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17 September 2020 - Minutes of the meeting of the Board of Commissioners

Location: Virtual meeting by Skype

Commissioners:

  • Bill Moyes (Chair)
  • Terry Babbs
  • John Baillie
  • Brian Bannister
  • Carol Brady
  • Stephen Cohen
  • Jo Hill
  • Trevor Pearce
  • Catharine Seddon

In attendance:

  • Neil McArthur
  • Sarah Gardner
  • Tamsin Morgan
  • Paul Hope
  • Tim Miller
  • Helen Venn
  • (REDACTED) (Board Secretary)
  • (REDACTED) (Legal)
  • (REDACTED)
  • Natalie Prosser (in-coming General Counsel, observing) plus attendees for specific items as listed below
  • (REDACTED)
  • Chair Advisory Board for Safer Gambling (ABSG)
  • (REDACTED)
  • Chair, Digital Advisory Panel (DAP) (item 1)

Apologies:

  • John Tanner
  • Richard Watson

Welcome, apologies and declarations of interest

The Chair noted apologies from John Tanner and Richard Watson.

There were no declarations of interest.

Part A: Strategy discussion

1. Update on Advisory Panel work and future plans

The Chair welcomed the Chairs of the ABSG and DAP to the meeting.

The Chair of ABSG gave an update to the Board, noting the progress made since her last visit to Board (including the credit card ban, extension of GAMSTOP, changes to LCCP regarding customer interaction, and the work to create an experts by experience panel.

(REDACTED)

The Chair of the DAP gave an update to Board. The Panel is working more across the Commission and has changed the way in which it works, with regular meetings now scheduled for every six weeks to be more hands on, advising on a wider area of work rather than focusing on set pieces. The DAP sees their key priorities for the coming months as game design, AdTech and the single customer view.

(REDACTED)

The Chair thanked the ABSG and DAP Chairs and asked them to pass on the Board’s thanks to their respective Groups. The Board would welcome further, more regular updates and asked both Advisory Group Chairs to highlight as and when they might need more administrative help from the Commission.

Action: Governance team to add update from Advisory Boards for Board Forward look.

2. Strategic response to current challenges

Officials presented a status update on key areas of work.

(REDACTED)

Part B: Items for decision

3. Minutes, actions, forward look and Chair’s business

The Board approved the minutes of the 18 June Board (including the closed session) and 4 August Board with no amendments.

There were no comments on the actions log, forward look or Chair’s business.

4. Customer interaction consultation

The Board noted the paper.

(REDACTED)

5. Assurance statements

The Board noted the paper.

(REDACTED)

Part C: Items for information and discussion

6. Corporate risk appetite and new risk register

The Board noted the changes to the risk appetite matrix, risk scoring matrix and Corporate Risk Register, key points as follows:

On risk appetite

Audit and Risk Committee had confirmed at their last meeting that the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) and Board were generally aligned, and SLT has moved to Board appetite in the one area of divergence.

Risk score matrix

This has now been updated and embeds risk escalation from Finance and Performance Group to SLT to Audit and Risk Committee.

Corporate Risk Register (CRR)

There is a new template and the framework is much improved. As part of the meeting restructure, SLT will be accountable for programme risks and which risks are escalated to the CRR.

Action: In depth scrutiny of individual risks to be added to Board forward look.

The Board then went on to discuss the financial report.

(REDACTED)

7. Chief Executive’s Quarterly Report

The Board noted the report.

The CEO highlighted the excellent work of the Facilities Manager in reopening the office safely.

Action: On behalf of the Board, the Chair to thank the Facilities Manager for his efforts in managing the safe return to the office post lockdown.

8. Any Other Business, including review of the meeting

There no other business.

Review of the meeting:

  • it was agreed that the conversation on strategy was extremely helpful and that the Board would welcome a half day Strategy workshop in the near future to focus on a deeper and broader discussion and the Board’s collective ambition on strategy
  • it was agreed that the Financial report should be an above the line item at all Board meetings
  • more time requested on substantial agenda items at future Board meetings with a lunch break to allow for a better focused session thereafter
  • committee update reports to be assurance reports from Committee Chairs from now on.

Action: Governance to reformat paper template and guidance to cover assurance, and to consider provision for strategy workshops on the Board forward look.

Part D: Items for information and discussion by exception only

The Board noted all Committee update reports with no further comments.

The Finance report was discussed separately after agenda item 6.

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