Government plans to curb council spending means local authorities need to step up their risk management efforts, warned Alarm.
Following the announcement from local government minister Nick Raynsford that six councils and one fire brigade would have their spending capped, Alarm, the national forum for risk managers in the public sector, warned that it was vital for local authorities to manage their risks if they are to avoid unforeseen risks.
Alarm chair-elect Carolyn Halpin said: “Dealing with a large scale risk is hard enough with plentiful resources, but if the resources are constrained it would be even harder. So the most sensible option is to ensure the risks are managed properly in the first place.
“We expect announcements that certain organisations are to have their budgets capped in advance of the next general election, and if resources are not what was expected, it is vital that risks are managed even more so than before.
“With limited resources we simply cannot afford not to be prepared for every eventuality and a robust risk management approach is the best way to ensure this.”
