Tag: better scrutiny
Long read: scrutiny in committee system authorities
Discussion on scrutiny in committee system authorities; how to make it work and associated challenges to consider.
Health scrutiny and the NHS’s current pressures
[UPDATE: new arrangements for scrutiny of substantial variations in local health services came into force in January 2024. You can find more details here]. Over the past few months we have been working to better understand how the arrangements for scrutiny of health and care services will be changed by the 2022 Act. In particular, […]
Time to think about member induction!
An outline of how CfGS can support member induction.
Improving Scrutiny: From the perspective of a new Democratic Services Officer by Charlotte Cameron, Democratic Services Officer, Peterborough City Council
Improving Scrutiny: From the perspective of a new Democratic Services Officer When I started my role as a Democratic Services Officer, in the April of this year, I was starting my first role in a local authority. As a fresh, wide eyed new starter I had little idea of how important my role as a […]
Improving Scrutiny: working with our Members- by the Scrutiny Team at Essex County Council
As practitioners, we are always keen to develop and improve scrutiny here at Essex County Council, whilst also being mindful to ensure that we remain Member-led. We were, then, really pleased when our Scrutiny Board members asked us to complete a short, focussed review on the effectiveness of the function earlier this year. By way […]
BLOG: Look After Yourselves People, by Helen Mitchell – Interim Manager/Consultant in policy at Oxfordshire County Council
Look After Yourselves People I write this blog a few short weeks after World Mental Health Day – a day to advocate for, and signpost to, a greater understanding and appreciation for mental health and how we can all take active steps to improve it. I’ll share in this blog how colleagues within Scrutiny are […]
Statutorily the same? By Camilla de Bernhardt Lane
It feels like a different world in which the Department formally known as MHCLG published the statutory guidance for councils and combined authorities on the 7th May 2019. For those of us who have inhabited the Scrutiny Sphere for some time there were few surprises. However, the realistic approach with a smattering of helpful suggestions […]
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion By Annette Aiken & Natalie Rotherham Recent worldwide events and campaigns have shone a light onto the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and intersectionality arenas. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion are three separate, but interlinked issues. They are frequently considered together, and commonly referred to as ‘EDI’. EDI is becoming increasingly important to […]
Scrutiny and the cost of living
Although the cost of living crisis is dominating political conversation this week – especially in light of the rise of the energy price cap – for us in local government this is a crisis that has been going on for years now. For more than a decade councils have had to grapple with the challenges […]
Our annual survey
We have now published our annual survey of overview and scrutiny in local government – the definitive picture of scrutiny’s effectiveness in the first year post-pandemic. You can read a summary of the key findings here – https://www.cfgs.org.uk/resource/what-makes-for-effective-scrutiny-excerpt-from-the-cfgs-annual-survey-2021 . The full report can be read here – https://www.cfgs.org.uk/resource/cfgs-annual-survey-2021-22. The findings are perhaps unsurprising – reflecting […]