certain risks had moved to registers monitored at an operational level and new risks had been added to the register to ensure the strategic risk register captured all of the organisation’s key risks/threats to achieving its strategic objectives.  An overview of key changes to the register when compared to the last period (Quarter 4) was included within the report.

Officers advised that risk 5 (Towns Fund) had been included within the register in error and would be removed from the next version of the Risk Register.

Members’ attention was drawn to the following key high-level risks:

·         Failure to deliver demands for support with housing advice and homelessness;

·         Risk of the Council’s ICT infrastructure being severely impacted as a result of a cyber incident;

·         Supporting recovery from Covid19 for the local economy – people and businesses.

Members considered the report and the following points were raised:

·         One of the changes to the Risk Register was the moving of Technology Infrastructure Failure to the operational Risk Register – members felt that it was too soon to remove it from the Strategic Risk Register.

·         In view of recent IT failures, it was felt that the Likelihood score of 2 against the Technology Infrastructure failure risk was too low.

·         Members commented that external factors had to be taken into account however, more and more use was being made of technology and it was important to look at the various IT systems that the Authority had in place to ensure that the impact of any failures was reduced.

·         It was noted under the risk ‘Housing Team Resources and Support’ that the Homeless Reduction Team currently had 5 vacancies that were being recruited to – had the staffing situation now improved?

·         Had Risk 4 ‘Changes to Council’s strategic partnership arrangements’ been added as a matter of course or were there any extenuating circumstances? 

·         Members asked if there was any concern with regard to Risk 7 ‘Performance of PSPS contract’.

AGREED:

That the content of the report be noted.