HERTFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

AUDIT COMMITTEE

WEDNESDAY24 SEPTEMBER 2008 at 10.00am

RISK MANAGEMENT UPDATE

Report of the Head of Risk Management

Author: Paul Dudley (Tel: 01992 555532)

1 / Introduction
This report provides a brief update on the following items:
  • Corporate Key RisksRegister management arrangements
  • ALARM Award

2 / The Council's Key Risks Register
As the Committee will be aware Chief Officers and their management teams, along with their Executive members, identify the key risks to the delivery of challenges and/or service objectives, as well as mitigation measures. The Performance and Policy Group (PPG), chaired by the Director of Adult Care Services, and comprising assistant director level officers, are responsible for ensuring that the register is compiled and regularly reviewed by departments.
Strategic Management Board (SMB) now receives a risk report each quarter as part of their performance management report for the Council. A full corporate risk management report is then provided to Cabinet with the budget report in February each year. This Committee then receives an annual report on the effectiveness of the risk management process.
It was reported at the last meeting of the Committee that,in future, the newly established Risk Champions (senior departmental managers), who are mainly members of PPG, will provide the moderation of those risks before they are included in the quarterly performance management report to SMB. Risk Champions will also be responsible for promoting risk management within their departments.
The Risk Champions held their first meeting on 1 September 2008, where theywere briefed on their roles and responsibilities, and agreed upon the transfer of corporate risks to the Council’s risk management information system (JCAD), whichwill take place in time for the next quarterly report to SMB in December 2008.
Iain Macbeath, Assistant Director of Adult Care Services (Performance and Business Support) has been appointed chairman of the group.
3 / ALARM award
It was reported at the last meeting that the County Council had again been short listed (jointly with Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council) for an ALARM risk management award in respect of the work done, by both councils, to restore the land affected by chalk mine activity at Briars Lane, Hatfield. This project involved considerable investigation of the area to determine the extent of the problem, a successful application for government funding, and the restoration of the land.
ALARM is a public sector risk management organisation with some 2000 members from local authorities, and other upper public services. At the award’s ceremony in July, held in Birmingham, it was announced that HCC and WHBC were “highly commended “ for their submission.
4. / Suggested Resolution
That the Risk Management update report be received.

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