WEMBLEY MATTERS: Overview and Scrutiny

Thursday, 29 May 2014

Scrutinising Brent's Scrutiny Proposals

A Wembley Matters reader has given the proposals on new scrutiny arrangements a little scrutiny and found them wanting. Fiona Ledden's proposal is that Brent should have just one Overview & Scrutiny Committee to replace the current five,

In her report Fiona Ledden writes:

“Five committees is a considerably higher number than most other London councils have following a random survey”

This is illogical. A random survey of how many London Boroughs? A higher number than most other London Boroughs we randomly surveyed? A higher number than most of the 32 London Boroughs? How many other London Boroughs are making do with one OSC? What sort of Boroughs are they that are doing that?

Here are 17 London boroughs. They all have more permanent OSC bodies than Brent is proposing,. All bar one has three or more OSCs and the only that comes close is Ealing, which has an OSC ansd a Standing Commitee on Health.

Southwark:

The overview & scrutiny committee (OSC) is the main co-ordinating scrutiny body. It appoints three scrutiny sub-committees and is responsible for their overall management:

· Education, Children’s Services and Leisure Scrutiny Sub-Committee

· Health, Adult Social Care, Communities and Citizenship Scrutiny Sub-Committee

· Housing, Environment, Transport and Community Safety Scrutiny Sub-Committee

Camden

Three of the scrutiny committees mirror the three service directorates, one covers health scrutiny and the fifth will look at corporate resources, performance and policy together with covering the central departments.

Committee membership

Lambeth

Lambeth council has six scrutiny committees: the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, which oversees and co-ordinates the work of the sub-committees and the scrutiny function in general; and five cross-cutting sub-committees, which cover issues arising from all our services.

Haringey

The Council has an overarching Overview and Scrutiny Committee which is made up of five non-Cabinet Councillors as well as statutory and non statutory co-optees. Councillors sitting on the Committee reflect the political balance of the Council. The Committee is supported in its work by four standing scrutiny panels:

Adults and Health Scrutiny Panel
Children and Young People Scrutiny Panel
Communities Scrutiny Panel
Environment and Housing Scrutiny Panel

Scrutiny panels are made up of between 3 and 7 councillors who are not members of the Cabinet, are chaired by members of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and membership is politically proportional.

Enfield

The Overview & Scrutiny Committee (OSC) coordinates the work of the 6 Scrutiny Panels. Made up of the 6 Chairmen and chaired by the Members and Democratic Services Group Chairman, OSC ensures that the Scrutiny function in Enfield operates smoothly, and organises references from the various panels.

Hounslow

Scrutiny panels

We have three scrutiny panels that oversee the service areas of council business. These are coordinated by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

From time to time, we set up task and finish scrutiny panels to look into specific issues of concern to scrutiny members. These can be service areas or more general policy areas of relevance to the community. Each task and finish panel is set up just to look at one issue, then disbanded.

Select a panel below to get more information about meeting dates, agendas and reports.

Standing scrutiny panels

Housing and environment scrutiny panel

Children and young people scrutiny panel

Health and adults care scrutiny panel

Ealing – one OSC but a standing panel on health

The Overview and Scrutiny Committee is able to set up review panels to consider specific issues. The review panels have a fixed term and have to work to an agreed programme.

Standing panel

Health and Adults Social Services This panel is responsible for scrutinising health services in the borough, as well as the council’s provision of social services for adults. The panel recently considered proposed reforms of hospitals across North West London (the Shaping a Healthier Future programme) as well as the merger of Ealing Hospital Trust with North West London Hospitals Trust, and proposals for reforms to dementia services.

Hackney

Overview and scrutiny board

Made up of the chairs and vice-chairs of the commissions, the overview and scrutiny board coordinates the function and runs special projects to scrutinise council performance.

Scrutiny commissions

Children and young people

We look at all services for children and young people, including those provided by the Hackney Learning Trust and social services.

Community safety and social inclusion

We review issues of crime and community safety. We also look at support for the voluntary sector, community cohesion and adult learning.

Governance and resources

We review the way the council operates, including how the budget is prepared and agreed.

Health in Hackney

We look at all health services, adult social care and services for older people.

Living in Hackney

We have a remit for all housing issues, as well as leisure and culture, planning, sustainability, waste and street cleanliness.

Barnet

At the London Borough of Barnet, there are four Overview and Scrutiny Committees, each with their own Terms of Reference, which sets out their responsibilities and power. These Committees are:

Budget and Performance Overview and Scrutiny Committee

Business Management Overview and Scrutiny Committee

Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee

Safeguarding Overview and Scrutiny Committee

Islington

Scrutiny in Islington

Reviewing decisions

The Policy and Performance Scrutiny Committee is the council’s main scrutiny committee. It coordinates the work of the council's four scrutiny review committees and can play an important role in reviewing decisions made by the Executive. If five or more councillors request such a review, the committee can call in a decision made by the Executive before it is implemented and consider if the decision should be recommended back to the Executive for further consideration. If the Policy and Performance Scrutiny Committee considers that the Executive's decision does not follow the council's policy or budgetary framework, it can refer the decision to a meeting of full Council

Greenwich

Merton

The structure of Overview and Scrutiny at Merton consists of three scrutiny panels and an Overview and Scrutiny Commission.

The three panels each have individual areas of responsibility whilst the Commission supports the panels, oversees the development and delivery of the annual work programme and co-ordinates cross-cutting reviews and responses.

Newham

Scrutiny arrangements differ from council to council. We have an overarching Overview and Scrutiny Committee and five scrutiny commissions:

Richmond

Overview and Scrutiny Committees

We have four Overview and Scrutiny Committees, which meet at least six times a year:

Croydon

Three committees

	Health, Social Care and Housing Scrutiny Sub-Committee
	Scrutiny and Strategic Overview Committee
	Children and Young People Scrutiny Sub-Committee

Hammersmith & Fulham

The four Scrutiny Committees are:

Education and Children's Services Select Committee
Transport, Environment and Residents Services Select Committee
Housing, Health And Adult Social Care Select Committee
Overview & Scrutiny Board

Lewisham

Overview & Scrutiny

Public Accounts Select Committee

Health & Communities Select Committee

Sustainable Develoment Select Committee

Children and Yoing Persons Select Committee

Housing Select Committee

Safter & Stronger Communities Select Committee