Agenda item

(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 the Group Manager – Organisational Development and the Head of HR & OD, providing an update on staff wellbeing across the organisation. 

Members were advised that the update was based on data from Quarter 2, with some early insights from Quarter 4 also shared. The presentation included results from the Council’s regular staff poll, which asked four key questions relating to communication, mental health support, feeling valued, and opportunities for development.

It was reported that:

·       The percentage of staff who felt informed about decisions had increased from 50% in Q4 2023/24 to 67.7% in Q4 2024/25.

·       Positive responses regarding mental health support had risen from 69% to 82% over the same period.

·       The proportion of staff who felt valued had increased from 69% to 84.3%.

·       Those who felt they had opportunities to develop had increased from 76% to 82%.

The Committee was informed that a wide range of interventions had been implemented or strengthened over the past year, including:

·       Mental and physical health support services;

·       Employee assistance programmes;

·       Manager guidance and training;

·       Flexible and hybrid working arrangements; and

·       Improved absence monitoring and reporting tools.

The Head of HR & OD explained that absence data was monitored closely, with quarterly reports shared with senior leadership and trade unions. It was noted that, despite national trends showing increases in long-term sickness, absence levels at Boston had remained stable. The Council was also exploring improvements to returns to work.

In response to questions from Members, officers confirmed that:

·       Exit interviews were offered to all leavers, with a take-up rate of approximately 40%.

·       Absence data was recorded and analysed by service area, with costs reported to senior management.

·       Staff survey responses were anonymous, and managers were encouraged to share the survey with staff on long-term absence.

·       The Council remained open to introducing new interventions as needed and would continue to monitor trends and feedback.

Members welcomed the update and expressed support for the work being undertaken. It was suggested that more detailed scrutiny of workforce wellbeing may be more appropriately considered by the Corporate and Community Committee in future.