Agenda item

The Chair of the Scrutiny Management Committee (SMC) will attend the meeting to learn about the Scrutiny Committee’s views on the effectiveness of scrutiny generally in York and specifically on the success of ongoing changes and improvements to current scrutiny practices. This will help inform SMC in its efforts to improve the experience of scrutiny at work in York.

The Chair of the Scrutiny Management Committee attended the meeting to learn about the Scrutiny Committee’s views on the effectiveness of scrutiny generally in York and in particular on the success of ongoing changes and improvements to current scrutiny practices. He explained that he was attending all Scrutiny Committee meetings to enable him to collate views for submission to the Scrutiny Management Committee on 28 February 2011.

Members outlined the following as their views on the effectiveness of scrutiny with some members confirming that they would forward their comments by email:

·        The scrutiny process was far too complicated and bureaucratic in particular in relation to the registration of topics

·        Scrutiny in York was not functioning well owing to it being totally under resourced with only 2 dedicated Scrutiny Officers

·        An understanding of why an Executive may not want the scrutiny function to work effectively – but this should be seen as a weakness

·        Too much obsession with looking at scrutiny as topic issues. Pointed out that this was only one role of scrutiny the other major function was to hold the Executive to account.

·        Executive Members did not always attend Scrutiny meetings

·        Other Members felt that the method of submitting topics was not over bureaucratic as there had to be a structure in place but agreement that holding the Executive to account did not work at all well

·        Reference to the CPA Corporate Assessment in January 2008 which had targeted scrutiny in York as an area of concern but this made no difference to how issues were scrutinised

·        Concerns that the number of topics scrutinised had diminished over the years

·        Members and officers did not take scrutiny or the Scrutiny Management Committee seriously

·        Appeared that recommendations from completed topics were not always taken forward and if scrutiny was to be taken seriously recommendations must be implemented

·        One positive aspect was the relationship that the Health Scrutiny Committee had built and maintained with their partners and stakeholders

·        Members were aware of a number of registered topics which had not been undertaken for a variety of reasons which included staffing issues

·        Timing of meetings of Executive Member Decision Sessions and scrutiny meetings which caused difficulties in scrutinising issues

·        Reference to scrutiny previously undertaken within the authority and to the placing of the scrutiny function in Democratic Services with the possible conflict of interest.

·        Prescribed outcomes with the recommendations of scrutiny reviews having to fit a report format rather than the final report fitting the findings which is was felt would be of more value

·        Concern that it sometimes appeared that scrutiny committees were used as a dumping ground for certain issues eg performance reports. Considered that these reports should be considered by the Executive

·        Considered that there was a place for Health scrutiny as it was believed that a lot of work undertaken by the Committee was very useful in ensuring that the authority had an input into health services

The Chair of the Scrutiny Management Committee confirmed that he felt members should own scrutiny and that it was a failure of members to engage with scrutiny in York. He also raised concerns at the under spent current years’ scrutiny budget.

RESOLVED:             That member’s’ comments be incorporated into the SMC report.

REASON:                  To improve scrutiny in York.