Risk is part of everything we do. As a society, we all carry out mini risk assessments every day, often without realising it.
We live in an ever-changing world where the pace of change is constantly increasing. This brings with it a plethora of uncertainties, and therefore, new opportunities and risks.
How we manage these uncertainties has never been more important in helping us meet our objectives, improve service delivery, achieve value for money and reduce unwelcome surprises.
Managing risk in the public sector is crucial for safeguarding the wellbeing, safety, and prosperity of the community. It ensures that public funding and resources are allocated efficiently, that Services are reliable and equitable, and that the community can trust and rely on their local council in times of need.
Risk management enables us to become more reactive to change and make well-informed decisions on how we can operate more effectively in the future. This will ultimately lead to better outcomes for the residents of East Ayrshire.
Risk as an enabler
As a custodian of public funds, we naturally have a lower appetite for risk taking. However, as a provider of public services, we recognise that there is a need to innovate.
Our revised Risk Management Strategy 2024 to 2027 (PDF 2.48 MB) highlights our commitment to both mitigating and optimising risks for our communities where appropriate.
Corporate risk register
Our risks are managed at both service level and corporate level. These are recorded using our Electronic Performance Management System known as Pentana.
Our corporate risk register is updated periodically and acts as an organisation-wide risk profile. Our Strategic Risk Officers’ Group, chaired by our Chief Executive, is responsible for reviewing and updating the corporate risk register on a quarterly basis.
This is currently reported on East Ayrshire Performs.
The objective of this group is to ensure a consistent approach is taken regarding the identification, management, mitigation and escalation of risks at both service level and strategic level.
Useful resources