Issue - meetings

Noted the Royal Borough’s Strategic Risk Register at Appendix A.

Noted the Strategic Risk Register was presented to the Audit & Risk Management Panel on 4th September 2024 and was agreed.

Noted that the Strategic Risk Register was presented to Cabinet on 26th November 2024 and was agreed and refer to Council for noting. 

Councillor Denise Hyland, Cabinet Member for Finance, Resources and Social Values moved the report.  She said that the Authority was responsible for ensuring that it conducted its business in accordance with the law and that public funds were properly accounted for and used economically, efficiently and effectively.  Good risk management allowed for the minimisation of the consequences of threats faced down to acceptable levels and would increase confidence in the achievement of the corporate plan and the ability to deliver key priorities.  A risk-based approach had been adopted more widely across the Council’s operations and risk management was a continuous process that required council employees at all levels to consistently apply agreed procedures within the Council's risk management framework.  This would continue as they tried to navigate the significant challenges faced.

Councillor David Gardner, Chair of Audit and Risk Management Panel thanked Cllr Hyland and officers for their work in maintaining the Strategic Risk Register.  The Audit and Risk Management Panel considered it in September and made two recommendations.  One was that the ownership of risk should be more corporate rather than just one director and the senior leadership team had taken this on board.  The second recommendation was a technical one, and related to the helpful table which indicated where strategic risk fell on a heat map at Appendix C.  The Panel felt that there should be a way of reflecting the level of risk included in the main report rather than an appendix which would make it easier to read.  The Panel were pleased with the new model and that risks were being taken seriously and action taken as needed.

Councillor Matt Hartley, Leader of the Opposition rose to endorse the comments made and to thank officers for their comprehensive work in the update of the Strategic Risk Register.  This gave a much better ability and platform from which to scrutinise the continuous task of risk management in the Council.

Resolved -

That the Royal Borough’s Strategic Risk Register at Appendix A, be noted.

That the Strategic Risk Register was presented to the Audit & Risk Management Panel on 4th September 2024 and was agreed, be noted.

That the Strategic Risk Register was presented to Cabinet on 26th November 2024 and was agreed and refer to Council for noting, be noted. 

To agree the Royal Borough’s updated Strategic Risk Register and refer it to Council

Agreed the Royal Borough’s updated Strategic Risk Register (Appendix A of the report).

Agreed to refer the Strategic Risk Register to Full Council for noting.

Noted the updated Strategic Risk Register was presented to the Audit & Risk Management Panel for review on 4th September 2024.

The Chair informed Cabinet of the comment of the Audit and Risk Management Panel, who had considered the report in September:

“There should be a focus on responsibility, the ownership of risks should be more holistic rather than just one Director”.

The Cabinet Member for Finance, Resources and Social Value introduced the report. The Cabinet Member commented on the responsibilities of the local authority in the conduct of its business and use of public funds, and the importance of good risk management to both minimise the threats they faced in that conduct and also to increase the confidence that they would deliver the key priorities of the Our Greenwich corporate plan.  The Cabinet Member emphasised that risk management was a continuous process that relied on all employees upholding the procedures of the council's risk management framework.

In response to a query from Cabinet, the Interim Assistant Director of Finance & Deputy s151 Officer stated that the outcome of the external review of the Risk Management Toolkit and Strategic Risk Register could also be presented to Cabinet after it had been to the Audit and Risk Management Panel.

Resolved -

1.            That the Royal Borough’s updated Strategic Risk Register (Appendix A of the report) be agreed.

2.            That the Strategic Risk Register be referred to Full Council for noting.

3.            That it be noted that the updated Strategic Risk Register was presented to the Audit & Risk Management Panel for review on 4th September 2024.