Council name their biggest challenges

Brexit and finding extra staff to cope with expanded childcare entitlement are among the biggest risks facing South Lanarkshire Council in 2019.

That is the finding of the council’s annual review into the biggest challenges for the year ahead.

The two items listed as category one risks are a reduction in council funding, resulting in difficulties maintaining frontline services, and a failure to adequately prepare for national expansion in early years education and childcare provision.

Both risks are rated at nine out of 10, with controls in place for these problems rated as adequate.

The childcare provision, which will see expanded hours for all three and four-yearolds by 2020, plus two-year-olds becoming eligible, is a new addition to the list.

The report states: “The council is likely to face challenges in acquiring the necessary physical assets and staffing levels.

“A failure to meet these levels could affect both quality and availability of services for service users in South Lanarkshire.

“This has been added as a category one risk in the council’s top risk register.

“Measures to mitigate this risk include well established workforce planning; large-scale recruitment campaigns underway for early years workers; a formal review of available premises and other physical assets; training in place for new and transferring employees; and ongoing discussion with partner providers to increase private and third sector partnership.”

Leaving the European Union is ranked as a category two risk, and is another new addition.

Regarding Brexit, the report states that work has been carried out on assessing the impact on funding and finance, workforce and employment, procurement and trade, and on legislation and support to businesses located within the South Lanarkshire area.

Other risks being spotlighted include the council’s compliance with the new General Data Protection Regulations, changes to the Housing Act, meeting the government’s new community empowerment act and dealing with new amended legislation relating to the Homelessness and Rough Action Sleeping Group.

Criteria for the risk review is based on whether anything threatens delivery of corporate objectives, impacts on other services or partnerships, there are financial impacts or if there are impacts of a social or demographic context.