Committee details

Within their themed areas, all Scrutiny Committees will:-

 (i) Review decisions made by and the performance of the Council Meeting, the Cabinet, committees and Officers both in relation to individual decisions and over time (but not including Regulatory Decisions)

(ii) Review the performance of the Council in relation to its policy objectives, performance targets and/or particular service areas

(iii) Question members of the Cabinet and Officers about their decisions and performance, whether generally in comparison with service plans and targets over a period of time, or in relation to particular decisions (but not including Regulatory Decisions)

(iv) Make recommendations to the Council Meeting and/or cabinet arising from work undertaken by a Scrutiny Committee

(v) Review the performance of other public bodies in the area and invite reports from them by asking them to address the Scrutiny Committee about their activities and performance

(vi) Question and gather evidence from any person with their consent

(vii) Collaborate with other Scrutiny Committees and other bodies carrying out similar functions outside the Council

(viii) Report to the Council meeting annually on the scrutiny function and their work

(ix) Exercise functions relating to call in and Councillor Call for Action. 

Full Terms of Reference can be found in the Council’s Constitution, Part 3, The Functions Scheme.

An Annual Report is published each year, which takes a look back at the work of the Overview and Scrutiny Committees for the past 12 months. Annual Scrutiny Reports can be accessed on the Annual Scrutiny Reports section of the modern.gov library.

Each year, the Overview and Scrutiny Committees carry out a number of themed reviews within their remit. A review is a large and in-depth piece of work which typically takes an entire municipal year to complete. It is a significant project which cumulates in a review report which sets out a synopsis of the views expressed and evidence gathered, alongside recommendations for improvement.

Scrutiny Review Reports since 2019 can be accessed on the Scrutiny Review Reports section of the modern.gov library. For archive reports, please contact the scrutiny office on 01246 217011.