Agenda item

4          Scrutiny Work Programme 2024/25 – Selection of In Depth Topic Reviews

The Select Committee received a report presenting proposals for the scrutiny work programme for 2024/25 for consideration and approval by Executive Scrutiny Committee.

In previous years, it had been the practice for the Chair of Executive Scrutiny Committee to write to all Members in January each year to invite suggestions for in-depth scrutiny review topics. The suggestions received were prioritised by the Scrutiny Team using the PICK scoring system. The topic suggestions were reported to Scrutiny Liaison Forum (comprising Cabinet Members, Select Committee Chairs and CMT). Finally, Executive Scrutiny Committee as the decision-making body, set the priorities and programme for the year ahead, allocating in-depth reviews to individual Select Committees.

Over the years, efforts were made to ensure that topics selected aligned with the priorities of the Council and this was reflected in the prioritisation of the topics by Members. In 2009, cross-party support had been secured to devoting the entire scrutiny work programme to support a three-year programme of EIT (Efficiency, Improvement & Transformation) reviews. The programme included Member-led scrutiny reviews alongside officer-led work. The programme delivered significant savings and transformation and ensured that all Members were able to input into reviews and influence decision making.

A similar approach was now proposed in relation to the Council’s Powering our Futures Programme (including transformation reviews). The Chair of the Committee had communicated this proposal to all Members and at the same time invited Members to advise of any urgent matter, or any issue already listed on the programme, that they felt should still be reviewed in 2024/25.

Work on the new topics would commence at the conclusion of reviews that were already underway. Other reviews on the current scrutiny work programme would be deferred until the following year and the merits of completing that work revisited at that time.

Members queried how the topics related to the Powering our Futures Programme and were advised that that the topics proposed were discrete elements which would benefit from a deeper dive within the wider areas of work. Engagement with communities would be central to work on each review and linked to the Communities Powering our Futures work.

AGREED That the following areas are approved for review as part of the 2024/25 Scrutiny Work Programme:

Adult Social Care and Health Select Committee           

•           Reablement Service

Children and Young People Select Committee

            •           HAF

•           Corporate Parenting

Crime and Disorder Select Committee

            •           Welcoming Town Centres/ Feeling Safe

People Select Committee  

•           Disabled Facilities Grants

Place Select Committee    

•           Affordable Housing