Issue - meetings

(A report by John Medler, Assistant Director – Governance & Monitoring Officer)

The Group Manager - Insights & Transformation presented a report which provided an update on the Council’s strategic risk register as at the end of Quarter 3 (December 2024).

Members were informed that a new column had been added to the risk register template to improve the tracking of actions. This column applied a red, amber, green (RAG) rating to each action based on its due date and progress. Actions not yet due were marked green, those approaching or just past their due date were amber, and those significantly overdue were red. The change had been introduced following recommendations from both internal and external audit and was intended to improve visibility and accountability.

The Committee noted that the updated format had already led to a more thorough review of risks and associated actions. It was reported that two actions were currently amber but were expected to be resolved by Quarter 4.

The Group Manager - Insights & Transformation highlighted the following key points:

·       The risk relating to extended producer responsibility had reduced following the announcement of government funding.

·       The depot risk remained high in Quarter 3 but was expected to reduce in Quarter 4 following the signing of the lease.

·       A new risk had been added in relation to Local Government Reorganisation (LGR), which would be further updated in the next quarter.

Members discussed the report and commented as follows:

·       The Chairman expressed concern that several risks remained high and requested greater clarity on what actions were being taken to mitigate them. He emphasised the need for visible progress and assurance that risks were being actively managed.

·       Officers explained that some risks, such as those relating to finance and budget, were inherently high due to external factors. However, mitigation measures were in place to manage these risks within acceptable parameters.

·       It was agreed that a separate session would be arranged to allow Members to review the risk register in more detail, line by line.

·       A Member raised concerns about the cyber security risk and queried whether the Council held insurance cover for cyber incidents. Officers undertook to circulate an updated briefing on cyber risk controls and insurance arrangements.

·       Members requested that the risk relating to the Internal Drainage Board (IDB) levy be separated from the general budget risk to provide greater transparency.

·       A Member queried the level of detail available for the local economy risk and suggested that more granular data be included, such as commercial property vacancies and business rate arrears. Officers agreed to review this with the relevant lead officer.

·       The Committee discussed the methodology used to assign risk scores and were advised that these were determined by lead officers in consultation with their teams and reviewed by the Senior Leadership Team (SLT).

The recommendation was moved by Councillor David Scoot and seconded by Councillor Patsie Marson.

Resolved:

That the report be noted.

Staff Wellbeing Update

Following on from the strategic risk register discussion, where staff wellbeing had been identified as a high-rated risk, the Committee received a presentation from  ...  view the full minutes text for item 58

(A report by James Gilbert, Assistant Director – Corporate)

The Leader of the Council, Councillor Anne Dorrian, presented the Quarter 3 24/25 Performance and Risks report which covered Boston Borough Council’s information for Quarter 3 of 2024/25 (as at the end of December 2024). A joint performance management framework was agreed across the South & East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership for 2024/25 to support the delivery of services. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) had been agreed to capture performance against the strategic priorities of the Partnership and the individual Councils. A breakdown of the performance and risk information was detailed in Appendices 1 and 2 within the report.

Councillor Dorrian highlighted the following key points:

·       The majority of KPIs were on target (green), with some areas needing improvement (amber) and a few off target (red).

·       The amber indicators included:

o   The Occupancy Rate at Industrial Units were at 92.86%, against a target of 95%, which was expected to improve by the end of the financial year.

o   Food Business Ratings where 96.9% of businesses were rated three or above against a target of 98% and officers were working closely with low-scoring businesses to improve standards.

o   The Occupancy Rate for Other Investment Property were at 96.55%, against a target of 97%, which was expected to improve with ongoing negotiations.

·       The red indicators included:

o   Household Waste Recycling was at 32.68%, against a target of 45%, with improvement from Q2 but still off target. Efforts were ongoing to address the issue.

o   The Corporate Complaints Response showed that 88% had responded within the deadline against a target of 95%. It was noted that a low number of complaints could disproportionately affect the performance reporting.

o   Housing Benefit Processing was over 13 days against a target of 12 days. This remained within DWP performance expectations of 15 days.

o   Call Answering Rates in Revenues and Benefits were at 72.56% against a target of 87%. Increased call volumes and lengths were impacting performance. Extended hours in the evenings and weekends were being implemented to meet demand.

·       The strategic and partnership risks have been thoroughly reviewed in Quarter 3.

·       A new strategic risk has been added regarding local government reorganisation.

Members discussed the report and commented as follows:

·       It was highlighted that that the recycling contamination percentage only related to blue bins and a suggestion was made to include purple-lidded bins for a more accurate figure.

·       Positive developments in market occupancy rates had been reported, with new initiatives and successful farmers and makers markets.

·       Members noted the increase in digital services uptake, indicating successful customer contact through web chat and online services.

·       The growing number of volunteers and the positive impact on the community, reflecting pride in the borough, was emphasised, as well asthe social value of the volunteer scheme, estimating significant community benefits.

·       Members discussed the calculation of budget risk and the parameters used to determine risk levels.

The recommendation was moved by Councillor Anne Dorrian and seconded by Councillor Dale Broughton.

RESOLVED:

That the quarterly performance and risk monitoring information for Q3 of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 79