Risk Management

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead has a formal series of processes that it uses to identify, assess and control the threats to achieving its objectives - or seize those opportunities that may arise.

It is important to remember that any change involves risk and there are risks inherent in any decision, however small those risks might be. The Council is embarking on an ambitious programme to improve the way we provide services and top deliver excellence to our citizens. These changes may involve a high level of risk - but the opportunities outweigh the threats.


Risk Management is a modern management technique that we use to effectively manage potential opportunities and threats to achieving our objectives - whether that's implementing a project, taking action on a business plan or achieving the outcomes of a service improvement plan.


Risk Management is not about taking no risks at all - it is about being able to take bigger risks - but, calculated and controlled risks to improve the services our public receives. If we only ever looked on the negative side of things we might have difficulty persuading anyone to embark on a new course of action but a structured approach to risk taking will help us with our decision making by highlighting areas of concern and of benefit for all to see.


All facets of the Council's Delivering Excellence programme will include assessments of the risks to achieving success. This means that shocks and crises can be minimised.


The Council's "Risk, Managed" Toolkit is used for the risk assessment process.

•   Risk Managed Toolkit (pdf 343kb)

A one page Summary of the process is available here:

•   Risk Managed Summary (pdf 24kb)

An example of the type of blank Assessment form used in the process is here:

•   Risk Managed Assessment Form (pdf 22kb)

The Council's Risk Management Strategy also requires that an annual report on progress in Risk Management is made to Cabinet. Since last year's report, steady progress continues to be made - particularly in the areas of service delivery planning and major projects. The Strategy is here.

•   RBWM Risk Management Strategy (pdf 83kb)

The Council's Risk Management Statement is summarised here:

•   RBWM Risk Management Statement - Summary (pdf 10kb)

The Council also requires its support providers to take the necessary steps to identify their own risks as part of their own strategic processes. By this the Council can increase its confidence in partnership dealings with organisations that have shown they have a clear and transparent approach to risk. The draft standard can be found here:

•   Draft Standards for Support Providers (pdf 9kb)

Details of the Action Plan for Risk Assessment for Voluntary and Small Providers can be found here:

•   Voluntary Providers Risk Assessment Action Plan (pdf 6kb)