Agenda item

This report updates councillors on the position of the Council’s Corporate Risk Register. The main updates are as follows:

·     The net score for CR02 – We may fail to achieve appropriate outcomes and quality of service for children and young people including potential inadequate safeguarding, has reduced from 12 to 8.

·     The risk CR09 – We may fail to maintain a safe and balanced budget for the delivery of services, and managing the MTFP, the target risk score has increased from 8 to 12.

·     Risk CR24 – We may fail to adequately address concerns around community safety, this risk has been extended to include risks around the Prevent Duty.

·     Risk CR28 – We may fail to adopt a Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole Local Plan. This is a new risk added for this quarter.

Material updates for this quarter are outlined in section 11.

The Risk and Insurance Manager presented a report, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member and a copy of which appears as Appendix 'D' to these Minutes in the Minute Book.

The report and its appendices provided a comprehensive update on the position of the Council’s Corporate Risk Register for Quarter 2. Material changes in risk during this period were outlined in paragraph 11 of the report, with four main updates provided and further details of each risk given in Appendix 4. It was noted that a new Risk Management Policy was due to be presented to the Corporate Management Board by the end of 2025. The new Risk App was now in phase two of its development.

Officers responded to questions about the report. The Risk and Insurance Manager agreed to review the target risk scores shown as red and provide further explanation on why the risk was being tolerated/accepted or treated. The Chief Executive was asked for his thoughts about the risk register and confirmed that it reflected his views about the corporate risks for the Council and his discussions with councillors and colleagues since his appointment. He agreed that it was important to explain why risks were accepted and what was being done to mitigate them and to mind against treating the risk register as a panacea. He also referred to the importance of risk ownership and the links between operational and corporate risk.

In relation to the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) deficit, the Chief Financial Officer confirmed that Medium Term Financial Plan reports were now explicit in setting out the costs of borrowing, whether this be through the Council losing interest elsewhere or in the interest on the borrowing itself. Following a discussion on how the Committee could seek assurance that related expenditure was being tracked, the Chair agreed to liaise with the Chair of the Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee on the arrangements for how the DSG, the high needs block and Corporate Risk CR02 were being monitored with a view to potentially adding an item onto the Forward Plan. It was noted that the high needs block was a matter for the Council as a whole to address.

Other points raised in relation to specific risks included:

·       CR27 – It was noted that cliff management/instability was a long standing item on the register with no budget to address. The Risk and Insurance Manager agreed to seek further information from the Risk Owner and team on any available measures to secure funding.

·       CR28 – A concern was raised about the 2028 deadline and the date of the local plans still in use, the Risk and Insurance Manager agreed to discuss the timeframes for the new BCP Local Plan with the Director of Planning and Transport.

·       The Risk and Insurance Manager agreed to check and confirm which corporate risk covered asylum hotel protests

·       CR16 – A concern was raised about missing out on funding and not taking communities with us due to a lack of resources to secure and manage partnerships. The Chief Executive agreed to liaise with Risk Owner to provide further information on the progress of how this risk was being treated, including the capacity assessment due to be undertaken in December 2025.

RESOLVED that the Audit and Governance committee notes the update provided in the report relating to corporate risks

Voting: Agreed with no dissent