Background and context
Halton Borough Council is a unitary authority in Cheshire, with 54 councillors elected across 18 wards following boundary changes implemented in 2021. The Council elects by thirds, with one‑third of seats contested each year over a four‑year cycle. Politically, Halton is a Labour‑controlled authority, with Labour holding 50 of the 54 seats following the 2024 local elections. This longstanding political stability has shaped the Council’s governance culture.
The Council’s recent Corporate Peer Challenge identified governance arrangements as an area of improvement, and so it became a corporate priority and a significant opportunity to strengthen governance. A training programme with CfGS has started the journey to refresh and improve scrutiny practices at Halton. The training focused on building a shared understanding of scrutiny across the organisation. This included three development sessions delivered with CfGS’s support, tailored to different audiences: elected members, Cabinet/executive members, and senior officers. Sessions focused on the fundamentals of scrutiny, including its role within the governance system, how it adds value to decision-making, and how different parts of the organisation interact with scrutiny.
This work represents the beginning of a longer-term programme of governance improvement, as opposed to a single intervention. Rather than being technical or procedural, the emphasis was on mindset, culture and understanding, creating a platform on which more detailed development and reform can now be built.
External feedback from a range of inspection and assurance bodies, including peer review and audit, provided a clear mandate for change and helped to create organisational momentum. The focus on scrutiny has therefore been positioned not as an isolated project, but as part of a broader commitment to improving governance, accountability, and organisational effectiveness across the Council.
Challenges and opportunities
Challenges
- Governance processes lacked clarity, particularly around the respective roles of Cabinet, scrutiny committees and senior officers.
- The Council has not had a dedicated Scrutiny team in a number of years, and so elected members and relevant officers have not had tailored scrutiny support.
This meant that scrutiny was often seen primarily as part of the formal decision‑making process rather than as a distinct space for challenge, learning and improvement. While scrutiny was taking place, it was not always clearly understood as a value‑adding governance function in its own right. In some cases, it was perceived more as a procedural step or gateway within the decision process, rather than as a mechanism for constructive challenge, critical reflection and policy development. This created a need to reset expectations and understanding across both members and officers.
Opportunities
- The refresh offered a chance to redefine scrutiny’s purpose, strengthen accountability, and improve decision‑making.
- Elected members are keen to set new goals and practice better scrutiny.
- A committed senior leadership team was ready to reset expectations and behaviours.
- CfGS and LGA support provided external challenge, expertise, and facilitation.
Halton Council was keen to reposition scrutiny as a positive and constructive force within the organisation; not as a barrier to progress, but as a tool for improving policy quality, strengthening services, and delivering better outcomes for residents. Early engagement showed growing interest in scrutiny as a meaningful and engaging area of governance, helping to shift perceptions and build momentum for longer‑term reform.
Initiatives and actions taken
- Further training and development from the CfGS and LGA for all elected members and senior officers.
- Senior leaders reinforced the message that scrutiny is a core part of good governance, not an optional add‑on.
- Scrutiny members began making better use of task and finish groups for complex scrutiny topics.
- Working closely with the Council’s Scrutiny Co-ordinator and Leader to ensure alignment of the Scrutiny – Cabinet relationship, and any changes that may be implemented.
Alongside formal training, the Council has begun laying the foundations for longer‑term cultural and structural change. This included creating space for open discussion about scrutiny across political and officer leadership, building shared ownership of reform, and embedding scrutiny within wider governance improvement plans. Early work has also focused on aligning scrutiny development with corporate priorities and external recommendations, ensuring that scrutiny reform is integrated into broader organisational change rather than operating in isolation.
Outcomes and impact
Early results
- The training has aided the Council in starting the discussion around scrutiny, aligning elected members and senior officers to think about their individual and collective role in ensuring good governance.
Emerging impact
- Officers report a clearer understanding of scrutiny’s purpose and how to support it.
- The Council is developing a more open and learning‑oriented governance culture.
This emerging culture is characterised by greater openness to challenge, increased willingness to reflect on practice, and a growing recognition that scrutiny is a shared responsibility rather than the sole domain of scrutiny committees. It is beginning to feel more collaborative, with officers and members engaging more constructively in governance discussions. While this is still developing, it feels like a culture is growing, that values learning, improvement and collective accountability. Progress is being supported by leadership commitment, external challenge, and structured development, while the main constraint remains the need for time, consistency and sustained focus to embed long‑term change.
Top tips
- Involve Scrutiny Co-ordinator, Chairs and Leader of the Council from the outset.
- Work closely with other relevant bodies such as the Local Government Association, to compliment the training and support provided by CfGS.
- Secure senior leadership sponsorship early to create organisational legitimacy and momentum.
- Treat scrutiny development as part of wider governance reform, not a standalone project.
- Create space for reflection and learning, not just procedural change.
- Build change gradually and sustainably rather than through rapid structural reform.
Lessons learned
- Clear process is essential to have effective scrutiny, for example roles and responsibilities must be fully understood.
- Governance changes take time, and there is no quick fix.
- Scrutiny should be member led, and so organising training sessions must be flexible to meet the varied needs of all members.
- Scrutiny reform is as much about culture and behaviour as it is about structures and processes.
- Shared understanding must be built across members and officers, not assumed.
- External challenge can be a powerful catalyst for change when combined with internal leadership commitment.
- Early investment in awareness and understanding creates good foundations for sustainable long‑term reform.
Future directions
Halton Borough Council is committed to sustaining and building on this progress. Planned next steps include:
- Development and implementation of a Scrutiny-Cabinet Protocol
- Improved reporting procedures, including templates and quality assurance.
- Continued member development, including a focus on work programming
- Ongoing evaluation, using feedback loops and external reviews to monitor the effectiveness of any new arrangements
These efforts will help ensure that scrutiny remains a robust, respected, and influential part of Halton’s governance framework.
Sustained progress will depend on continued leadership commitment and the systematic embedding of scrutiny within corporate governance arrangements. The way in which scrutiny is structured, supported and integrated into governance frameworks will be critical to ensuring momentum is maintained beyond the initial training phase.
Ongoing engagement with external partners, routine evaluation of scrutiny arrangements, continuous development of members and officers, and alignment with inspection and assurance frameworks will ensure that scrutiny reform remains active, visible and strategically prioritised. The Council’s ambition is to secure scrutiny as a core and enduring feature of organisational culture and governance practice, rather than a time-limited improvement initiative.
NOTE
At CfGS, we support local government improvement by working closely with councils to highlight the great work being done including case studies of recent improvement activity funded by Government.
As part of this support, we produce case studies to share the lessons learned from these projects, helping other authorities benefit from the insights gained. These case studies are a collaborative effort between CfGS and the councils involved, and while they provide valuable perspectives, they are not formal evaluations of the work’s impact. Instead, they aim to inspire and inform other authorities with real examples of progress that can have a wider impact across the sector.
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