Agenda item

[To receive the latest summary of the strategic risk register]

Narinder Phagura, Strategic Risk Manager, presented a report on the key risks the Council faced and how it could gain assurance that these risks are being mitigated.

James Howse Project Manager for the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) and Emma Bennett, Service Director Children and Young  People were in attendance and presented an update on two of  the strategic risks ‘Combined Authority’ and ‘Looked After Children as requested at the last meeting..  

In response to the Committee’s questions on the Combined Authority, the Project Manager for the WMCA reported:

·           In respect of engagement, he was aware that the Governance and  communications workstreams included various engagement activities involving Leaders of the constituent councils, district councils, business leaders, the three Local Enterprise Partnerships, the voluntary sector and other key partners. He undertook to check that the results of that activity could be shared with the Committee.

·           In terms of further engagement, it was reported that if all of the constituent councils involved in the WMCA  approve the Scheme there would then be a public engagement exercise on the proposal to establish a WMCA.

·           The Leader of the Council and the Managing Director were at the centre of the WMCA process and were leading on this with the Managing Director being the WMCA programme director.. 

·           In terms of timescales for setting up the WMCA the   proposals if approved by the Constituent Councils will be submitted to DCLG towards the end of October and this enables the statutory process to begin, with the aim to establish the Combined Authority in April / May 2016.

·           The Department for Communities and Local Government had received 34 proposals in total from across the country and this could impact timescales depending on the DCLG resources available to consider each of the proposals.

·           In developing the WMCA proposal, the Council and constituent councils have used specialists and also  engaged with other councils who have already set upa CA to take account of any lessons learned from their work.

• It was noted that devolution deal negotiations are taking place in parallel to the creation of a CA and that at this stage an Elected ‘Mayor model is being promoted by central government.  It was emphasised that it is early days any proposals would need to be subject to democratic approval processes undertaken locally (i.e. agreement sought from each of the Local Authorities).

·           The risks associated with the WMCA are have been identified and suitable mitigations continue to be considered. The issues raised by the Committee on engagement with Councillors would be taken back for the team at the programme office to consider.

In response to the Committees questions on LAC, the Service Director Children and Young People reported that:

·           Over the last 18 months all the hard work on LAC was coming to fruition.  As at 21 September, the number of LAC had reduced to 714.

·           On the timescale of the adoption process, the council  placed children for adoption as quickly as it could ensuring all processes are adequately addressed and risks considered.  The Council has experienced fewer adoption disruptions because of the approach and processes it has in place.  It was confirmed that the process involved centres around what is in the best interests of the child rather than the meeting timescales for completing adoptions.

·           The work and investment to improve the recruitment and retention of social workers was noted and welcomed and resulted in Children’s Services being at the most stable point it had ever been in terms of staffing. The Service was in a better position and had received extra funding to increase capacity. There had been an issue regarding middle management roles but a new structure was being embedded into the Service that would address that.

·           The working relationship with Police and the Royal Wolverhampton Trust, particularly regarding the annual health checks for looked after children was good.  The Service also linked well with the Clinical Commissioning Group and GP’s 

·           The Service has a designated LAC nurse which ensures there are no issues of getting appointments with a GP for our LAC.

·           Staffing wise the Service was in a better position and had received extra funding to increase capacity. There had been an issue regarding recruiting to middle management roles but a new structure was being embedded into the Service that would address that.

Members of the Committee welcomed the reduction in the numbers of LAC and noted that the council was good at getting adoptions through.

Cllr Phil Bateman suggested that the next report to include and update on the Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub in order that the Committee could continue to monitor the way it is developing.

The Chair asked the Committee whether it wished to select one of the red risk areas for discussion at the next meeting.

Resolved:

1.    That the strategic risk register be noted.

2.    That the reduction in the assessment of Risk 19 - Combined Authority be noted.

3. That it be noted that although some progress had been made in the mitigation of risk 17 – Employee Management, further actions are being implemented to ensure this risk is mitigated to an acceptable level. As a result the target date had been amended to reflect this.

4. That the main sources of assurance available to the Council against its strategic risks be noted.

5.    That a report on the risk 2 – the skills for work be submitted to the next meeting.