Agenda item

First BCP Council IG update report to Committee, providing performance management information since the inception of BCP Council and outlining current position of the IG Team and Council’s IG function.

The Head of Information Governance presented a report, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member and a copy of which appears as Appendix 'C' to these Minutes in the Minute Book.

This was the first whole BCP Council Information Governance update report to Committee and provided performance management information since the inception of BCP Council and outlined the current position within the Information Governance Team and Information Governance function.

It was reported that a single Information Governance framework was now in place across the Council re-enforced with a programme of training and promotion and the Committee received details of the changes effected to the delivery of training. The internal review and complaints system also enabled an overview of performance.

Inevitably some reduction in the speed of response rate had been experienced during the Council restructuring and in the pandemic period although all required responses had been delivered. Performance within individual service areas relied upon strong individuals with appropriate support in place and this was being re-enforced. This important role was also featuring within the ‘Smarter Structures’ review of Business Support Officer roles.

In response to questions, there was confirmation that arrangements for overview by the Governance Board were effective and compliant. The Committee was also provided with reassurance about the security of both information and hardware within the context of increasing homeworking and the encryption of systems addressed any additional risk.

RESOLVED that the Audit and Governance Committee

(a)  note the Information Governance performance management information for 2019/20 and 2020/21 (to Q3 – December 2020) including requests received under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 Environmental Information Regulations Data Protection Act 2018 and other agency disclosure requests;

(b)  note the current composition and position of the Information Governance Team;

(c)  note Information Governance developments effected and/or in progress, following Annual Governance Statement report to the meeting of the January 2020 Audit and Governance Committee and the Internal Audit report of July 2020; 

(d)  note changes effected to the delivery of Information Governance training.

Voting: Unanimous