Guidance notes when asked to attend an Overview & Scrutiny meeting

Why have I been asked to attend an Overview and Scrutiny meeting?

You will be invited to attend a meeting of Overview & Scrutiny if the members of the committee or the task group believe that you will be able to provide the information of advice they need in order to help them fully investigate an issue.You may be invited to either a formal Overview and Scrutiny Committee or to a task group.

Do I have to attend if I'm asked?

Some County Council officers and councillors have to attend if asked, as do senior managers of NHS bodies. However, no-one else can be made to attend.
If you have any concerns about attending, please speak to one of the Overview and Scrutiny team, who will be happy to discuss your concerns.

How will I know what information is required?

You will be contacted by one of the Overview and Scrutiny team, who will advise what the members have requested.

What if I don't think I can give that information?

Let the Overview and Scrutiny team know as soon as possible.

How much notice will I get?

As much as possible. Most of the committees meet on a 6 weekly cycle, with a deadline for reports about 2 weeks before the next meeting. That means, even if a committee requests a report for the next meeting, you will usually get a minimum of 3 weeks. Task group meetings tend to be closer together, but have more flexibility. Options will be discussed with you.

Who else will attend? Can I bring along a colleague?

As well as the members of the committee, which is made up of county councillors (although some of the committees have co-opted members), there will be an Overview & Scrutiny officer and the clerk of the meeting.

You can bring along a colleague to support you and to help you answer any questions. Let the Overview & Scrutiny team know in advance who is attending, so the chair knows what to expect.

What happens at the meeting?

A typical committee meeting might consider 2 or 3 reports from different people. Depending on your “slot” (and you'll be advised where your item is on the agenda, although exact timings are difficult to provide) you can attend the whole meeting or you can simply attend for your item. If you arrive or leave whilst the meeting is in progress, please do so quietly.

You would take one of the seats around the edge of the room, until you are invited by the chair to come to the table to deliver your report or presentation. The chair will introduce you and colleagues, and ask you to present the report.

Generally, unless it is agreed otherwise beforehand, you should talk for no more than 10 minutes, and then take questions form the committee. The chair is in charge of the meeting, and will invite individual members to ask questions in turn.

If you are unable to provide an answer to a question, don't be afraid to say so. If it's information you can provide at a later date, say so, and make arrangements for that information to be circulated with the Overview & Scrutiny officer after the meeting. If you don't think the information is within your remit or responsibility, you should say so.

If you want to say something which you fell would help the committee's understanding, but are not asked a question about it, you are very welcome to provide comments. Comments should always be made via the chair – that simply means asking the chair for permission to speak first.

What happens after the meeting?

Any further information the committee have requested or you have offered should be produced as soon as possible and sent to the Overview & Scrutiny team. If the committee made any recommendations or additional requests (for example for an update on progress in 6 months), this will be confirmed once the minutes of the meeting are produced. You may also be asked to complete a questionnaire on your experience to help the Overview & Scrutiny team and the committee develop and improve its work and processes.

Hints and Tips

Meetings are webcast, so you will need to speak into a microphone. If you have any questions or concerns about this, speak to the Overview & Scrutiny team.

Assume the committee members have read any reports or information you have supplied in advance. Don't simply read through a written report.

Be open and honest in your responses. Overview and Scrutiny is not there to criticise individuals or find scapegoats.

If you can't answer a question, say so. Sometimes questions will go beyond your responsibilities into other linked areas.

If you have any concerns about anything said in the meeting that you don't wish to raise in the presence of committee members, speak to the Overview & Scrutiny officer.

Wherever possible, you should avoid providing handouts during the meeting – it doesn't give members the chance to read them and ask questions. You are welcome to provide handouts if they are for general information, or for background reading after the meeting.

Avoid jargon and abbreviations in written and oral reports.

Committee meetings are public meetings – members of the public and press may attend.