Risk Management Policy Statement
The Council is committed to providing a wide range of high quality services. To maximise and enhance service delivery it is essential that the Council maximise opportunities and minimise threats to which it is exposed.
The very nature of the services provided by the Council presents a vast potential for loss, which if not properly contained, can potentially greatly affect the Councils ability to perform and deliver quality services.
This policy seeks to enforce the commitment endorsed by the Town Council to Risk Management, by ensuring that all parties associated with the Council have regard for the management of risks in the decision making process and everyday work situations.
The management of risks encompasses the protection and safety of assets (including staff), and the environment, drawing on good health and safety practice, and limiting the Council’s liabilities to external parties.
It is vital that Risk Management is integrated in the whole management process and embedded in the culture to enhance the Council’s drive for “Quality” in the provision of services.
Members of staff have the responsibility and accountability for managing and minimising the risks within their own work areas, in consultation with their work colleagues.
The Town Council meets on a regular basis to ensure that the awareness of this philosophy remains high on the Council’s agenda, as well as addressing the issues raised by the identification of risks.
This policy has the full support of the Town Council and the co-operations and commitment of all employees is required, to ensure that Council resources are optimised through the effective management of risk.
Responsibilities for Risk Management
1. Overview
1.1 The effectiveness of the Council’s Risk Management strategy is wholly dependent on ownership and accountability for risks. Responsibility for managing risks rests with all levels throughout the Council, and it is recognised that there are three distinct levels of Risk Management:
1.1.1 Corporate (Strategic) Risk management – Risks related with the setting of policies and priorities and the formulation of goals and objectives.
1.1.2 Tactical Risk Management – Risks related to budget execution, programme management, tactical decision making and intermediate range decisions.
1.1.3 Operational Risk Management – Risks related to day-to-day operations, short-term planning and execution and functional performance.
1.2 Failure to manage risk appropriately may have an adverse effect on the ability of the Council to achieve its strategic and operational objectives.
2. Corporate (Strategic) Risk Management.
3. Tactical Risk Management.
3.1 Responsibility for risks related to budget execution, programme management, tactical decision making and intermediate range decisions rests with the Town Council and Senior Managers.
3.2 Town Council members are required to:
i) ensure that appropriate systems are in place for the control and management of risks within the Directorate.
ii) address specific risk issues that can be managed within existing budgets and procedural arrangements by incorporating risk into service and budget planning process.
3.3 Senior managers are required to:
i) ensure that risk is managed effectively in each service.
ii) ensure that risks are identified and controlled through appropriate mechanisms.
iii) ensure that risk assessments are carried out.
4. Operational Risk Management
4.1 Risks related to day-to-day operations, short-term planning and execution and functional performance are the responsibility of the Service Managers and individual members of staff.
4.2 Service Managers are responsible for:
i) managing risk effectively in their particular service areas.
ii) ensuring that operational risks are identified and assessed.
iii) addressing service specific risk issues that can be managed within existing service budgets and refer other/corporate risk issues Senior Manager.
iv) including Risk Management responsibilities in the annual appraisal and development process.
v) recommending the necessary training for employees.
vi) sharing relevant information with colleagues in other service areas.
4.3 To achieve this:
4.3.1 All Service Managers are required to:
i) have practical risk assessment training.
ii) have health and safety training.
4.3.2 Individual members of staff are required to:
i) comply with the Council’s Health and Safety policy.
ii) manage risk effectively in their job.
iii) liaise with their line manager.
iv) identify new or changing risks in their job and feed these back to the Town Clerk.
v) undertake their job within Risk Management guidelines set down for them by the Town Clerk.