An introduction to Scrutiny
The role of Overview and Scrutiny is to look at the services and issues that effect the lives of people in Wigan.
Its about listening to the concerns of local people and to check how the Council and other organisations are performing and where necessary seek improvement.
There are 75 elected Councillors in Wigan. 9 Councillors are portfolio holders and form the Executive. While the Executive makes all the Council’s decisions within the budget and policy framework set by full council, it is the scrutiny function that provides the checks and balances in the political structure. A member of the Cabinet is not allowed to sit on a Scrutiny Committee.
Scrutiny Committee’s comprise of non executive Councillors and are politically balanced. In order to gain the best outcomes for local people, members of Scrutiny Committee's work across political boundaries with a common-sense, objective approach to reviewing council policies which results in informed and considered recommendations for improvement.
Development of Scrutiny Committee Work Programmes
At the beginning of each Municipal Year each Scrutiny Committee agrees a Work Programme for the year.
Topics for inclusion in the work programme may be drawn from a number of sources including:-
- Corporate priotities as identified by Executive Directors/Service Directors
- Suggestions from Elected Members
- Suggestions from Members of the public via Township Forums
- Best Value Performance Indicators
How does it work?
The overview and scrutiny role involves:
Holding the Executive to account
Any Scrutiny Committee Member can ‘call in’ decisions made by the Executive if the decision has not already been implemented. This must be done within five working days of the decision being made. The ‘call in’ process involves a full discussion and consideration of the decision and decision makers may be required to attend to justify their decisions.
A meeting of the appropriate Scrutiny Committee would then be called within fifteen days of the decision to call in. Should a call in cross more than one service area, the Co-ordinating Committee would consider the call in. Following the meeting, the decision could be referred to Council or back to the decision-maker for reconsideration. All key decisions expressed in the Forward Plan are eligible for call in.
Call-in should only be used in exceptional circumstances, where members have evidence which suggests that a decision was not taken in accordance with the principals of decision making (as set out in the constitution).
More information about the rules governing 'call in' can be found by opening the following document:-
Calling In (.pdf, 16kB)
Policy Review and Development
-
Policy review involves the in-depth scrutinising of existing council policies to examine intended policy outcomes and whether these outcomes are being achieved.
-
Policy development involves shaping the formulation of key policies, through examining alternatives set against needs, resources and other issues and making recommendations to the executive.
Review of Council Services
External Scrutiny
Councillor Call for Action (CCfA)
It allows a Councillor to raise an issue in their ward with the Scrutiny Committee, although there are conditions placed on the kinds of issues that can be raised. Councillor Call for Action allows the Committee to consider the request and report back their views to the Councillor concerned.
In all instances, however, the intention is that the Councillor will have tried all other means at their disposal to resolve an issue before raising a Councillor Call for Action. It is not an alternative way to deal with normal ward matters, but a means of last resort to be used when all other avenues have been exhausted.
You can download a copy of Wigan Councils protocol by clicking on the following link:-
Wigan Council's Councillor Call for Action Protocol (.pdf, 39Kb)
Petitions
-
The Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 requires every local authority to have in place a scheme for dealing with petitions. Petitioning is one way that individuals, community groups and organisations can take part in the democratic process. This can be done by raising issues of public concern with the Council and allowing Councillors to consider the need for change within Wigan.
On 14 July 2010 full Council agreed a petition scheme for Wigan. You can download a copy of Wigan Councils scheme by clicking on the following link:-
Wigan Council's petition scheme (.pdf, 36Kb)
Scrutiny does not make policy decisions that are the responsibility of the cabinet. Scrutiny makes recommendations and therefore for those recommendations to be effective they have to be made by a fully involved scrutiny committee backed up by good research and consultation with reasonable conclusions and recommendations.
The Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 added to scrutiny powers and placed a duty on named organisations to co-operate with LAAs and also a duty on these organisations to respond to scrutiny in relation to targets of the LAA with which they are involved, including responsibilities on partner organisations to provide information in response to scrutiny requests, and to have regard to scrutiny recommendations.
Local Strategic Partnership
Local Strategic Partnerships are non-statutory, multi-agency partnerships which bring together the different parts of the public, private, community and voluntary sectors at a local level. Wigan Borough Partnership (WBP) brings a number ofy organisations from all sectors, which are committed to working together to improve quality of life in the Borough of Wigan.
The aim of the Wigan Borough Partnership is to deliver the vision for Wigan set out in the Corporate Strategy 2009-12. The Corporate strategy is the borough’s ‘strategy of strategies’ and aims to improve quality of life for local communities and reduce inequalities by identifying one clear set of long-term priorities for the borough to promote economic, social and environmental well being.
The five priorities identified in the Wigan Corporate Strategy are:-
- Ambitious Communities
- Realising Aspirations
- Living Healthier and Longer Lives
- Strong Communities
- Responsive, Responsible, Efficient and Effective
The Wigan Borough Partnership consists of four thematic partnerships which focus on particular issues of importance to Wigan which are:
- Economy, Environment, Culture and Housing
- Health & Well being
- Building Stronger Communities
- Children, Young People & Families
More information on Wigan Borough Partnership can be found on the Wiganlife (external link) website.
Local Area Agreement
A Local Area Agreement (LAA) is a three year agreement, based on local Sustainable Community Strategies, that sets out the priorities for a local area agreed between Central Government, represented by the Government Office (GO), and a local area, represented by the lead local authority and other key partners through the Local Strategic Partnership (LSP).
LAAs set out a series of targets the council must achieve and the funding streams government will pay to the council to enable it to meet them. As well as national targets negotiated with central government, the LAA includes local targets that are a priority for the local area as set out in the community strategy.
LAAs are structured around 4 blocks.
- An ambitious community: strong skills that meet business needs and supports sustainable local economy, where people can get round more easily (and more sustainably) – and live in affordable homes
- A strong community that provides positive activities for all with improved community confidence, participation and cohesion in safe and sustainabale neighbourhoods
- Living longer with a better quality of life: addressing inequality
- Improved aspirations, attainment and life chances for children and young people (especially those in most disadvantaged communities)
The membership of scrutiny committees comprises elected members from all the political parties allocated to ensure political balance as well as statutory co-opted members and non statutory co-opted members (where appropriate) from other interested groups with particular expertise. Members of the Cabinet do not sit as members of the Committee's but can attend to answer questions that the Committee may raise.
This Committee is concerned with monitoring the work of services involved in health and wellbeing including the work of our health partners.
This Committee is concerned with monitoring the work of services and partners concerned with making neighbourhoods safer and cleaner.
This Committee is concerned with monitoring the work of the Children and Young People’s Service and associated partners.
This committee has responsibility for overseeing a wide range of issues in relation to economic development and regeneration, the built environment, transport, waste management and the work of Wigan and Leigh Culture Trust and Wigan and Leigh Housing.
The primary role of this Committee is to oversee the work of Business Support Services and Chief Executive’s Services, which include, the Council's finance, legal and property functions, revenues and benefits, human resources, procurement, customer services, media and communications and ICT Services. The Committee is also charged with investigating issues, which directly affect the overall performance of the Council and its services.
The scrutiny committees meet six times per year on an eight week cycle.
Scrutiny Committee timetable of meetings (.pdf, 32Kb)
Why were the Committee's established?
The Local Government Act 2000 required all Council's in England and Wales to introduce new political structures which provide a clear role for the Council, the Executive and non executive Councillors. One of the key roles introduced for non executive members is to carry out an overview and scrutiny role for the Council. In essence holding those who make decision to account.
Wigan Council recognises that Scrutiny is a new way of working and will continue to learn from both our own and the experiences of others, to continue to develop this function.
Overview and Scrutiny Annual Report
The Overview and Scrutiny Co-ordinating Committee is tasked with preparing a report each year setting out details of the work it has done along with the work of the other four Scrutiny Committees, and updating the outcomes of the various Select Committee reviews that have been undertaken in previous years.
Scrutiny Select Committees
Scrutiny Select Committees are allocated a project to them by the Overview and Scrutiny Co-ordinating Committee for investigation and reporting back. Each review involves some form of consultation and takes the form of evidence gathering, scrutinising and preparation of a report. Reports will include a list of recommendations.
Reviews only address issues relevant to the wellbeing of the local community and must demonstrate that they will bring added value. Councillors also have the right to appear before Select Committees to give evidence or to express their views.
The Select Committees are currently investigating the following two areas –
Select Committee 1: NEET - Not in Education, Employment or Training
Members: Cllr's P L Holland (Chair), S Dawber, E Russon, W Rotherham, Mrs A Turnock and Mrs M J Whiteside
Select Committee 2 : Alcohol and Substance Misue and the effect on Youth Crime
Members: Cllr's Mrs J Prescott (Chair), Mrs B Bourne, N A Bradbury, R Brierley, J Eccles-Churton, Dr C M Cottam and P A Tushingham
A number of reviews have already been completed. View Select Committee Completed Reviews to find out more details about these.
Attending Meetings
You have the right to attend meetings of the Overview and Scrutiny and Select Committees. Meetings take place in the Town Hall in Wigan. View the Wigan Street Plan to find out where the Town Hall is located.
