Meeting documents

To consider Item 9

The Corporate Planning Manager advised Members that the report provided an update on the current status of identified corporate risks. Risk registers were maintained at project, departmental and directorate levels. Corporate risks were those that had been escalated from these levels for scrutiny by the Strategic Management Board because of their magnitude, proximity or because the treatments and controls require significant development.

The amber and red risks noted on the Corporate Risk Map (Annex A) were explained in more detail.

The Deputy Director of Finance and Assets advised Members that one of the issues around the funding and saving risk was the USAR (Urban Search and Rescue) grant for national resilience. This year the Government had agreed the first six months of the funding, subject to further review. Currently this funding was worth just under £900K a year to the Authority. If this was lost, it would be a significant risk to the Authority.

Other risks in the background included ‘Brexit’ and early indications showed it might not be as catastrophic as previously forecast, but it was still too early to tell, but in relation to the USAR Funding it was a relatively small risk.

A Four Year Settlement and Efficiency Funding Plan was being taken to the Executive Committee on the 21 September 2016 which would guarantee the Authority’s funding for the next four years, although this didn’t guarantee all funding, only the Revenue Support Grant.

The Director of Finance and Assets advised Members that if the Executive Committee were minded to go with the recommendations regarding the Four Year Savings and Efficiency Plan then it may be possible to reduce the risk to amber.

A Member asked if the Chief Fire Officer had thought to write to all the MPs regarding the possibility of excluding the Fire Service from business rates and was advised that the consultation with regard to business rates was currently ongoing. It was an open consultation and within the consultation the Home Office had set out specifics for Fire, which proposes to move Fire to the same funding mechanism as the Police. This Authority had responded to say it agreed with this proposition.

The Head of Human Resources updated Members on the ageing workforce risk which was quite common across many fire and rescue services. In April 2015 the average age of the Authority’s firefighters was 39 year old. Twenty-two firefighter apprentices had started in August 2016 and this would help mitigation of that risk. The Authority would not readjust this risk until the apprentices had completed their training and become operational in October 2016. The Firefighter apprentices were aged between 18-28 and this should have a positive impact. The Authority still had twenty operational staff over 50 years of age.

The Head of Human Resources advised Members that some other consequences within this risk were managing the workforce in terms of well-being and health. The Authority had invested in fitness testing, gym equipment on stations and the Global Corporate Challenge. The Authority was also going out to tender for its Occupational Health provision.

A Member asked how long the apprenticeship training would be and was advised that it might typically take two years, although they would be operational in October 2016.

A Member asked if the Authority had made a financial commitment to keep all the apprentices at the end of two years and was advised that operational staff were leaving and retiring all the time and so they would potentially fill the gap dependent on risk and demand needs.

The Head of Service Delivery advised Members that the staff availability risk was linked to resources and came about because of industrial action two years ago and was there to ensure the Authority was able to discharge its statutory duty. The Resource Management team the Bank system, and the Operational Pool, allow the Authority to move resources around and ensure that there is resilience when needed. Business Continuity plans are being reviewed across the whole service to ensure they are interlinked. Alongside the strategic review of resources the Authority would relook at the risk score itself and hopefully readjust it accordingly.

RESOLVED –

That the status report on identified corporate risk at Annex C be noted.