Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Borough Treasurer.

(Note: the report includes information ‘not for publication’ that will be circulated to committee members only)

The Annual Insurance Report provides a summary of insurance performance for the financial year April 2018 to March 2019. The report includes comparisons with the previous four financial years in order to allow for a meaningful comparison of trends. The information is used to understand the claims profile and recognise any areas where further risk management can assist in reducing claims and also those areas that have benefited from effective risk management.

The Scrutiny Committee will be asked to comment on and note the contents of the report.

Officer contact: John Pearsall, 0161 474 4033, john.pearsall@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Borough Treasurer submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) providing the Scrutiny Committee with a summary of insurance performance for the financial year 2018-19. The report included comparisons with previous years and highlighted trends over that time to identify areas of risk and opportunities to mitigate risk.

The Cabinet Member for Resources, Commissioning & Governance (Councillor Tom McGee) attended the meeting to respond to questions from the Scrutiny Committee.

It was highlighted that the repudiation rate for highway related claims was now at 80%, an increase from 48% in 2014/15, and this was a credit to the Council’s Insurance and Highways teams. Of the four insurance cases that went before the courts, all were won by the Council.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·         Further information was requested in relation to processes for learning from reported ‘near misses’ including expected levels of savings. In response it was stated the Insurance Team were working closely with the Health & Safety Team to be more proactive to address issues across the whole Council and its estate. While the insurance team was only small, it was working to embed risk management in the work of all departments. This work was not yet at a stage where an assessment of impact or savings was possible.

·         Further clarification was sought on the reasons for the increase in non-highways related insurance claims. In response it was suggested that the because of the Council’s investment through the Highways Investment Programme and work to reduce insurance costs, the scope for claims was reducing so that solicitors were increasingly exploring other areas where claims could be made. The Council’s proactive approach was nevertheless limiting the scope further and the in-house personal injury specialists provided expertise to understand the detail of claims and share learning to reduce the potential for further claims.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.