Lambeth Council's Audit and Risk Committee has reviewed a range of reports highlighting financial and safety concerns across various council services. The committee, which met on Thursday, July 23, 2026, was presented with updates on the council's risk register, as detailed in the Public reports pack.
A key concern identified in the Directorate Risk Register presentation was the council's financial sustainability. Lambeth Council is operating within a challenging financial environment and has required exceptional financial support to maintain its financial stability due to underlying pressures, including demand-led services and the scale of savings and transformation required over the medium term. The report notes that this requirement for exceptional financial support does not, in itself, indicate a failure of governance or internal control,
and that core financial governance, planning, and monitoring arrangements are in place and generally operating effectively, with evidence of strengthened oversight and improved grip on financial management.
Beyond financial matters, the committee also discussed risks related to emergency planning, health and safety compliance, and potential violence against residents. Councillors raised questions about the clarity and comprehensiveness of risk reporting, particularly regarding the scoring of risks and the need for consistent information across different reports.
One specific point of discussion involved the scoring of risks. A councillor noted an inconsistency where 'failure to maintain emergency planning and business continuity arrangements' was scored as an 'eight' (medium) in the Directorate Risk Register Presentation, but as a 'six' (high) in a previous report. The response was that this specific point would be taken back to review the rationales for the differing scores.
Regarding the 'potential violence against residents' risk, a councillor questioned whether specific cohorts such as anti-immigration and anti-LGBTQ+ communities should be explicitly mentioned, suggesting that violence against women and girls and refugees should be specifically recognized as potential issues within the borough. The response indicated that the specific rationales for risk scoring would be taken back for review, and that consistent information across reports would be beneficial.
Furthermore, a councillor commented that they found it difficult to comment on the plans and actual controls in place because they were not split into what was currently in place versus what was planned. This suggests a need for improved clarity and comprehensiveness in how risks and their mitigation are reported. The response to this feedback was to take that back and just the rationales to why we've thought that slightly differently
and that having that consistent information would have been probably better through that process.
Specifically, 'financial sustainability' was identified as a key risk. In terms of safety, 'health and safety compliance' and 'potential violence against residents' were flagged. The report also noted that control effectiveness is not yet consistent across all areas, particularly in a number of demand-led and operationally complex services.
The Internal Audit Annual Report and Opinion 2025/26 also stated that control effectiveness is not yet consistent across all areas, particularly in demand-led and operationally complex services.
