Overview and Scrutiny
Overview and Scrutiny Commissions are responsible for holding local decision-makers to account, reviewing the council's performance, and suggesting ways to do things better. These Commissions are led by Councillors from all local political parties: their reviews are impartial and evidence-based. Once a review is complete, the Commission produces a report with recommendations to the Cabinet about how to improve local services.
Overview and Scrutiny is not just about the Council, it's about the whole borough. The Commissions have a remit to ask questions of all public services in the borough (like local Health Services and the Police). In Hackney, Overview and Scrutiny has constructive relationships with local partners, many of whom have made changes in light of scrutiny reviews.
The Overview and Scrutiny function has specific powers relating to 'call-ins' and petitions. Further information about this is on the Overview and Scrutiny Board page.
If you can't see this presentation, the text content is all available in this pdf file: Overview and Scrutiny in Hackney (PDF, 635KB)
Information about the law relating to Overview and Scrutiny can be found in a publication called Pulling It All Together written by the Centre for Public Scrutiny (as well as in this legislative framework update following the introduction of the Localism Act), and on Wikipedia.
What the Commissions are working on
Children and Young People Scrutiny Commission
The Children and Young People Scrutiny Commission is currently carrying out a review to help shape the local authority's future role in education, and the relationship between schools and local councillors here in Hackney. As well as the changes to national education policy, this is also a time of local change as education services are transferred back to Hackney Council this year after being run by The Learning Trust since 2002. This review is an opportunity to reflect on the changes to the education environment and the role of both the local authority and councillors in education.
Community Safety and Social Inclusion Scrutiny Commission
The Community Safety and Social Inclusion Scrutiny Commission (CSSI) is currently carrying out a review on the local 'Impact of the welfare and housing benefit reforms'. Hackney has the largest benefits caseload of any London Council and the highest percentage of it population in receipt of Housing Benefit and these reforms (currently being enacted in Parliament) represent the biggest changes to the welfare system in over 60 years. The review aims to address the impact locally, in particular the impact on those claiming incapacity benefits and going through the new contentious Work Capability Assessments.
The Commission is also receiving updates on the progress being made by the community safety partnership's Working Group on the Response to Disturbances, created following the civil disturbances in August 2011. It is examining various aspects of that work including the role of policing and the work of the probation service locally.
Governance and Resources Scrutiny Commission
The Governance and Resources Scrutiny Commission is looking at the Council's new approach to performance management now that national performance frameworks have been abolished.
Health in Hackney Scrutiny Commission
The Health in Hackney Scrutiny Commission is about to start its review of Adults Community Mental Health Services. This will consider whether the services are improving, in terms of quality of care, access, service user experience and health and wellbeing. The review starts in March 2012 with evidence from service providers and commissioners, before the Commission hears from service users..
Living in Hackney Scrutiny Commission
The Living in Hackney Scrutiny Commission is finalising its review of sports participation, having recently completed a site visit to the Hackney Marshes centre. In February we agreed our report about Supporting Local High Streets, and held the first evidence session of our review of Housing Allocations.
The council's Cabinet have recently accepted all the recommendations from the review of Resident Involvement of Planning Applications, which saw several outcomes (like the new mapping software for current applications).
Overview and Scrutiny Board
The Overview and Scrutiny Board (OSB) is completing its review of Transparency, which has discussed how the council might publish more open data and how groups such as voluntary & sector sector organisations can be supported to do so.
The Board has almost finalised its first series of Cabinet Question Time meetings, where local Cabinet Members are quizzed on their approach to managing performance. Mayor Pipe attended in February.
Special projects
Occasionally the scrutiny function completes pieces of work that do not fit within the committee structure. 4 ad hoc Budget Scrutiny Task Groups were recently completed, which reviewed areas of significant spend. Please visit the special projects page to find out more.
Other recent work
The Overview and Scrutiny Board recently considered the implications of current central government Bills and White Papers that affect Overview and Scrutiny.
Page updated: 2 Mar 2012
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