Agenda item

Report of the Executive Director of Resources

NOTE: Councillors Duggins and Crookes have been invited to attend the meeting for the consideration of this item.

Further to Minute 12/16, the Committee considered a report of the Executive Director of Resources concerning progress with the action plans developed to improve the Council’s information management arrangements. Details of the progress being made was set out in appendices attached to the report. Councillor Duggins, Cabinet Member for Policy and Leadership attended the meeting for the consideration of this item. 

The report referred to the audits undertaken by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) in relation to the Council’s data protection arrangements and In-form Consult (IFC) in relation to Information Governance generally. Arising from the audits findings, action plans were developed to implement the recommended actions for improvements to be made.

At the Committee’s meeting on 25^th July the update given on progress reported that out of 77 actions from the ICO recommendations, 8 had been completed, 49 were in progress and 20 were yet to begin. Since this time a further 38 actions had been completed and work was well underway with 27 of the remaining 31 actions. It was anticipated that all actions would be complete significantly in advance of the return visit in March 2017. There were still 4 actions to begin, these actions related to the final stages of the plan and were dependent on other actions being completed before they could commence. The Committee were informed that in order for these actions to be completed, a Records Manager was required in the Information Governance Team and this position was now being recruited to.

The Committee noted that since their July meeting, some significant milestones had been achieved. A review policies and guidance had been completed and assembled into a ‘handbook’ to act as a single access point for staff across the council. The handbook was launched at the Council’s Data Day event on 19th October, 2016. The event involved officers from across the council and was an opportunity to communicate with staff emphasising the importance of good information management practice, ensuring that risks and opportunities were better understood and managed. The mandatory e-learning on data protection had also been updated.

The Information Management Strategy aimed to ensure that the Council used the power of data and the opportunity this provided alongside the Digital Strategy to improve efficiency, customer experience and the ability to work with partners.

The In-Form Consult maturity assessment was intended to provide a road map to look beyond the ICO activities. These recommendations would be implemented over the next 12 months and would form an ongoing basis to ensure that the Council was able to keep abreast of new developments in the digital age to ensure that information remained secure in new media and new technology and would safeguard the Council into the future.

Councillor Duggins, Cabinet Member, outlined his support for the progress being made. Members asked about the development of the risk register and the risk policy and sought clarification as to when all the actions would be completed.

RESOLVED that:

1.  The progress to date against the ICO and In-form Consult action plans be noted.

2.  Officers be requested to bring a further report back to the Committee on the outcome of the follow-up audit by the Information Commissioner.

3.  Officers be requested to submit a progress report on action plans to the February meeting of the Committee.