Agenda item

To consider the controls being implemented to manage the strategic risk relating to resilience.   

The Committee considered a progress report outlining the individual risks identified within the Strategic Risk – Lack of Resilience.

Mr Neil Jack, Chief Executive provided an overview of the sub-risk ‘Lack of capacity to deliver Council services.’ He summarised the existing controls and mitigations as outlined within the progress report and advised that the original target dates would require amendment. In response to the Committee’s suggestion that the Strategic Risk Register failed to adequately reflect the changing landscape of the Covid-19 response, Mr Jack advised that a separate report had been produced which detailed the Council’s ongoing response to the pandemic and that full Council had been identified as the most appropriate method of communicating the information to the public.

The Committee questioned the level to which the Council was able to oversee its partners’ risks, noting the importance of effective relationships with external agencies during the pandemic. Mr Jack reported close working between the Council and its partners, specifically through the work of the Lancashire Resilience Forum which had ensured a coordinated response across the region. He also identified the police as a key partner, acknowledging their role in helping to reduce the impact of unseen risks arising from school closures, such as the dangers posed to vulnerable children.

In relation to the utilisation of Council employees who were unable to fulfil their usual roles during the lockdown periods, for example due to the closure of leisure facilities, Mr Jack reported that colleagues from across the Council had been redeployed to a number of vital roles as required, as well as seeing an increase in engagement from volunteers. He explained that a group had been established to collate and analyse the examples of positive learning resulting from the pandemic, with the findings being used to influence future ways of working.

Dr Arif Rajpura, Director of Public Health addressed the sub-risk ‘Over reliance on public sector services.’ He reported that many of the proposed actions had been postponed due to the necessary focus on the response to the pandemic and the prioritisation of the Covid-19 vaccination programme. Dr Rajpura informed the Committee that on 25 January 2021 the Winter Gardens would be opening for use as a mass vaccination centre. Clarification was sought around which vaccination centres Blackpool residents were being allocated and the system in place should they wish to request an alternative location. Dr Rajpura explained that letters to patients would include a suggested vaccination venue but also the option to wait for allocation to a nearer centre if preferred, which would include the Winter Gardens from 25 January 2021. 

Ms Liz Petch, Consultant in Public Health advised that the smoking cessation initiative had continued as planned, with the Smokefree Blackpool helpline offering access to free smoking cessation medications and behaviour support. She reported that the new Tobacco Addiction Treatment service was on target to commence in January 2021 as planned.

With regards to the anticipated Community Engagement Strategy, Mrs Chloe Pieri, Community Engagement and Partnership Manager advised that the strategy, which incorporated an exploration of how digital methods could be used to target engagement, had been close to completion at the time of the initial outbreak of Covid-19. After reviewing the strategy it had been agreed that due to the changes brought about by the pandemic, the strategy would need to be revisited and amended.

Mrs Tracy Greenhalgh, Head of Audit and Risk informed the Committee that an audit of Community Engagement had taken place prior to the pandemic, which had resulted in an inadequate assurance rating and a number of priority one recommendations. She was in agreement that it was prudent to halt the launch of the Community Engagement Strategy in order to allow the inclusion of the recent valuable learning to be incorporated and to ensure that the strategy adequately reflected the changing picture of community engagement. Reference was made to the previously-commenced scrutiny review of Channel Shift, with the Committee proposing that the Scrutiny Leadership Board be asked to give consideration to revisiting the scope of the review with a view to including the work of the voluntary sector.

Further information was sought from Mrs Pieri on the development of the cited local Voluntary Community Faith Sector (VCFS) accord. She explained that the accord was an agreement between the Council and third sector organisations and was being led by Lancashire County Council. Due to the prioritisation of the Covid-19 response, Mrs Pieri advised that delays had been experienced but suggested that progress could be reported back at a later date.

The Committee sought clarification over whether the slippage of target dates within the Strategic Risk Register would negatively impact the reported nett risk scores. Dr Rajpura advised that the aim of the Risk Register was to report the current position and that scores had been adapted to reflect any changes to mitigations.

The Committee questioned the anticipated long-term future impact of the pandemic on Public Health, questioning whether sufficient resources and budgetary levels would be available to cope with the demand. Dr Rajpura acknowledged that the Covid-19 response had generated backlogs across the whole healthcare system as well as the potential widening of inequalities in poorer areas, despite efforts to minimise the impact as much as possible across Blackpool. He noted that restrictions remained in place and anticipated these to continue until at least Easter, stressing the need to reduce positive cases of the virus in conjunction with the delivery of the mass vaccination programme.

Mr Jack provided an update on the sub-risk ‘Lack of individual resilience to work in a changing environment,’ and reported that the recovery plan would include the lessons learnt with regards to the benefits of flexible working. The Committee questioned whether a thorough exploration of the sickness absence levels had been undertaken in order to gain an insight into influencing factors and to explore whether the current working from home requirements had impacted on absence levels. Mr Jack confirmed that the data had been thoroughly reviewed and had highlighted variations across different directorates. He stressed the importance of avoiding generic strategies and instead suggested that a variety of approaches would be required to address the varying stressors experienced by different roles.

Resolved: That the Scrutiny Leadership Board be asked to give consideration to revisiting the scope of the Channel Shift review.