To receive any apologies for absence

Apologies for absence were submitted from Councillors David Chopping and Oliver Whittle.

To receive any declarations of interest

There were no declarations of interest submitted.

To answer any public questions

A period of 30 minutes will be allowed for members of the public to ask questions submitted under notice.

The Council welcomes questions from members of the public relating to the item on the agenda only.

For full details of the procedure for submitting questions please contact the Democratic Services Section on the numbers given below or go to www.wokingham.gov.uk/publicquestions

No Public questions were received.

To answer any member questions

A period of 20 minutes will be allowed for Members to ask questions submitted under Notice relating to the item on the agenda only.

Any questions not dealt with within the allotted time will be dealt with in a written reply.

No Member questions were received.

To consider the updated Enterprise Risk Management policy, guidance and Corporate Risk Register.

The Committee discussed Corporate Risk Management.

During the discussion of this item the following points were made:

·         Andrew Moulton indicated that the Audit Committee had at its June meeting, requested that the Corporate Risk Register be refreshed.  Two workshops had been held with the Corporate Leadership Team and Extended Corporate Leadership Team to identify the corporate risks.  Andrew Moulton highlighted new corporate risks for review such as workforce. 

·         Previously there had been 9 corporate risks.  Andrew Moulton commented that the Corporate Risk Register would be rebased and renumbered following the review, as over time risks had come on and off but had retained their original number.  Members agreed that this would be easier to understand.

·         Councillor Smith stated that he felt that the Corporate Risk Register was made up of a mixture of ‘permanent’ risks such as safeguarding children and young people, which would always be a concern and more ‘time limited’ risks.  He was of the view that where appropriate, risks should be allocated to overview and scrutiny committees or the Audit Committee, for oversight.

·         Councillor Smith also proposed that a risk regarding general infrastructure and meeting demand for housing in the Borough, be developed.

·         Manjeet Gill commented that budget, corporate governance and workforce and capacity were common pressure points.

·         Councillor Shepherd-DuBey suggested that the risk around Corporate Governance should be scored higher.  Councillor Smith questioned whether a specific risk regarding senior management and managing if there were vacancies at this level, should be developed.  Councillor Sargeant commented that this was covered by Risk 28 ‘Political and Organisational Leadership’, but that the wording of this risk could be further clarified.  Councillor Haitham Taylor stated that she felt that the existing controls for the corporate governance risk could be expanded to reference decision making and business cases, oversight by committees such as the Overview and Scrutiny Committees and the Health and Wellbeing Board and the Local Safeguarding Children’s Board and Peer Reviews.

·         Councillor Smith felt that a number of matters listed as controls were in fact actions, and that this should be tightened up. 

·         Manjeet Gill proposed that a risk be developed regarding effective delivery through partners, which would cover matters such as how the Council worked with the local authority trading companies, shared services, working with health partners, and the highways contract.

·         The Committee considered the existing risks on the Corporate Risk Register and whether any changes should be made.

·         With regards to Risk 2 ‘School Places’, Councillor Haitham Taylor stated that the Council now had less control over the process with more schools becoming academies and developers building schools.  Councillor Smith agreed that the nature of the risk had changed and that this should be reflected.

·         With regards to Risk 7 ‘Safeguarding children and young people’, it was agreed that there needed to be grater reference to oversight mechanisms.

·         Councillor Shepherd-DuBey stated that she felt that reference should be made to the monitoring of home schooling. 

·         With regards to Risk 18 ‘Information/Data Management’, the Committee agreed that this  ...  view the full minutes text for item 33.