Overview and Scrutiny Committee

What is Overview and Scrutiny?

Overview and Scrutiny plays a vital role in the decision-making and policy development processes at Worthing Borough Council.

The Committee is responsible for holding the Cabinet to account and to help develop new policies. They, therefore, monitor decisions taken by the Cabinet Members and examine the provision of services supplied by Council departments, contractors and external agencies within the Borough.

Operating rather like Select Committees in the House of Commons, the Committee's work falls into three broad areas:

1. Call-In

The Overview and Scrutiny Committee is charged with ensuring that the decisions taken by the Cabinet are appropriate and within the Council's policy framework. If any three Members of the Council who are not members of the Cabinet, feel that a decision is inappropriate they can "call the decision in" after it has been made to prevent the decision taking immediate effect. The Committee can then interview the Cabinet or Cabinet Member or Council Officers and make recommendations to the decision maker suggesting improvements to the decision.

2. Policy Reviews

The Committees carry out detailed, evidence-based assessments of Council services or issues which affect the lives of local people. At the end of the inquiry the Committee produces a report and makes recommendations to the Cabinet and other partner agencies as to how things could be improved. During the course of reviews, Councillors speak to Council Officers and external witnesses to assist them in their information gathering.

3. Scrutiny of Council Documents

Much of the work of the Scrutiny Committees involves the detailed examination of key Council documents. The budget, the Corporate Plan and the Best Value Performance Plan have all come under scrutiny in the last year and the process will be expanded over the coming year.

General duties and responsibilities:

1. To develop and review policy.
2. To hold the Cabinet to account.
3. To undertake Best Value Reviews.
4. To investigate and consider any particular areas of policy or service delivery that they determine and to make recommendations on them to the Council, the Cabinet or a Chief Officer.
5. To review and comment upon decisions of the Cabinet and proposed policies.
6. To make reports or recommendations to the Council or to the Cabinet with respect to the discharge of any functions which are the responsibility of the Cabinet or which are not the responsibility of the Cabinet.
7. To make reports or recommendations to the Council or the Cabinet on matters which affect the Council's area or the inhabitants of the area.

For minutes and agendas from the Overview & Scrutiny Committee visit: Overview & Scrutiny Committee Minutes and Agendas

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