Agenda item

Councillor Brian Salinger, the Chairman of the Review of Effectiveness of Task and Finish Groups, introduced the Group’s Final Report.

Councillor Salinger emphasised to the Committee that the Group had taken too long to complete its work and report its findings.  He added that it was frequently difficult to co-ordinate Member’s diaries in order to schedule a meeting.  The Committee were advised that the work of Task and Finish Groups / Overview and Scrutiny Panels tended to be undertaken by a small minority of Members.  Councillor Salinger advised the Committee that Task and Finish Groups have the potential to do good, but that they needed to be well supported corporately.

Councillor Salinger noted the importance of following up on recommendations made by Task and Finish Groups.  Andrew Charlwood, the Overview and Scrutiny Manager advised the Committee that the Overview and Scrutiny Office provide the Business Management Overview and Scrutiny Committee with updates at meetings, adding that it was a responsibility of Members to challenge to that information. 

Anita Vukomanovic from the Overview and Scrutiny Office provided the Committee with an update on Recommendation Three of the Final Report, which provided that:

The Scrutiny Office be requested to deliver by the end of December 2012 the following initiatives to develop Scrutiny Member’s skills and increase public awareness and participation in the Task and Finish Group Reviews:

·           Scrutiny Media Engagement Strategy; and

·           Scrutiny Member Development Programme

Media Engagement Project:

Ms. Vukomanovic advised the Committee that objective of the project was to improve corporate and public understanding of the work of Scrutiny and the Governance Service, and encourage participation in the democratic decision making process.  The Committee were advised of the following:

• New website pages outlining the work of Overview and Scrutiny went live on the Barnet website in December 2012. 

• Descriptions of the purpose of each of Barnet’s Overview and Scrutiny Committees added to the website, in order to increase the awareness of the work of each Committee, and help to increase public engagement.

• A social media drive had taken place to promote committees and scrutiny working groups via Twitter and Facebook. 

• Work had been undertaken to strengthen the relationship between corporate communications and scrutiny, and to increase awareness of the work of both Governance and Overview and Scrutiny for future publicity.

• Work had taken place with the Business Governance Team to increase the detail on the website of the work of other committees.

Scrutiny Member Development:

Ms. Vukomanovic advised that the following Member Development opportunities had taken place:

Centre for Public Scrutiny London Scrutiny Member Development Seminar: 17 October 2012

This was a London-wide Member Development event.  In addition to other discussions, Members attended a choice of workshops including:

1.    Engaging the local community in scrutiny.

2.    Scrutiny of shared / cross-borough services.

3.    Scrutiny of the commissioning process.

Barnet Members and officers assisted in facilitating the session on scrutiny of the commissioning process.

Implications of the Health and Social Care Act 2012:

The Scrutiny Office commissioned and held a session on 11 December 2012 which covered the implications on the Health and Social Care Act 2012. Members were briefed by an external, expert advisor from the Centre for Public Scrutiny on matters including:

·         Changes affecting Scrutiny;

·         The move from LINks to Healthwatch; and

·         Issues affecting the Health & Well Being Board

Scrutiny Skills:

On 8^th January 2013, a three hour session took place for Members which focussed on Scrutiny Skills.  An external expert advisor from the Centre for Public Scrutiny was commissioned to facilitate this session. 

House of Commons Select Committee Training Programme:  

A bespoke session to look at Scrutiny in Parliamentary Select Committees took place on 25February 2013 in the House of Commons.  Members were invited to attend a Barnet-only talk with Clive Betts MP, the Chair of the Communities and Local Government Select Committee, and Glenn McKee, the Clerk to the Committee on 25^th February 2013. 

The session considered scrutiny within the Parliamentary process, scrutiny skills, and looked at ways in which Barnet Councillors could contribute to the Select Committee process and vice-versa.  Members were then invited to watch a live Select Committee hearing to see the scrutiny skills that had been discussed on the day being used within the Parliamentary scrutiny context. 

6) Forthcoming Overview and Scrutiny Member Development Events:

Ms. Vukomanovic advised the Committee that additional Scrutiny Member development events were being planned.  

The Committee were advised that Members have been invited to attend a London wide seminar on 19 April 2013 called “Maximising the Impact of Overview and Scrutiny” and that Barnet Members would attending this session. 

Ms. Vukomanovic also informed the Committee that Overview and Scrutiny were working to arrange a Member Development session on scrutiny on the Commissioning Council, as well as scrutiny specific session on Safeguarding.  

RESOLVED that:-

1)    The Committee note the findings and recommendations in the Final Report on the Effectiveness of Task and Finish Groups.

2)    The Committee request that the findings and recommendations of the Final Report of the Effectiveness of Task and Finish Groups are forwarded to the Executive for their consideration.

3)    The Committee request that an outline of the work undertaken by the Overview and Scrutiny Office in relation to Recommendation Three is provided to Cabinet for consideration with the Final Report.

4)    The Committee request that Party Whips are made aware of the Member’s attendance to Overview and Scrutiny Member Development Sessions.