Shaer Halewood, Director of Resources introduced her report that provided an update on work in progress to review the Council’s Corporate Risk Register and highlighted areas of risk management work in the coming year. The report informed how, to enable the Audit and Risk Management Committee (ARMC) to understand the Authority’s most significant risks, Members receive a summary of associated mitigating controls and the risk management framework in order to fulfil its role of providing independent assurance of the Council’s Risk Management Framework.

The Director of Resources’ report informed that updates on the Council’s risk management arrangements had been regularly reported to Audit and Risk Management Committee (ARMC) following the changes to the Risk Management Policy approved by the Committee in September 2017 and the significant refresh of the Corporate Risk Register in 2018/19.

The Director informed that, in March 2020, it was reported to the Committee that the Corporate Risk Register would undergo a detailed review and alignment to the Wirral Plan 2025 ahead of a discussion at a Member Risk workshop and reporting to the next ARMC. In light of events since March it was recognised that many of the controls may no longer be effective or have changed over the past 6-8 months. Similarly actions previously identified may have been superseded or no longer be relevant therefore a more in-depth review is required.

The Director of Resources’ report further informed that due to COVID-19 the Wirral Plan 2025 was being refreshed to reflect the current situation and emerging Recovery Plans. This had led to the associated alignment of the Corporate Risk Register to the Wirral Plan being affected and delayed slightly. A Member Risk workshop had also taken place over the summer and the comments and suggestions from this session had been presented to the Senior Leadership Team (SLT).

The Audit and Risk Management Committee was apprised that the Senior Leadership Team had recently been debating the content of the Corporate Risk Register (CRR), reviewing the existing risks and new ones which had materialised over the past 9 months. The key question considered by officers had been what issues had affected the Council in achieving its priorities and objectives over the coming years?  To help develop this further, Members were further apprised that SLT had been asked to consider the following four questions:

• Were these risks that SLT are most worried about and want to monitor and gain assurance that they are being well managed?
• Did the risk descriptions accurately reflect what is going on?
• Were the risks listed the right risks for inclusion at this level or can any risks be demoted and monitored at Directorate level?
• Was anything missing? 

Members noted that a refreshed version of the CRR was to be presented to the next meeting of the ARMC.

Members questioned the Director of Resources on her report, and the Director responded accordingly.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.