Agenda item

Report of the HR Business Support Manager

The Senior HR Business Partner presented the Firefighter Scheme Risk Register (the Register) which had been reviewed in January 2021. Updates since the last meeting were highlighted blue in the document. The Pension Scheme Manager provided an update and sought clarity on the following risks:-

-         Administration Failure / Maladministration – Ensure resilience in Provider and CFRS teams to migrate the impact of loss of key staff/knowledge of Fire Pension Scheme. This remained a green risk no change.

The Pension Scheme Manager made specific reference to the comment relating to ‘Provider have ensured that staff with experience and knowledge of FPS regs are available to work on CFFS contract’.

The Pension Scheme Manager advised that she was aware that two experienced members of staff had recently retired and wanted assurance that these post would be filled with people knowledge and experience on CFRS pensions. In response, Graeme Hall confirmed that two experienced members of staff had been promoted into these positions namely Eddie Simpson and April Woods also two new people were due to join the team in January and February and training had been arranged accordingly.

-     Administration Failure / Maladministration – Robust internal controls for both pension provider and CFRS including counter checks by senior team member for all calculations.

The Pension Scheme Manager raised her concern at this control and suggested the wording was changed it currently stated that ‘Counter checks by senior team for all calculation’. This was not the case currently the Director of Transformation of the Director of Governance and Commissioning sign-off the amounts once the calculations had been checked and approved by the HR Pay and Pensions Lead. The wording at present implied that the Director of Transformation of the Director of Governance and Commissioning did the calculations when this was not the case. The Chair suggested that the control be re-worded to reference counter checks be signed off by the HR Pay and Pensions Lead followed by sign-off by the senior team.

-     McCloud/Sergeant – Lack of resources to complete any remedy actions. This remained a red risk and an update was provided in the Firefight Pension Scheme Update (minute 5 refers). A further update would be provided in the next item (minute 7 refers).

-     Loss of experienced/knowledgeable staff – This risk had been reduced to amber due to the fact that staff were now in place. The risk could be reduced to green once all the relevant training had been completed.

-     Failure to offer Split Pensions to all eligible staff at a point of retirement. This risk had been reduced to green due to the fact that there had been no further issues. It was the intension to keep on the register as a watching brief.

The Chair requested that an additional box was included in future risk registers showing arrows which identified the state of risk. This was a good visual tool used by other organisations.

RESOLVED: That

[1]      the Firefighter Pension Scheme Risk Register be noted.

[2]      the Administration Failure / Maladministration Risk relating to robust internal checks be reworded in the Risk Register and the revised risk be submitted to the next meeting of the Local Pension Board for approval.

[3]      the HR Pay and Pension Lead include an additional box was included in future risk registers showing arrows which identified the state of risk.