Issue - meetings

This is the annual report of the Statutory Scrutiny Officer on Overview and Scrutiny (O&S) activity within BCP Council for which there is an annual requirement to report to Council. This promotes visibility of the O&S function and Council ownership of activity and any improvements required. 

The annual report contains a summary and analysis of O&S activity during 2024-25, reflections on working practices and identified improvements to strengthen the O&S function.

This report was preceded by consultation on proposals with the O&S Board and Committees and comments raised by O&S members are summarised within this report.

The Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Board, Councillor Kate Salmon presented a report, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member and a copy of which appears as Appendix 'C' to these Minutes in the Minute Book.

Council was advised that this was the annual report of the Statutory Scrutiny Officer on Overview and Scrutiny (O&S) activity within BCP Council for which there is an annual requirement to report to Council, and that this promoted visibility of the O&S function and Council ownership of activity and any improvements required. 

Further to this Council was advised that the annual report contained a summary and analysis of O&S activity during 2024-25, reflections on working practices and identified improvements to strengthen the O&S function.

Council was informed that the report was preceded by consultation on proposals with the O&S Board and Committees and comments raised by O&S members are summarised within this report.

In presenting the report the Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Board thanked the previous chairs of the Overview and Scrutiny Committees and to the Scrutiny Specialist and supporting Democratic Services Officers for their hard work and support during this period.

RESOLVED that: -

1.             Council considered and commented on the annual report;

2.             Council agreed the minor amendment to O&S committee remits as outlined in figure one.

3.             To maximise the resource available for O&S work, Council agreed the following:

(i)            for pieces of in-depth work, the constitution be updated to allow one scrutiny topic to be undertaken at a time across the whole O&S function, with one further topic being scoped during the same period;

(ii)          the O&S Chairs and Vice Chairs group role be strengthened to include a responsibility to agree the priority of all work topics across the full O&S committee structure;

(iii)         the O&S Chairs and Vice Chairs group strengthen scoping for all O&S topics by reviewing key lines of enquiry for topics on an ongoing basis to provide peer test and challenge; and

(iv)         the Monitoring Officer be delegated to make the associated updates to the Constitution.

Voting: Unanimous

Reason

The Constitution requires the Statutory Scrutiny Officer to report to Council on an annual basis on the work of Overview and Scrutiny, including recommendations for any changes that may be required to ensure the function remains fit for purpose. The report must be informed by consultation with the Chairs and Vice-Chairs of the O&S Committees and referred to the four O&S Committees for comment. Consideration and comment on the annual report by the O&S Committees and Council upholds principle b) of good scrutiny, as outlined in the Constitution, that O&S shall ‘be a Councillor led and owned function that seeks to continuously improve through self-reflection and development’.