‘INCREASING levels’ of homelessness in Warrington are considered ‘probable or almost certain to occur’, according to a report.

The strategic risk and insurance report for quarter four of 2023-24 will come before the council’s audit and corporate governance committee at its meeting next Wednesday.

It provides an overview of the council’s strategic risk management and insurance activity for the last six months of the financial year 2023-24.

According to a report to the committee, the risk and insurance service supports projects, directorates and senior managers to maintain appropriate risk management arrangements.

The service ensures that insurance cover is in place to ‘protect the council from the risk of financial loss arising from its responsibilities as an employer, an owner and occupier of property, a highways authority, and a provider of public services’.

It also facilitates the reporting process, to ensure that directorate management teams, the senior leadership team, cabinet, and the audit and corporate governance committee have appropriate oversight of strategic risks and associated control arrangements.

As stated in the report, at quarter four there are 11 risks scoring 20 or 25 – meaning these risks are considered ‘probable or almost certain to occur, with a serious or severe impact for the council’.

The ‘most significant risks’ facing the council include ‘increasing levels’ of homelessness, the council experiencing a major cyber incident or major information governance breach, stability of the council’s financial position, and new and additional statutory duties for waste collection.

In the strategic risk register, in relation to contingency plans – arrangements which can be put into place if the risk was to materialise now – it says: “Ensure homeless applications are processed in accordance with legislation in terms of fair, transparent and consistent practice in application of the legislation and decision making processes.

“Continual review and improvement of practice where relevant will be undertaken as part of the partnership work to review the homeless strategy.

“There will be a greater level of engagement with social, private landlords and letting agents in addition to service users as part of the preventative approach.”