The Council is required to have an overview
and scrutiny function which:
·
Provides 'critical friend' challenge and holds to account the
executive policy and decision makers
·
Drives improvement, finds efficiencies and new ways of delivering
services
·
Enables the voice and concerns of the public and its communities to
be heard
·
Will be carried out by councillors in an apolitical and
non-partisan manner and who lead and own the scrutiny process.
The Overview and Scrutiny Commission (OSC) is
a non-partisan committee made up non-Cabinet councillors and is
politically representative of the Council.
The OSC can establish scrutiny panels to carry
out in-depth, time-limited reviews on a particular issue, policy or
service provided by the Council or other local bodies.
However, scrutiny and its panels cannot deal
with:
·
Individual complaints
·
Individual decisions made by regulatory committees i.e. Planning
and Licensing Committees.
A scrutiny panel decides what to examine and
what information might be needed during its review, including
witnesses and site visits.
Investigations are carried out and recommendations produced through
evidence gathering. A final report of
the panel, including the recommendations, is considered by the OSC
before being sent for approval by the Cabinet or Full Council.
Getting involved in scrutiny gives you an
opportunity to tell us what issues are important to you and to help
make a difference.
You can suggest a topic by contacting your
ward councillor.