Agenda item

A presentation on the risks associated with the ability to deliver savings and efficiencies through service redesign and the transformation programme as required in the MTFS will be provided as part of this item.

The Committee considered a report of the Director of Corporate Resources, the purpose of which was to provide an overview of key risk areas and the measures being taken to address them. The report also provided an update on related risk management matters and counter fraud initiatives. A copy of the report, marked ‘Agenda Item 9’ is filed with these minutes.

 

The Committee also received a presentation on risks around the ability to deliver savings and efficiencies through service redesign and transformation as required in the MTFS. A copy of the slides forming the presentation is filed with these minutes.

 

Presentation – Risk around ability to deliver savings and efficiencies through service redesign and transformation.

 

Arising from the presentation the following points were noted:

 

(i)     Decommissioning services was one of a number of options and would not be undertaken without understanding the impact on other Council

          services. Options would be analysed through the business case and a

          view taken on feasibility.

 

(ii)     In future there would be a greater emphasis on commissioning; however, commissioning would not always be the best option and

          therefore other options would still be considered. Where

          commissioning was identified as the best option the level of support

          and expertise would be strengthened.

 

(iii)    Concerns were raised regarding the realisation of benefits for the   County Council and in particular the Supporting Leicestershire Families programme where savings being made were largely for the benefit of other agencies. The Committee was assured that the new Risks & Benefits Manager would consider each project to identify opportunities where more could be done to realise benefits.

 

(iv)    Risks associated with the Transformation Programme were being

          aligned with the Corporate Risk Register.

 

The Risk Register

 

Arising from discussion the following points were noted:

 

(v)    Risk No. 2 on the cost of sponsorship to the County Council arising

        from academy conversion did not include the risk regarding schools in Oadby going through age range changes. That would be a separate risk as it was likely to have an impact on the primary schools in the area which were still maintained by the County Council.

 

(vi)   Other authorities assessed risk appetite in the same way as

          Leicestershire County Council. A member of the Corporate Resources

          Department was a member of the Public Risk Management Association

          known as ‘ALARM’ which met regularly to compare approaches to risk

          across the sector.

 

(vii)   Concerns were noted regarding an inability to match-fund transport

          schemes put forward by the Leicester & Leicestershire Enterprise

          Partnership and a consequent threat to service delivery and improvement. These concerns would be taken forward by the Director of Corporate Resources.

 

RESOLVED:

 

(a)   That the current status of strategic risk, the addition of new risks facing the Council and the updated Corporate Risk Register be approved.

 

(b)   That the following be noted:

 

            (i) The content of the revised Risk Management Policy and Strategy;

 

            (ii) The contents of the Risk Maturity Assessment Summary and the associated action plan;

 

            (iii) The risk impact and likelihood scoring criteria and escalation trigger points;

 

            (iv) The contents of the risk map incorporating the corporate risks 

          (November 2014);

 

            (v) The contents of the Protecting the Public Purse 2014 report.

 

            (vi) The Council’s requirements under the Local Government Transparency Code 2014.

 

(c)    That a presentation be provided at the next meeting of the Committee on the risks associated with the Care Act 2014.