Shaer Halewood, Director of Finance and Investment (S151) introduced her report that informed of the improved focus on the Council’s most critical risks and enhancements to arrangements for managing risk. The report further informed that the leadership had a clear shared and current understanding of those risks and was fundamental to this aim. The Director of Finance and Investment reminded Members of earlier reports dated 24 September and 19 November 2018, and informed how work had been undertaken with the Strategic Leadership Team to draw out their view of the Council’s most significant risks. The Director’s report provided a further progress update in relation to that work.

The Audit and Risk Management Committee was apprised of the workshop that had taken place prior to the meeting on 19 November 2018 which had considered 10 of the existing 14 risks. Each had been reviewed in detail with particular reference to how it was defined, the risk owner, and relevance of the stated mitigation (and mitigation that was not currently recognised within the register). All comments made within the workshop were recorded and incorporated into an updated version of the register.

On 15 January 2019 the updated register was presented to the Strategic Leadership Team (SLT). Members were informed that the SLT had accepted Members’ comments in relation to the existing risks.

Members expressed the view that the workshop events had been most helpful and time well spent, providing an opportunity for additional discussion on the subject outside of the formal meeting cycle, and requested that the Committee’s thanks to Mike Lane, Senior Risk and Insurance Officer be recorded.

Resolved – That the report be noted.