Scrutiny Management Board

Terms of Reference:

a) To consider matters relating to the general effectiveness and development of Overview and Scrutiny in the authority, including training for councillors and co-opted members.

b) To coordinate and agree the work programmes of all Overview and Scrutiny Committees, including consideration of any requests made by committee members and co-opted members, and to refer any forthcoming decisions or issues to the relevant Overview and Scrutiny Committee as appropriate.

c) To regularly liaise with Cabinet Members on Overview and Scrutiny matters, policy development, and potential areas of interest to ensure the work of Overview and Scrutiny supports the County Council's corporate priorities.

d) To monitor actions and responses to the recommendations of Overview and Scrutiny Committees.

e) To report and make recommendations to the Full Council on the Overview and Scrutiny Committees' working arrangements, including an Overview and Scrutiny Annual Report at the Annual Meeting.

f) To consider requests from the other Overview and Scrutiny Committees on the establishment of task groups, and to establish task groups, working groups, and panels as necessary.

g) To establish joint working arrangements with district councils and other neighbouring authorities, including discretionary and mandatory joint committees to exercise the statutory function of joint health scrutiny committees under the National Health Service Act 2006.

h) To recommend the Full Council to co-opt persons with appropriate expertise to an Overview and Scrutiny Committee, without voting rights.

i) To review and scrutinise proposals made by the Cabinet in relation to the County Council's Budget.

j) To consider requests for the call-in of Executive decisions for review in accordance with the Procedural Standing Orders (Overview and Scrutiny).

k) To request a report by the Cabinet to Full Council where a decision which was not treated as being a Key Decision has been made, and an Overview and Scrutiny Committee is of the opinion that the decision should have been treated as a Key Decision.

l) To oversee wider member training and development arrangements and opportunities and make recommendations to the relevant Cabinet Member.

m) To review decisions made, or other action taken, in connection with the discharge of any functions which are undertaken by the Cabinet collectively or, in the case of urgent decisions which cannot await a Cabinet meeting, by the Leader (or in their absence the Deputy Leader) and the relevant Cabinet Members, or Cabinet committees.

n) To make reports or recommendations to the Full Council, the Cabinet, the Leader, Deputy Leader, or other Cabinet Members as necessary, or Cabinet committees with respect to the discharge of any functions which are undertaken by them or in respect of any functions which are not the responsibility of the Cabinet.

o) To hold general policy reviews and to assist in the development of future policies and strategies (whether requested by the Full Council or the Cabinet, individual Cabinet Members, Cabinet committees, or decided by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee itself) and, after consulting with any appropriate interested parties, to make recommendations to the Cabinet, individual Cabinet Members, Cabinet committees, Full Council, or external organisations as appropriate.

p) To require any councillor, an Executive Director, or a senior officer nominated by them to attend any meeting of the Board to answer questions and discuss issues.

q) To invite to any meeting of the Board and permit to participate in discussion and debate, but not to vote, any person not a councillor or any external body whom the Board considers would assist it in carrying out its functions.