To receive a report on the Council’s Strategic Risk Register for Quarter 2.

Robin Pringle, Health, Safety & Risk Management Lead, presented a report outlining the Q1 and Q2 updates to the Strategic Risk Register (SRR), in line with the requirements of the Council’s Risk Management Strategy. A copy of the SRR was attached to the report at Appendix 1.

The report explained that, following endorsement by the Committee on 19 July 2022 (Minute 6 refers) and approval by Policy Committee on 21 September 2022 (Minute 29 refers), the Risk Management Policy and Procedure document had been updated to bring it in line with best practice and to incorporate a formal Risk Management Procedure.

The report explained that the SRR had been developed to provide a focused and high level overview of strategic risks for staff, councillors and other stakeholders, and was supplemented by more detailed directorate, service and project risk registers.  The primary aim of the SRR was to identify those key vulnerabilities that needed to be closely monitored.  In many cases this would be because the risk was relatively new and, whilst being effectively managed, the associated control framework was yet to be fully defined and embedded.

The SRR highlighted 15 risks. 11 were rated ‘amber’ and four were rated ‘red’. Those rated red were:

·       Cyber - Risk of loss from cyber attack;

·       Failure to deliver zero carbon commitments;

·       High risk of homelessness within the new Ukrainian arrivals due to unmet future housing needs;

·       Unable to achieve the budget savings, manage costs, as a result of cost of living increases and achieving income targets.

The report also identified several emerging risks that were not currently on the SRR. In the in the main these emerging risks were being caused by global and UK economic pressures, the cost-of-living crisis, inflation and price rises, and the impacts of the war in Ukraine. Changes required due to the impending introduction new ‘Protect Duty’ legislation were also identified. The report noted that all emerging risks were being monitored closely with mitigating actions being put forward.

Resolved:     That the Council’s Strategic Risk Register, as at the end of Q2 (September 2022), be noted.