Agenda item

Report of the Assistant Director, Corporate Services (AGC/24/13) attached.

The Committee received for information a report of the Assistant Director, Corporate Services (AGC/24/13) that provided an update on the Corporate Risk Register. The Corporate Risk Register (CRR) captured and described the most significant risks, both internally and externally, facing the Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Service (“the Service”), with a focus on cross-cutting risks and major projects and was reported to the Committee on a bi-yearly basis.

The risk management process included the identification, assessment and recording of risks together with mitigating activities.  The Service’s Risk Manager advised that there were currently 12 risks entered on the Corporate Risk Register with 1 risk added and 5 de-escalated to local and thematic risk and no risks closed.  Of the 12 risks on the CRR currently, 5 were high risk.  The five high risks on the CRR were:

·       CR044 - Cyber-attack causes sustained business systems outage, risk owner – Assistant Director, Corporate Services (SIRO). Risk added September 2018. Risk remains indefinitely on register;

·       CR055 - (SSC003) Failure to thoroughly investigate and learn from safety events and take corrective action to prevent foreseeable reoccurrences. Risk owner – Assistant Director, Corporate Services. This risk was added December 2019. Based on current progress it was anticipated that this risk would not be de-escalated within the next six months;

·       CR079 - Inability to assure ourselves that the HFS data created, held and reported on is correct. Risk owner – Assistant Chief Fire Officer – service Delivery. This risk was added February 2022. It was anticipated that this risk should be de-escalated by the end of 2024;

·       CR082 – inability to maintain and provide safe Academy training facilities.  Risk owner Assistant Chief Fire Officer – Service Delivery Support.  This risk was added in April 2024 with a Contingency Response Team stood up on 4 April 2024, next meeting 9 July 2024;

·       CR086 - lack of suitable workshop facilities and pits at Barnstaple and Crownhill Fire Stations.  This risk was added to the register May 2024.  Risk owner Assistant Chief Fire Officer – Service Delivery Support..

The report set out details of the current position in respect of each of the 5 high risks together with information on how long each risk had been on the Register.  Based on current progress, it was noted that CR055 remained on the CRR whilst CR070 had been de-escalated to the Health & Safety thematic risk register as previously reported. 

Mr Perks drew attention to the need to ensure that the difference between “static” and “dynamic” risks was identified within this report.  The risk of Cyber Threat was likely to remain static (CRR044) whilst that for CRR086 would be dynamic and thus, likely could be removed in due course.  This point was acknowledged and would be addressed in future reports.

Attention was also drawn to the point that risk CRR055 had not been de-escalated and the impact of this in the public arena.  The Assistant Director, Corporate Services, advised that the Service had been working through the actions for some time.  There had been systems that were not fit for purpose which had resulted in a backlog of reports and work to improve the safety culture was ongoing but this matter was being addressed as an area of focus.