Agenda item

Report ACH20-045

The Committee considered a report providing the current Adult Care and Health Services’ Risk Register – Quarter 1 2020/21 and the existing controls in place to mitigate the risks.

Risk Management was the identification, analysis and overall control of those risks which could impact on the Council’s ability to deliver its priorities and objectives. The Adult Care and Health Services Risk Register fed into the Corporate Risk Register, via the Corporate Risk Management Group, and comprised the high level departmental risks which were underpinned by more detailed registers contained within the divisional business plans. 

The Council’s Audit Sub-Committee had agreed that the Corporate and Departmental Risk Registers would be reviewed at their meetings twice a year, and then subsequently scrutinised by the relevant PDS Committee. Internal processes required that the departmental risk registers be updated and agreed by the Departmental Leadership Team (DLT) on a quarterly basis and be reviewed by the Corporate Risk Management Group. The Adult Care and Health Risk Register 2020/21 Quarter 1 update was agreed by Adult Services Leadership Team in July 2020.

The Assistant Director for Strategy, Performance and Corporate Transformation highlighted that the following risk had been increased on the Risk Register since November 2019:

·  Risk 1 – Failure to deliver financial strategy – change of net/current risk from 20 to 25. Some of which was demand pressure directly linked to the COVID-19 pandemic; and

·  Risk 6 – Transport – Children and Adults – change of net/current risk from 9 to 12. However, it was noted that the contract that had caused this increase had now been awarded in April 2020.

The following risks had decreased:

·  Risk 4 – Deprivation of Liberty – change of net/current risk from 6 to 4;

·  Risk 7 – Social Care Information System – change of net/current risk from 15 to 4; and

·  Risk 11 – Failure to deliver partial implementation of Health & Social Care Integration – change of net/current risk from 6 to 4.

Mitigating actions had seen four high risks reduced to significant risk; one high risk reduced to medium risk; two high risks reduced to low risk; one significant risk reduced to low risk; and two medium risks reduced to low risk.

A Member highlighted the impressive reduction made to Risk 7 – Social Care Information System. The Assistant Director for Strategy, Performance and Corporate Transformation reminded Members of the agreement to replace the Care First system, and some of the largest risks had been around procurement. The Council’s Executive had agreed the contract in May 2020, and it had recently been awarded. The other major risk identified had been regarding the competency and experience of the team brought in to implement the system. However reassurance was offered with regards to a strong Programme Manager being in place, who reported to the Assistant Director for Strategy, Performance and Corporate Transformation, and had brought in a number of experienced staff. The system was currently on schedule to go live next year, was on budget, and was meeting the requirement of stakeholders.

In response to questions from a Co-opted Member, the Director of Adult Social Care advised that the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards legislation would be changing to Liberty Protection Safeguards. It did not fundamentally change how people were protected, but it did change some of the responsibilities for carrying out assessments, moving some of them to hospital or residential care staff. However it was noted that this new legislation would not be implemented until 2022, and therefore the risk had reduced due to the current legislation continuing.

A Member highlighted the risk of the ‘Inability to deliver an effective Public Health service’, and asked for reassurance that all of the grant received from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and Public Health England (PHE) would be fully allocated under the Public Health heading. It was agreed that the Director of Public Health would be asked to provide a response following the meeting, which would be circulated to the Committee.

Members considered the risk ratings given in relation to ‘Business interruption / Emergency Planning’, and asked for assurance that robust measures were in place, particularly in relation to the Council’s IT system. The Assistant Director for Strategy, Performance and Corporate Transformation advised that this had been accounted for in the Corporate Risk Strategy. Remedial IT work had recently been undertaken, and mitigation strategies were in place. It was noted that the IT system was now much more robust following investment, which had been expediated during the pandemic. The roll-out of the new Windows 10 laptops was taking place much quicker than anticipated with around 1,200 having been issued to staff, and access and connectivity to the Council’s IT system had been much improved. The Director of Adult Social Care confirmed that the Business Continuity Plan had been reviewed in December 2019. It had been tested at the beginning of the pandemic, and again more recently, and had stood up well.

RESOLVED that the report be noted.