This report provides an update on the actions in progress to improve the Council’s policies, systems and processes around Information Governance.

The Committee considered a report outlining the action underway to improve the Council’s policies, systems and processes for Information Governance following several limited assurance reports in this area.

The report provided an update on: the action being taken to address the backlog of Subject Access Requests; the on-time responses to FOI requests, which stood at 72% in Quarter 3, slightly down on the 75.6% recorded in Quarter 2; the ongoing work to increase FOI responses within the required timescale to 90%, as expected by the Information Commissioner’s Office; data transparency; the work of the Information Governance (IG) Board; the Information Management Strategy, whichset out the Council’s approach to information management and governance; and uptake of the compulsory Cyber Security training for all staff and Members, which would be followed-up to improve compliance.   

The report stated that the current focus would be on: continuing the work with the Data Stewards; the action plan work from the Breach Management process review; implementation of the redaction software; testing of the governance forms on the new CRM system; and working with the Mandatory Training Task & Finish Group.

Resolved:      

(1)     That the progress being made to improve the Council’s Information Governance be noted and the future actions outlined in the report be endorsed;

(2)     That the data on the uptake of the new Cyber Security and Information Governance training, which was now available to all staff via the Learning Pool, be reported to the Committee at its meeting on 17 July 2024, as part of this report.