(Previously known as the Performance and Strategy Scrutiny Committee.)

Scrutiny (also known as Overview and Scrutiny) is vital to the work of the Council and its partners.  It helps to develop policy, improve the performance of the Council, and holds the Cabinet and Portfolio Holders to account for their decisions.  Scrutiny looks at Council services as well as services provided by other local agencies and organisations.  There are currently 5 formal scrutiny committees all with a membership of 10 councillors.

Scrutiny Committees are made up of non-executive councillors (councillors who are not on the Cabinet).  They work in a variety of formal and informal ways to gather evidence from officers, the Cabinet, service users, expert witnesses, the public and external partners on particular issues and topics.  At the conclusion of their work, they can make recommendations to the Cabinet and Portfolio Holders about how to improve services for local people.

Outcomes that the Committee is responsible for:

·       Setting the Strategic Scrutiny Work Programme and commissioning work to deliver it to the appropriate Overview Committee

·       Monitoring the corporate health and performance of the Council, based on exception reporting

·       Monitoring the delivery of the Council’s Strategic Action Plans

·       Review of and contribution to the development of the Council’s Financial Strategy and annual budgets

·       Review of the achievement of value for money in terms of the balance between the cost and quality of service

·       Review of the arrangements for, and use of data from, customer feedback, insight and experience

·       Monitoring the impacts of key projects and initiatives delivered by the Council (including Public Health) such as those in the Strategic Action Plans

·       Call-in of decisions 

Service Areas Covered: 

·    HR and Development

·    Financial strategy

·    IT/Digital Transformation Plan

·    Commercial working and use of assets

·    Balance of cost and quality

·    Customer feedback, insight and experience

Portfolios Covered:

·   Leader of the Council

·  Corporate Support

·  Finance