Shaer Halewood, Director of Resources, presented this report which provided an update on the Council’s risk management arrangements and areas of risk management focus over the following year. Shaer noted that since the last meeting quite a few things had taken place which had impacted it, including:

·  The refreshed Wirral Plan which aligned internal delivery plans in line with the themes of the Wirral Plan. This provided an opportunity to look at risks within programmes and directorates as well as Corporate Risks.

·  An engagement session with Insurance risk advisors Zurich Municipal, reviewing the Council’s approach to risks. They had given the opinion that 22 risks was high compared to other authorities where 10-12 was common. Some risks may be able to transfer to directorate risk registers rather than remain on the corporate.

·  A staff survey by Zurich Municipal to get views on appetite of risk. The outcome of this would be given to this Committee’s Risk Sub-Group then return to this Committee.

·  The Council’s Senior Leadership Team were to review the corporate risk register following the Zurich session and the outcome of this would be given to this Committee’s Risk Sub-Group then return to this Committee.

Members questioned aspects of the update and established:

·  Members get informed of risks and events via performance dashboards for Committees, and Chairs and spokespersons of Committees have briefings with departmental officers

·  Employees and Members were bound by a Code of Conduct and People Strategy to act in a proper manner and should report risks

·  The loss of expertise when specialised staff leave could be a Council-wide risk

·  Climate change incidents were now being assessed as being more likely

·  Underachievement and digital poverty following the Covid-19 pandemic could be picked up by Ofsted and could be added as a Corporate Risk

Resolved –

That the report be noted.