Issue - items at meetings - Risk Monitoring Report End of Year 2023

Report of Assistant Director Customer Focus

Purpose of report

To update the committee on how well the council is managing its Strategic Risks, as part of our duty to remain compliant, and to be able to identify any improvements required. This report presents the risk monitoring report for the end of the financial year 2023-2024.

Recommendations

The Accounts, Audit & Risk Committee resolves:

1.1 To note the Risk Monitoring Report for end of year 2023-24.

1.2 To review the Council’s current Risk Management Strategy 2023/24 (Appendix 2) and provide comments and/or suggestions to be incorporated in the Risk Management Policy 2024/25 for Executive consideration.

Resolved

(1) That the Risk Monitoring Report for end of year 2023-24 be noted.

(2) That, having given due consideration to the Council’s current Risk Management Strategy 2023/24, the following comments and suggestions be made to Executive for consideration to be incorporated in the Risk Management Policy 2024/25:

· Inclusion of information about how risks can be added to the risk register

· Improvements to the format / presentation of the Risk Register

· Remove from the risk register potential impact of “Elements of the COVID-19 response and recovery work may be compromised, delayed or not taken forwards” under risk L12 – Corporate Governance

· Include in the risk register the potential cost to Cherwell District Council in relation to planning developments and delays in the transfer of assets to Town/Parish councils resulting in non-acceptance of assets

· Potential future risk of the closure of Church of England graveyards and transfer of responsibility for maintenance to Town/Parish Councils via Cherwell District Council

The Assistant Director Customer Focus submitted a report to update the Committee on how well the council was managing its Strategic Risks, as part of our duty to remain compliant, and to be able to identify any improvements required. The report presented the risk monitoring report for the end of the financial year 2023-2024.

In considering the report, Members commented that the potential impact of “Elements of the COVID-19 response and recovery work may be compromised, delayed or not taken forwards” under risk L12 – Corporate Governance was no longer relevant and should be removed from the risk register.

In response to Members highlighting as a risk the potential cost to Cherwell District Council in relation to planning developments and delays in the transfer of assets to Town/Parish councils resulting in non-acceptance of assets and the potential future risk of the closure of Church of England graveyards and transfer of responsibility for maintenance to Town/Parish Councils via Cherwell District Council, the Performance Team Leader that work was underway to review risks and she would check with the relevant lead officer is these would be strategic or service risks for future monitoring.

In terms of general comments about the Risk Register, the Committee agreed to suggest to the Executive the inclusion of information about how risks can be added to the risk register and to consider improvements to the format and presentation of the Risk Register.