Agenda item

As part of this item a presentation will be provided on mitigating the risk of fraud.

 

 

The Committee considered a report of the Director of Corporate Resources which provided 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 such as the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (Goddard Inquiry). A copy of the report marked ‘Agenda Item 12’ is filed with these minutes.

 

The Committee also received a presentation on mitigating the risks associated with fraud. A copy of the slides forming the presentation is filed with these minutes.

 

Presentation

 

Arising from the presentation the following points were noted:

 

(i)     The results of the annual Fraud Risk Assessment would be considered by the Corporate Governance Committee at its meeting in February 2016.

 

(ii)    The e-learning module on fraud awareness which Council staff were required to undertake did contain questions about the course content which staff were required to answer before they could move onto the next section of the module, however there was not a formal test at the end which staff were required to pass. Conversations were ongoing with the Learning and Development Department of the Council about updating the e-learning module on fraud awareness and the Director of Corporate Resources agreed to explore whether a test for staff could be added.

 

(iii)   Discussions were taking place regarding intelligence sharing with partner organisations however the Director of Corporate Resources was seeking assurance from the County Solicitor that this would be legally compliant.

 

(iv)   Contracts between the County Council and service providers contained provisions to prevent fraud and protect the County Council, and the Director of Corporate Resources would conduct internal audit checks of this.

 

Risk Register

 

Arising from discussions the following points were noted:

 

(i) With regard to risk 3.5 – ‘Breach of Data Protection Act – retention of files longer than required’, it was clarified that a decision had been made by the County Council to retain children’s case files beyond Data Protection Act requirements as a result of legal advice received. This risk was under constant review.

 

(ii) The Committee welcomed the additional detail included in the report regarding the County Council’s response to the newly appointed national Goddard Inquiry.  It was noted that initial work on a comprehensive chronological record of the County Council’s role in relation to safeguarding had commenced and that this would include all departments of the County Council, including Environment and Transport. It was also noted that records may be required for periods beyond the initial start date for this record of 1973 and that this would be decided by the Inquiry team in due course.

 

(iv) With regard to the insolvency of the Independent Insurance Co. Ltd. the Director of Corporate Resources informed that the precise amount of money the County Council had lost was not yet known because it depended on how many other claims were made against the insurance company. It could take a long time for all those claims to come to light but the Director of Corporate Resources would keep the Committee updated with progress. The Director of Corporate Resources also agreed to put more detail regarding insurance issues in the report next time to explain the history.

 

RESOLVED:

 

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

 

(b) That the Council’s response to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (Goddard Inquiry) be noted.

 

(c) That the update on business continuity and insurance be noted.

 

(d) That a presentation be provided at the next meeting of the Committee on Business Intelligence.