Optivo are one of the largest housing providers in the UK and a member of the G15 group of London’s largest housing associations. They have over 45,000 homes across London, the South East and the Midlands, giving 90,000 people somewhere affordable to call their own.
Embedding Risk Management
Richard Johnson, Head of Risk and Assurance for Optivo has been using JCAD’s risk management software, CORE, since joining in 2019.
The tool itself has been in use at the organisation for many years prior. Risk management at Optivo is well embedded with new starters receiving risk management training. Within this training, guidance is provided on the use of JCAD CORE. Risks within Optivo are split into 2 categories, strategic and operational risks. Strategic risks are owned by the Executive Team and the operational risks by the Leadership Team. This top-level involvement in risk management is key when embedding risk management within any organisation. In addition to management, Optivo has approximately 160 users.
Aiding decision making
Through the successful utilisation of the CORE ERM software, Optivo can use risk intelligence to not only drive day to day decision making but also longer-term strategy. For example, determining both the upside and downside risk attached to strategic proposals allows for the objective, disciplined assessment of the value of that potential investment. JCAD CORE has assisted by helping balance decision making based on the importance of the goal and the opportunities available to be gained against the risks involved and can assist in mitigating the risks to a more acceptable level too.
Proportionality
Proportionality is a key tenet of risk management. Ensuring your controls are proportionate to the risks being managed can save you time, money, and resources. A risk with either a high probability of occurrence, a high impact, or both, must be effectively
risk managed and therefore potentially a greater weight of risk response applied. Those risks with lower probabilities and impacts may require less oversight and therefore potentially less controls applied. Ensuring that your resources are appropriately directed will enhance your efficiency.
Benefits of JCAD CORE
Aids Business Decisions
Risk intelligence will aid not only day to day decisions but also longer-term business strategy.
Proportionality
Ensuring risks are controlled proportionately will allow for more efficient use of resources, saving time and money.
Reporting
Optivo utilises many bespoke reports in JCAD CORE that can be produced quickly and easily. Optivo has created an assurance map report showing all strategic and operational risks and their corresponding controls and sources assurance; both of which are recorded against their corresponding line of defence. A great pictorial representation of assurance across a business.
Accessibility
Using web based JCAD CORE means that the system is available to everyone, wherever they are. There are no spreadsheets being stored on desktops with version control issues. It also assists with consolidation and prioritising risks which if using Excel would be significantly more difficult.
Regulations
JCAD CORE helps with Optivo’s legal and statutory obligations.
‘JCAD has significantly progressed risk management thinking across the organisation. The quality and value of risk intelligence is such that it has helped drive assurance, decision making and the servicing of our mandatory legal and regulatory obligations.’
Richard Johnson, Head of Business Risk and Assurance, Optivo