What is Overview and Scrutiny?
Overview and Scrutiny is one of the roles undertaken by councillors that are not a member of the Cabinet.
Overview and Scrutiny helps to inform the Council’s decision making and policy development, and drive improvement in public services. It does this by monitoring the work of the council and making recommendations on the way services are provided.
Use the links below for each scrutiny committee to:
- find dates of Scrutiny Committee meetings (use the links on the left for the the committee page you are interested in)
- read agendas, minutes and reports considered at committee meetings (located on left hand menu of the committee page)
- view work programmes for each of the Scrutiny Committees
- find who is on each Overview and Scrutiny Committee
- read full reports from reviews carried out by the Scrutiny Committees.
Each year we publish an Annual Report and work programmes detailing our achievements over the past twelve months and plans for the year ahead.
Read on for more general information about the Overview and Scrutiny role.
How Scrutiny Works
The Overview and Scrutiny Board co-ordinates the work of the Scrutiny Committees and develops links with other aspects of the Council's improvement activity and the scrutiny work of other Local Authorities.
The Overview and Scrutiny Board is chaired by Councillor Frank Taylor (Labour).
The four Scrutiny Committees are:
Audit and Corporate Governance Scrutiny Committee
Economic Regeneration, Skills and Environment Scrutiny Committee
Healthy Communities and Well Being Scrutiny Committee
Safer Homes and Neighbourhoods Scrutiny Committee
What does Overview and Scrutiny do?
Each of the Scrutiny Committees has a work programme setting out what it will be considering during 2009/10. The Committees undertake this work in a number of different ways, including:
- Consultation on key plans, policies and strategies – for key plans and strategies, Scrutiny Committees are provided with an early opportunity to input to their development. Committees offer critical friend challenge to the policy proposals and to the process by which they are being developed.
- Performance management and monitoring – Scrutiny Committees have a role to play in monitoring and challenging progress against action plans developed following Value for Money Commissions.
- Scrutiny Reviews - Scrutiny Reviews provide the Scrutiny Committees with an opportunity to undertake in-depth investigations into issues affecting the Council or the District.Reviews are usually conducted be a small working group (the Review Panel).As part of the review, the Review Panels collect evidence from a number of sources.These can include:
- Discussions with witnesses (including council officers, service users or representatives of outside bodies)
- Written submissions
- Site visits
- Examining good practice
- Research
Once evidence is gathered, the Review Panel will submit it's findings in a written report to the relevant Scrutiny Committee. It is then forwarded to the Overview and Scrutiny Board and the Cabinet to decide what action they wish to take on the recommendations. Scrutiny members closely monitor progress on the implementation of the review recommendations.
2010/11 Scrutiny Reviews -
- Equalities and Diversity
- Community Partnerships
- Planning Decision Making
Previous Scrutiny Reviews
Please find below a list of all Scrutiny Reviews undertaken since 2008/09. Further details are available by following the relevant links.
2009/10 Scrutiny Reviews:
- Economic Downturn
- Neighbourhood Responsiveness
- Sickness Absence Management
- Procurement (shared procurement unit)
Scrutiny reviews undertaken in 2008/09:
How can you get involved?
Attend Meetings – Scrutiny meetings are open to the public and you can listen to the debate and discussion. They are generally held in the Council Offices, as well as other locations in the District.
Consultation – You could be asked your views on an issue or be invited to provide any specialist knowledge you may have by being a witness in a scrutiny review or becoming a non-voting co-opted member.
Raise issues – if you wish to bring something to the attention of scrutiny then contact the Scrutiny Office using the details at the foot of this page.
Councillor Call for Action - the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 introduced a new provision for Local ward Councillors to champion issues of community concern.
Please see the guidance notes below for further information on the Councillor Call for Action scheme.
Downloads
Annual Report of Overview and Scrutiny for the 2009/10 year. (43.6 KB)
Scrutiny Review - Sickness Absence Management, August 2009 (70.8 KB)
A copy of the Council's plan to improve and develop the Overview and Scrutiny function. (34.0 KB)
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