How should governing bodies make sense of tall of these? What should governing body members be doing just now? What will the sector look like in 5 years time, or even this time next year? What changes might take place and what will it mean for individual RSL's? Clearly, there are a raft of drivers for change and perhaps the most important thing to remember is that they will affect different RSL's in different ways. For example, an RSL that does not develop is unlikely to be troubled by reductions in HAG targets. Similarly, an RSL that does not provide care or support services will not be exposed too much to the risk of future tendering of supporting people grant-funded services by local authorities.
There are a number of factors that will, of course, affect all RSL's in one way or another. Pension fund deficits, housing benefit reform, interest rate rises and changes in regulation will affect every RSL in Scotland to different degrees.
Governing bodies therefore require to understand these external factors and more importantly, understand the likelihood and impact that future changes will have on the respective organisation. A robust Risk Management system is a must for RSL's. This is not merely looking at a risk map every 6 months, it is a culture change where risk is understood and used in the RSL's decision-making process.
Governing body members should be asking themselves:
Do we know what the risks to our organisations are?
Do we have a system in place to understand these?
How are these risks managed and mitigated?
Is it used in all of our decision making processes?
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