Agenda, decisions and minutes

None.

The Portfolio Holder is asked to sign the minutes of the meeting held on 18 October 2012, as a correct record.

The minutes of the meeting held on 18 October 2012 were agreed as a correct record.

The Corporate and Customer Services Portfolio Holder

AGREED        the Strategic Risk Register and Matrix.

The Head of Finance, Policy and Performance presented this report, which invited the Corporate and Customer Services Portfolio Holder to perform the quarterly review and approval of the Strategic Risk Register. It was noted that Executive Management Team proposed the following:

·         The inclusion of risk STR25 “Increase in numbers in temporary accommodation”, following the request of the Affordable Housing Director.

·         The reduction of the likelihood score for STR12 “Supported housing” from 5 (almost certain) to 3 (possible), following the postponement of the procurement for 6 months.

·         The reduction of the likelihood score for STR16, “Depot size” from 2 (unlikely) to 1 (rare), as a new planning application was approved in September 2012, Head of Terms have been completed; the legal lease has been drafted and is being finalised; building has commenced; the occupation target date was March/April 2013 and additional costs have been included in the 2012/13 and draft 2013/14 budgets. This would bring the total risk score below the level at which it needs to be included in future reports.

The Corporate and Customer Services Portfolio Holder decided not to downgrade risk STR08 “Medium Term Financial Strategy” by amending the impact score from 5 (extreme) to 4 (high), as there was still considerable financial uncertainty with regard to funding from the Government from 2015/16 onwards.

STR21 Technological Development

The Corporate and Customer Services Portfolio Holder supported the launch of the new website, which had reduced the number of webpages and was more customer focussed. He decided against altering the risk score for STR21 “Keep up with technology development”. Councillors were encouraged to use the feedback facility on the website to raise any problems with specific webpages.

The Corporate and Customer Services Portfolio Holder

AGREED        the Strategic Risk Register and Matrix, as detailed in the report, including the recommendations by EMT.

The Corporate and Customer Services Portfolio Holder

RECOMMENDED TO CABINET     the 2013/14 Member Development Programme.

The Democratic Services Team Leader presented this report that detailed the Member Development Programme for 2013/14, which would be considered by Cabinet on 18 February 2013. He suggested that resources should be directed towards encouraging attendance from councillors who had not yet been on training this year. The Corporate and Customer Services Portfolio Holder expressed the hope that reasons for non-attendance could be established.

Councillor Lynda Harford suggested that councillors should receive training on important forthcoming policies such as enforcement. It was suggested that councillors could attend training that had been arranged for officers.

The Council was expecting to have its Member Charter status reassessed in June 2013. The Democratic Services Team Leader agreed to provide the Corporate and Customer Services Portfolio Holder with the latest budget figures with regard to member training and also detail the number of Councillors who had completed Personal Development Plans compared to last year.

The Corporate and Customer Services Portfolio Holder

RECOMMENDED THAT CABINET            Agree the 2013/14 Member Development Programme.

Please bring your diaries.

The Senior Democratic Services Officer was instructed to circulate possible dates for the next meeting.