SANCTON PARISH COUNCIL
Risk Assessment and Management 2015 (March)
AREA
Assets
RISK IDENTIFIED
Protection of physical assets -
RISK LEVEL
Low
Benches around parish
Litter bins around parish
Grit bin – Houghton Lane
Notice boards
Flag pole
Cemetery
Village Field
Play Area – play equipment
Back Field – goal posts
Gravel Pits – bird/bat boxes
Pond
CONTROL
Assets insured.
4 benches, flagpole and 2 notice
boards, 5 litter bins, grit bin, bird
boxes, covered under “Street
Furniture” for All Risks up to
£3799.72.
Playground equipment covered for
All Risks up to £22437.00. Goal posts
covered for £993.00.
Risk assessment to be carried out
annually.
Action: Add new litter bin outside Play Area to
Asset Register.
Assets
Security
Low
Salt stock stored at Lodge Farm.
Council papers stored securely at
Clerk’s home – always occupied or
locked.
Council papers currently stored
securely at Clerk’s premises – always
occupied or locked.
General equipment insured for up to
£2328.16 for all risks including theft.
Action:
To consider whether insurance for office
equipment is necessary as Clerk uses own
equipment.
Liability
Risk to third party, property or
individuals
Benches, notice boards, grit bin,
litter bins, bird boxes
Medium
Public Liability insurance of
£10,000,000 in place.
Risk assessed March 2015.
Noticeboard on Low Street – paint in
poor condition.
All items in good safe order.
Risk Assessment to be carried out
annually.
Action: To consider repainting noticeboard.
Pond
High
General risk assessment carried out
March 2015.
Risk assessment to be carried out
annually.
Fence surrounds pond to prevent
vehicle access. Fence posts rotted
off. Vegetation at pond edge deters
general public from getting too close
to water. Working Party,supervised
by Councillor Shepherd, cleans pond
when required – covered by
insurance. ERYC cut grass – own
insurance. Pump has sign advising
water is unfit for drinking. Deep
Water sign in pond. H&S Guidelines
for volunteer working to be adhered
to.
Action; Advise ERYC about state of fence.
To issue Volunteer H&S Guidelines to
volunteers.
To consider if adequate safety precautions
have been taken.
Play Area
High
General risk assessment carried out
in March 2015. Mrs P Kay carries out
weekly inspections of equipment
and site, in line with insurance
requirements. Additional quarterly
and annual independent inspections
of equipment.
Advisory notice by entrance – no
dogs, children under 5yrs
accompanied by adult, equipment
suitable for 18mths – 13yrs, and
shoes must be worn.
Area fenced on 3 sides, wooden
boarding covers top of wire on north
side. Hedge on other side fenced.
Contractor engaged to
mow/strim/cut hedges – covered by
own insurance.
Entrance gate made to ROSPA
guidelines, spring closure, non finger
trapping design.
Grit bin nearby.
Litter bin on site – emptied by ERYC.
Volunteer H&S Guidelines to be
adhered to.
Action:
To issue Volunteer H&S Guidelines.
To approve cost of annual/quarterly ROSPA
safety inspections and to arrange.
To consider if adequate safety precautions
have been taken.
To consider a policy for Play Area use in the
snow/ice.
To consider removal of path and stepping logs
for safety reasons.
To alter height of goal net fixings for safety
reasons.
Back Field
Medium
General risk assessment carried out
March 2015.
Risk assessment to be carried out
annually.
Hazards have been cleared. Trees
and hedges trimmed, holes filled in.
Ragwort controlled by
mowing/pulling.
Hedges etc trimmed and grass
mowed by contractor – covered by
own insurance.
Gate and fence erected at north
entrance – not locked.
Volunteer H&S guidelines to be
adhered to.
Litter bin sited in Allotment car park,
emptied by ERYC.
Goal posts inspected by
independent inspector
quarterly/annually.
Goal posts inspected weekly by Mrs
P Kay.
Site rules sign erected, dogs on leads
by direction signs. Dog Warden
visiting on request.
Action:
To issue Volunteer H&S Guidelines.
To consider whether adequate safety
precautions are being taken.
To consider action to be taken over dog fouling
issues.
Any applicant wishing to use the field for a
specific event must complete an application
form and submit to Clerk with a copy of their
public liability document.
To consider removal of 2 large sections of
freestanding fencing.
Village Field
Medium
Cemeteries
Medium
Risk assessed March 2015. To be
carried out annually.
Mown by Robin Shucksmith – own
insurance once per year.
2 paths to Nursery and Village Hall,
and area in front of RC Cemetery
mown by grass contractor – own
insurance.
Boundary fencing on east side needs
replacing.
Hedge and footpath cut by Stan
Stokes. Parish Council believes
arrangement agreed, following
movement of footpath from his
garden.
Ragwort controlled by pulling by
Working Party volunteers – covered
by insurance.
Volunteer H&S Guidelines to be
adhered to.
Gate to be left unlocked.
Action:
To issue Volunteer H&S Guidelines.
To consider whether adequate safety
precautions are being taken.
To consider an application to
Sancton Hill Community Benefit
Fund for the replacement of the
fence on the eastern side.
General risk assessment carried out
March 2015.
To be risk assessed annually.
Grass contractor mows every 3
weeks – own insurance.
Grass contractor cuts hedges
annually – own insurance.
Grass contractor weed kills path –
own insurance.
Councillor Wightman empties bin
fortnightly – covered by insurance.
Inspection of safety of gravestones
undertaken annually and those
found to be dangerous laid flat.
Path resurfaced 2014.
Volunteer H&S Guidelines to be
adhered to.
Action:
To consider attaching stickers to or painting
bin to make it more visible.
To consider if adequate safety precautions are
being taken.
To issue Volunteer H&S Guidelines.
2 headstones laid flat. Ethel Cox/Norman
Harrison. Family of Norman Harrison informed.
Christmas tree
Low
Visual inspection of tree and electric
point carried out March 2015.
To be carried out annually.
Tree looking sick.
Electric box secured with locking
screws.
Annual electrical inspection to be
carried out from 2015.
Action:
To consider an electrical inspection and
arrange visit when necessary.
To consider if adequate safety precautions are
being taken.
To consider if anything can be done to improve
health of tree.
Gravel Pits
Medium
General risk assessment carried out
March 2015.
To be reviewed annually.
All hazards cleared from site.
Trees sided – no overhanging low
branches. No trees interfering with
power lines. Trimmed by contractor
in 2014.
Fences on east and south
boundaries adequate.
Hedge on west boundary adequate.
Maintained by Working Party
supervised by Councillor Shepherd–
covered by insurance.
Robin Shucksmith mows area with
tractor and mower annually –
covered by own insurance.
Swings cut down – need further
cutting down.
Majority of nettles removed on flat
land – volunteer strimming.
Mike Padgett (Advisory Committee)
walks the area approximately
twice/week.
Management Scheme run by STC
currently in operation.
Permitted Use sign erected – no
climbing trees, dogs on leads when
children present, no vehicles, cycles
with care, no rubbish dumping, no
camping/fires.
Makeshift bike track needs
removing.
Rabbit/molehills need making safe.
Fencing around wildflower area
fallen down – needs removing?
Old pig ark – needs removing?
Volunteer H&S Guidelines to be
adhered to.
Action:
To issue Volunteer H&S Guidelines.
Councillor Shepherd to agree all volunteer
works with Parish Council before work carried
out.
To consider if adequate safety precautions are
being taken.
To consider re fixing bird box on first ash tree,
removal of makeshift bike track, making safe
molehills/rabbit holes, further removal of old
swing ropes, removal of old fencing around
wildflower area, removal of old pig ark.
Flagpole
Low
Flagpole is dirty but in good condition.
General risk assessment carried out March
2015.
Finance
Mechanism in good order.
Volunteer H&S Guidelines to be adhered to.
Money with High Street bank.
Banking
Low
Consequential loss
Low
No investments, but any future ones
will be reviewed annually.
Loss of monies
Low
No cash transactions.
Insurance cover for crossed cheques
in place.
Internal audit.
Regular bank reconciliations of cash
book to bank accounts carried out
by Clerk.
Fraud
Low
Two cheque signatories plus
cheques drawn by Clerk (who is not
a signatory.
Internal and external audits.
Compliance with HMRC regulations
Low
Annual VAT returns completed by
Clerk and reported to Council.
Independent payroll processor.
Internal and external audits.
Sound budgeting to underlie precept
Low
General financial control
Low
Council receive detailed budget
annually and precept is derived
directly from this.
Budget set by Council.
Expenditure v budget reported to
Council monthly.
Council adopted new Financial
Regulations in May 2014.
All financial procedures clearly laid
out.
Financial regulations reviewed
annually.
Loss of financial data
Low
Manual accounts and VAT kept.
Hard copies kept of financial
reports/budgets.
Best value obtained
Low
Parish Council consider quotations
at public meetings.
All purchases are subject to
quotation process specified in
Financial Regulations and
amendment (minute 10 – 7 August
2013)
Action:
To consider whether controls are adequate.
Employer
Liability
Legal
Liability
Compliance with Employment Law
Low
Membership of ERNLLCA – Executive
Officer at ERNLLCA is a Chartered
Member of The Institute of
Personnel and Development.
Employer’s Liability insurance in
place. (£10,000,000)
Compliance with HMRC regulations
for employees
Low
Independent payroll processor.
Internal and external audits.
Safety of staff and visitors
Low
Employer’s liability insurance in
place.
Public liability in place.
To be reviewed annually.
Action:
To consider whether controls are adequate.
Clerk clarifies legal position on new
proposals.
Councillors encouraged to read
Good Councillors Guide.
Councillors provided with copies of
Code of Conduct, Standing Orders
and Financial Regulations.
Membership of ERNLLCA. Clerk
seeks advice from ERNLLCA’s
Advisory Service to check legal
position.
Ensuring activities are within legal
powers
Medium
Provision of information
Low
Draft minutes are published on the
notice board shortly after each
meeting.
Approved minutes are available to
public on request via the Clerk.
Requests made under the Freedom
of Information Act are dealt with in
accordance with prescribed
guidelines.
Effective document control
Low
Documents in use are stored at
Clerk’s home which is either
occupied or locked.
Computer/email data is stored in
the “Cloud”.
Councillor
propriety
Registers of Interest and gifts and
hospitality
Medium
Action:
To consider whether controls are adequate.
To consider whether Councillors/Clerk should
attend specific training courses.
Registers of Interests completed and
returned to ERYC.
Gifts and hospitality register has not
been required as situation not
arisen.
Action:
To consider whether further controls are
required.
All remaining risks are managed to a reasonable level.
This risk assessment was carried out on 11 March 2015.
This risk assessment paper was considered and approved by Sancton Parish Council on 13 April 2015
Signed......................................... Chairman
............................................. Clerk
Prepared 18 March 2015 by Hazel Reckitt – Parish Clerk to Sancton Parish Council