Issue - meetings

Members of the Committee heard from the Corporate Governance Officer who introduced the report. It was explained that the new Risk Management Strategy had been developed taking into account the findings of the previous year's audit, as well as discussions with the Committee and the Management Team.

A Member of the Committee praised the document as an excellent management tool. It was suggested that a one-page summary be created for staff and Members to aid readability, with the Officer agreeing to the undertaking.

The Vice Chairman, Cllr Dobbie, commended the document, recognising it as a live document that adapted to ongoing changes.

The Chairman expressed a concern about role of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee as set out in the report. It was questioned whether the Committee was able to ensure that risk management had been applied, and value had been added to the decision-making. The Chairman emphasised the importance of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee's role in scrutinising various aspects to ensure proper decision-making processes.

A Committee Member raised a question about Member scrutiny, enquiring about the effectiveness of current scrutiny practices, and emphasising the importance of thorough preparation by Officers, which was acknowledged as being carried out. However, it was stressed that Councillors must delve into the prepared information to extract valuable insights. The Chairman reiterated the importance of scrutiny as a "critical friend", which aimed to improve decision-making through external perspectives.

The suggestion was made to consider Member development to enhance the quality of scrutiny, highlighting the importance of questioning skills. The Chairman agreed with the need to extend effective scrutiny practices across all Committees. In response, the Monitoring Officer confirmed that the comments would be passed on to the Director responsible for overseeing the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

With no further comments or questions, it was

RESOLVED that Risk Management strategy 2025-2029 be approved.