Issue - meetings

In January 2022 Council requested that the Audit and Governance Committee consider the future model of the Overview and Scrutiny function.  Council requested that any changes required to the function be implemented by the new municipal year.  Options for Overview and Scrutiny have been developed in consultation with relevant stakeholders and are presented within this report for Audit and Governance Committee consideration. 

The Head of Democratic Services and the Overview and Scrutiny Specialist presented a report, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member and a copy of which appears as Appendix 'A' to these Minutes in the Minute Book.

The Committee was reminded of the background of their previous discussions as part of their review of the Constitution and particularly their recommendations to Council about the future structure of the overview and scrutiny function within BCP Council. The recommendations at that time were based upon detailed work undertaken through the Constitution Review Working Group. At the meeting of Council in January 2022, however, the Council requested the Committee to undertake a still wider review of the overview and scrutiny structure and the Audit and Governance Committee undertook to report back to Council in April 2022.

Since this direction from Council, the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Audit and Governance Committee had held informal discussions with Councillors and Officers, including an informal meeting of all Political group leaders and deputy leaders; unaligned Members; the Chairs and Vice-Chairs of current Overview and Scrutiny bodies; the Chief Executive and the Monitoring Officer. An informal meeting took place on 9 March 2022 and Officers undertook to reflect in the final report the expressed views of the wide range of stakeholders involved.

The Committee also heard from the Chair of the existing Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee who was present at the Audit and Governance Committee meeting.

The target date for implementation was the start of the new Municipal year in May 2022 and, because of the tight time constraint therefore involved, consideration was being given to the report by the Committee directly rather than taking it through the Working Group. Members also recognised that implementation in May 2022 would provide an opportunity for any changes to bed in over the final year of the current Council leading up to the BCP Council elections in May 2023.

The report presented three options to the Committee for the future structure of overview and scrutiny and the detail of each option was set out and explained in terms of resource implications, frequency and potential pattern of meetings, membership and Political balance. For each option, a list of potential areas of responsibility was set out linked initially to agreed Portfolio Holder remits although these could be subject to adjustment over time in the light of experience and comparative workload. The range of options for dealing with cross-cutting issues and for dealing with call-in were also set out for consideration by the Committee.

Members were reminded of the fundamental principles of good scrutiny as set out within the BCP Council Constitution upon which overview and scrutiny at the Council was based. The Committee noted the importance of ensuring that structural arrangements should be a good and effective fit with the organisation, its culture, Political dynamics and stated aims and priorities.

Prior to the meeting, a copy of the recently published Local Government Association Corporate Peer Review  ...  view the full minutes text for item 99