Agenda item

To consider a progress report on individual risks identified in the Council’s Strategic

Risk Register.

The Committee considered the progress report on individual risks identified in the Council’s Strategic Risk Register.

Sub-Risk: Lack of capacity to deliver Council services.

Mr Neil Jack, Chief Executive described some of the measures designed to mitigate the level of risk. The Committee was informed that two tiers of management had been removed and as a result the Council was being run in a way that brought operational control closer to strategic priorities, though this had led to a lack of resilience within the organisation.

With regards to succession planning, it was acknowledged that in the future when senior managers left the organisation, external candidates would have to be considered in some cases to fill the vacant posts. To offset the risk further, partnership working had led to sharing of resources and expertise with the Council’s wholly owned companies; Managing Director’s like Jane Cole at Blackpool Transport Services possessed a level of expertise and transferrable skills which had helped the wider parent organisation and the other wholly owned companies. More generally, a change in ethos and culture within the organisation had led to improvements in recruitment and retention and the appointment of the Head of Safeguarding /Principal Social Worker were provided as examples of this.

Following a discussion about staff morale, the implementation of a Workforce Strategy, annual Individual Performance Appraisal system and Leadership Survey were noted as measures designed to address this important issue.  In response to a question about performance appraisal follow-up work, the Committee was informed that training plans were developed and ongoing issues could therefore be monitored. Assurances were provided about confidentiality in the form of outlining the Council’s whistleblowing policy and a renewed focus on visibility and accountability of staff, particularly those in senior management positions.

In relation to social care, the introduction of the Health and Social Care Academy, guaranteed interview scheme and enrolment on entry and development level courses designed to broaden staff skillsets, had already proven to be relatively successful.  It was also reported that raising the profile of social care would be especially important in order to recruit and retain the best possible people. The Committee sought clarification on the use of agency staff, specifically within the social care context and questioned how the ethos, standards and values of permanent staff were also instilled in agency staff. In response, Mr Jack emphasised the relatively low numbers of agency staff used currently and members noted that those staff were subject to the same induction as permanent staff and had the same performance management arrangements and level of support afforded them.

Sub-Risk: Over reliance on public sector services.

The Chief Executive described the challenge in deciding how services were delivered, how they could be accessed and how resident’s reliance on them could be reduced.

A practical example was discussed, namely the @The Grange (formally the City Learning Centre) in which a number of services had been brought together in a single location in order to build a community spirit and provide convenient access to a number of services whilst encouraging local people to get involved and thereby reduce the strain on the Local Authority. In terms of the design and integration process, the Committee was informed that the use of a robust performance management framework, a commitment to providing value for money and ensuring sustainability and resilience were all key elements. A similar scheme of work in Anchorsholme Park was praised for helping to create a sense of community and increase footfall in the area. Other projects were noted such as one in Revoe Park that involved help from Blackpool Football Club and a separate scheme of improvement works in Mereside. A discussion about the importance of providing services to young people Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET) across Blackpool led to recognition of work undertaken so far that included involvement in friends groups in various parks, litter picking patrols, beach cleaning and involvement with the Lancashire Volunteer Partnership.

The Arc service and Vitaline were used as examples where co-location and/or determinately impacting on the core elements of the services provided. A current move towards a Community Hub model for service delivery within Children’s Services was regarded as aspirational and would be monitored closely to see if successes could be mirrored in other areas of the Council.

Following questions about the Resident’s Survey, the Committee was advised that it was completed using a two strand approach. A general survey had been supplemented by a smaller sample group survey that targeted specific demographic groups. The questions were generally about Council services and residents experiences of them. A report was requested to analyse the responses received once the survey was complete. Some Members suggested that the Resident’s Survey itself was not a mitigation measure and it would be those actions undertaken subsequently that would be used to offset identified risks.

A key issue raised during consideration of the item concerned the comprehensiveness of the Strategic Risk Register. Members requested that more information about individual programmes designed to mitigate risks should be included in the commentary of the register so as to better reflect and reassure the Committee as to the extent of any work undertaken.

Sub-Risk: Lack of individual resilience to work in a changing environment.

It was reported that following analysis of the results of the Council’s Leadership Survery, action plans and reports were being developed to address those issues identified. Once measures had been put in place, it was anticipated that improvements to wellbeing, health, resilience, motivation and morale of staff would follow. The Committee was advised that a Staff Survey was in development and would hopefully be sent out in the near future. Mrs Greenhalgh, Head of Audit and Risk, added that the audit plan for the next financial year would include organisational resilience given its importance within the Council.

In response to a question about staff health and wellbeing, specifically about the use of mental health champions which were anecdotally in use within private sector organisations, Mr Jack suggested that the practice was desirable but added that staff already had access to a number of resources that would help those affected individuals to deal with mental health issues. These included the Employee Assistance Programme, Occupational Health team, self-assessment questionnaires and staff trained in relevant interventions. Ms Karen Smith, Director of Adult Services added that she felt practice was already good in this regard and described numerous instances where she had experienced staff informally helping each other to deal with depression and/or anxiety in particular.

Resolved:

That a report on the results of the Council’s Resident’s Survey be brought to a future meeting once completed.