Overview and Scrutiny at Wychavon

Our Overview and Scrutiny Committee examines all areas of the council's business.

The Overview and Scrutiny Committee has a number of roles within the council. These include:

• Holding the Executive Board to account by thoroughly scrutinising their decisions to ensure that the Council continues to provide the best services possible for Wychavon residents. As part of this role, the Committee has the power to ‘call-in' decisions made by the Executive Board and request that they consider them again, taking into account the issues raised by the Committee. Alternatively, the Committee can ask full Council to review or scrutinise the decision or ask full Council to decide whether or not to recommend the decision be reconsidered.
• Acting as a ‘critical friend' to the Executive Board by reviewing Council policies and strategy, making recommendations where appropriate.
• Overviews of work areas or topics of interest to the Committee and Members of the Council
  Receiving overviews enables the Committee and Members of the Council to obtain a greater level of understanding of items being considered by the Executive or areas of concern they may have.
• Efficiency and Performance monitoring, to ensure the Council services are sustainable and to the highest possible standard.
• Commissioning reviews of services/topics that impact on the Council or on the lives of Wychavon Residents.
• Pre-Scrutiny of items prior to their consideration by the Executive Board.
  This enables the Committee's views and comments to be taken into consideration during the decision-making process, allowing the Committee to influence the work and direction of the Council.

The committee meets two weeks after the Executive Board on Wednesday evenings. Meetings are usually held at the Civic Centre in Pershore. The committee has in the past held meetings in public venues when the issue being discussed has a high level of public interest and remains open to the possibility of doing something similar in the future.

You can read the full Overview and Scrutiny Committee Terms of Reference further down this page.

Suggest a topic for scrutiny

The public are welcome to suggest topics for the committee to consider investigating.

If you have an area you would like the Overview and Scrutiny Committee to look into then please fill in the online Overview and Scrutiny Topic Proposal Form.

Scrutiny reports, agendas and meetings

The Wychavon Scrutiny Library contains a variety of information from detailed scrutiny reports, to meetings dates, agendas and minutes. The Committee's current and previous work programmes are also available.

Please access the information you require by clicking on one of the links below:

• View meeting dates, agendas, minutes and work plans
• Review Overview and Scrutiny Committee Annual Reports
• Read Scrutiny Reports

Overview and Scrutiny Committee Terms of Reference

1. The Overview and Scrutiny Committee is made up of 11 Councillors, politically balanced with representatives from each political group on the Council. Each member of the committee has a vote. Members of the Executive Board may not be Members of Overview and Scrutiny.
   
   
2. The Committee is responsible for: 
   
   • Reviewing the work of the Executive
   • “calling in” decisions of the Executive Board which have been made but not carried out, so that the decision may be looked at again; this will be done by either the Council and/or the Executive Board. (A decision not called-in by the Committee can be implemented 5 working days after the Board made it).
   • Reviewing all areas of the Council’s work (although the Committee cannot change a decision made by another Committee or the Executive Board).
   • Monitoring and co-ordinating the work of the Scrutiny Teams and considering their reports before passing them on to the Executive Board or external bodies.
   • Carrying out work on any “one-off” projects that the Executive Board or Council asks it to do, or it identifies itself.
   • Considering any matter affecting Wychavon or its inhabitants, including reviewing and scrutinising the performance of other public bodies operating in the area.
   • Considering Councillor Calls for Action raised in accordance with the procedures agreed by the Committee from time to time.
   • Acting as the Crime and Disorder Committee to consider Calls for Action raised in accordance with procedures agreed by the Committee from time to time.
   • Working with other Local Authorities where appropriate, to review services jointly.
   • Making recommendations to the Executive/appropriate Committee/Council arising from the outcome of the overview and scrutiny process, including issuing public reports.
     
     
3. In carrying out its work, the Committee may ask Members of the Executive Board and Officers of the Council to appear before it and answer questions on particular subjects. 
   
   
4. The Committee may also ask other people to help it in its work. For example, undertaking public consultation, inviting other individuals/organisations to advise on and contribute to None of these people will be able to vote.
   
   
5. The Committee must make a report annually to the Council on what it has done, which may include recommendations for future working if appropriate. It may make reports to the Executive Board or Council on specific items. These will then be dealt with as outlined in paragraph 2 of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee Procedure rules (see later in this chapter) and paragraph 10 of Chapter 12 (Access to Information) procedure rules.
   
   
6. The Committee usually holds its meetings in public at 15 pm in the Civic Centre, Pershore. On occasions it may meet elsewhere in Wychavon. For details of meetings please contact: The Member Support Team The Civic Centre, Queen Elizabeth Drive Pershore, Worcestershire, WR12 1PT. You can also call 01386 565428 or call in at our Customer Contact Centres in Droitwich and Evesham libraries.

These terms of reference were last reviewed by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 21 April 2009 and updated by Council on 12 May 2009.