Risk Assessment Policy

POLICY

Radford Semele Parish Council (‘’RSPC’’) is aware of risks that may affect members of the public, Councillors and their staff arising either from RSPC’s activities or the actions of others that impact upon them. RSPC’s Policy is to identify and manage those risks; this is to either eliminate them or contain them as far as possible. 

RSPC’s management of risks is through a formal process of Risk Assessment to identify, analyse and control those risks.  A range of  methods of control are to be applied by RSPC in respect of its own activities;  where risks may arise as a result of third party activities, RSPC  may or may not inherit the risks and associated risk management of those risks, but where those third party risks arise as a result of the third party undertaking activities in conjunction with RSPC it will require the third party to confirm it has appropriate risk assessments and management in place together with valid insurance to cover the risk  before such activities commence. 

Where risks arise out of the activities of Warwick District Council or Warwickshire County Council, their risk assessments will prevail unless they are to a lower or lesser standard than RSPC risk assessments. Where those activities or actions are carried out wholly by one of the other Authorities and without involvement of RSPC, the risks assessment and management of those Authorities will prevail, and they will be responsible for all liabilities arising out of those activities. 

The whole of RSPC has responsibility for risk assessment and management but to ensure its effectiveness, day to day risk management may be delegated to a sub-committee, the Clerk, or other delegated official. 

EXAMPLES OF IDENTIFIABLE RISKS - the list is not exhaustive

• Assets (e.g., Play Equipment, Playing Field, Village Pond)
  • Risks to the public using or visiting those places may come to harm due to a failure by RSPC to maintain them.
• Finance
  • Risk of financial loss or criminality when handling and managing public funds.
• Members of the public
  • Actions to, or by the members of the public, interacting with RSPC or its assets, resulting in loss or harm.
• Members of RSPC
  • Parish Councillors acting either with undue influence or self interest or the Clerk mis-using the trusted office of clerk.
• Employees
  • Risk to any employees resulting in harm or loss through breaches in legislation or statutory duty.
• Legal Liabilities
  • Breach of legal duties, responsibilities on the part of RSPC not upholding its undertakings to required standards for a governing body.

The process of Risk Assessment is regular and systematic examination of activities of RSPC or those carried out in its name so as to identify and evaluate potential risks arising out of conducting those activities.  

RSPC, based on recorded assessments, will take all necessary steps to eliminate, reduce or control the risks, insofar as is practically possible.  In some cases, the control will be affected by transfer out of that risk through insurance cover. 

The Risk Register and associated risk assessments will show where risks have been identified and evaluated and where actions and controls have been put in place to eliminate or contain risks. 

Any new or additional undertakings or activities will be subject to Risk Assessment before they commence and recorded save where a risk is identified as of a trivial nature. 

METHODOLOGY

The Risk Assessment methodology applied is based on a simple matrix to determine the potential impact of the identified risk on the basis of how likely it is to happen and the potential impact on the Parish Council, its employee or councillors or members of the public. 

REVIEW

This policy and the associated risk assessments will be reviewed annually. 

Reviewed and Readopted 25^th March 2024

Next review date March 2026

Radford Semele Parish Council Reviewed Risk Assessment Policy v 1.1 March 2024.pdf