Agenda item

(a)       That the presentation be received, with thanks to the officers; and

(b)       That the Committee tasks Officers to rebuild the  Forward Work Programme for the remainder of the 2020/21 Council year with recovery planning at its core.

The Chief Executive introduced a report to provide an oversight on the recovery planning for the Committee’s respective portfolio(s) and to rebuild the forward work programme for the remainder of the 2020/21 Council year with a specific focus on recovery planning.

The Chief Executive led a comprehensive presentation which covered the following key areas on the Recovery Strategy:

• purpose
• recommendations
• objectives of the recovery strategy
• local chronology
• response objectives
• some local achievements in response
• recovery objectives – organisation
• recovery objectives - service
• recovery activities
• Council Plan and performance
• democratic governance of recovery
• recovery objectives

In response to a concern raised by Councillor Richard Jones around the Council Plan and alignment to the budget the Chief Executive gave an assurance that nothing had been abandoned in the Plan due to the Recovery Strategy and Committee were being asked to consider areas which were most relevant in the next 6 to 12 months.  

The Chief Executive provided background information and delivered a presentation on the Corporate Risk Register Analysis which covered the following key points :

• open and closed risk trend
• current risk status analysis
• risk trend status analysis

The Chief Executive invited the Corporate Finance Manager, Senior Manager Human Resources & Organisation Design, and the Chief Officer (Governance) to present the risk register and risk mitigation actions for their respective service portfolios (Finance, Workforce, and Governance).

During his presentation, the Corporate Finance Manager responded to the question raised by Councillor Patrick Heesom. This related to the affordability of having to borrow at an earlier stage to fund the capital programme due to lower level of reserves being held. He felt that this was a risk.  The Corporate Finance Manager advised that reserves were positive and the capital programme was spending less than the amount budgeted. In response to the further question raised by Councillor  Heesom, the Officer confirmed that there was no additional borrowing requirement for the year.

The Chief Executive advised that  the Register, with contextual analysis would be brought to Committee each month for review.

The Corporate Finance Manager also provided a detailed  response to the further comments and questions raised by Councillor Richard Jones around the risks to reserves (CF06, CF07) and increase in costs from suppliers for goods and services due to supply/demand and business recovery strategies (CF10). 

The Chief Executive advised that specific reports on some of the finance risks would be submitted to the Committee in the near future for consideration in detail. 

Referring to the risks identified under the heading Workforce, Councillor Richard Jones asked if the proposal that teaching staff in all schools received flu vaccinations funded by the Council was being progressed.    The Senior Manager Human Resources & Organisation Design confirmed that the Council had ordered 4,500 vaccinations and advised that school teachers and key workers were included in the programme and the Occupational Health Team were planning delivery of  the scheme.  She continued that a number of communications had been provided to strongly encourage the workforce to take up the offer.

The full set of strategic priorities for recovery recommended for extraction from the draft Council Plan for 2020/21 and inclusion in the Recovery Strategy was also attached, together with the full set of revised performance indicator targets for 2020/21.

The recommendations were moved by Councillor Paul Shotton and seconded by Councillor Andy Dunbobbin

RESOLVED:

(a)       That the presentation be received, with thanks to the officers; and

(b)       That the Committee tasks Officers to rebuild the  Forward Work Programme for the remainder of the 2020/21 Council year with recovery planning at its core.