Select Committee Achievements 2007/08

Select Committee Achievements 2007/08 purpose, aims and objectives 2 | Select Committee Achievements 2007/08 Select Committee Achievements 2007/08 | 3 2007/08 2007/08 Contents Glossary 1. Introduction 4 Select Committees The committees that discharge the “Overview and Scrutiny” functions of the Council Local Area Agreement (LAA) An agreement between the Council and its partners to deliver the aspirations of the Community Strategy (which sets out the shared vision for the future of South 2. Select Committee purpose, aims and objectives 6 Gloucestershire) Strategic Partnerships These are the partnerships to deliver parts of the LAA (above) Multi Area Agreements These are a bigger version of an LAA. Multi Area Agreements are where the Council 3. Review by the Corporate Co-ordination Select Committee formally joins with other Councils (and partners) to tackle issues that cross Council A Overview 7 boundaries B Developments in the last year 7 West of England Partnership A partnership between South Gloucestershire, Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset and North Somerset Councils to tackle sub-regional (the ex Avon area) issues C Future challenges 9 The Executive/Executive Terms used to describe the Councillors who make Executive decisions (jointly as a Cabinet Councillors or individually) under the statutory framework 4. Report of individual Select Committees A Children and Young People 10 B Communities 13 C Community Care and Housing 15 D Corporate Co-ordination 17 E Health 19 F Planning, Transportation and Strategic Environment 20 Select Committee Chairs Dave Hockey Howard Gawler Andy Perkins Ian Blair Sandra Grant Pat Hockey Communities Corporate Community Care Children and Health Planning, Co-ordination and Housing Young People Transportation and Strategic Environment 4 | Select Committee Achievements 2007/08 Select Committee Achievements 2007/08 | 5 2007/08 2007/08 1. Introduction outh Gloucestershire Council has a very Through our Select Committee Councillors, our partners • The Planning, Transportation and Strategic inclusive and co-operative approach to the way and the public can help to develop and influence policy, Environment Select Committee has responded to Acknowledgements Sin which Councillors work together. This is not can deliver improvements and are able to make a public concerns around bus and rail services. The only visible in working practice but is also enshrined real difference to issues that directly affect the lives of committee influenced the Sustainability Appraisal In South Gloucestershire the in our constitution, with arrangements that go far residents. Full details are included in the report of each and Core Strategy during its development. It’s current Overview and Scrutiny function is beyond the minimum legal requirements. Select Committee within this report, but some examples review is looking at how the planning process might supported by Democratic Services from this year include: be developed to ensure that the Council’s own officers and Departmental This constructive approach is continued by our Select strategies and those jointly agreed with its partners officers. While some Councils Committees who undertake the work described in the • The Children and Young People Select Committee can be progressed have dedicated scrutiny staff, statutory framework as Overview and Scrutiny. had recently undertaken scrutiny of Teenage our Democratic Services officers Pregnancy. Its current review is ‘Local Schools for undertake a comprehensive The Council has six Select Committees which work Local Children’ and seeks to increase preferences range of Democratic Support on a themed basis but cross cut and work jointly for local schools. Obesity will form the subject of functions and are involved in when required. Select Committees hold a watching scrutiny through Committee during the remainder of many different areas of work in brief over the services of the Council and our partners 2008. addition to supporting the Select at a strategic level but also respond to more detailed Committees. issues of concern that are raised. • The Communities Select Committee has closely scrutinised waste management issues, has raised Much of the work undertaken Significantly more work is undertaken in contributing local concerns about the Streetcare helpdesk and would not be possible without the than acting as a critical challenge, although on cemetery provision. Its current review is on anti social hard work and support of these occasion this is appropriate. behaviour. staff and the Select Committee Chairs wish to place on record Select Committees provide the opportunity for public • Community Care and Housing Select Committee their thanks and appreciation to participation. They work in co operation with the has undertaken work on reviews, strategy revisions the Democratic Services officers Executive and our partners to achieve shared aims and action plans following the Large Scale Voluntary and Departmental staff who have and ambitions and provide a platform for Councillors Transfer of the Council’s housing stock to Merlin supported the Select Committees to champion the needs of their local communities. Housing Society in February 2007. Its current review throughout the last year. A good example of this is the anti-social behaviour is about enabling elderly and vulnerable people to review being undertaken in two hotspot Wards. stay in their homes for longer. It is also important to acknowledge the co-operation • The Health Select Committee successfully of partners and Executive campaigned against the removal of the Breast Councillors and to record Cancer Unit Support Trust at Frenchay. appreciation for the important work that is jointly undertaken • Corporate Co-ordination Select Committee undertook and the way in which this is work on the issue of proposed Post Office closures approached. and held two special meetings to discuss ways in which these could be opposed. The Select Committee’s 2008 review is on the use of Service Level Agreements. 6 | Select Committee Achievements 2007/08 Select Committee Achievements 2007/08 | 7 2007/08 2007/08 2. Select Committee Purpose, Aims and Objectives 3. review by the Corporate Co-ordination Select Committee Select committees consider reports and receive Our constitution describes the functions of Select The constitution tasks the Corporate Co-ordination B) DevelopmentS SInCe May 2007 presentations or verbal updates. They influence Committees: Select Committee with undertaking an annual review developing policy as well as other important issues of Select Committee achievements. In practice, the Work Programming and provide links to our partners as part of our Overview and Scrutiny is about Councillors working Select Committee Chairs work in co-operation and contribution to work that is jointly undertaken. together with local people, service partners and jointly champion the Overview and Scrutiny process. The Select Committee Chairs met as a group shortly Executive Councillors also provide information to community groups to improve policies and services. In line with this practice, this report has been after their appointment at the annual Council meeting in Select Committees on the work that they undertake compiled with input from all Select Committee Chairs. May 2007. The Chairs agreed that a revised approach with partner organisations. This type of Select should be taken to work planning, most noticeably in the Committee work is generally referred to as Overview The functions of our Select Committees are: way that Select Committees chose review topics. and Scrutiny work. • To hold the Executive and individual Executive A) OvervIew An external facilitator was used to provide two scrutiny Councillors to account In addition to Overview and Scrutiny work, Select training events for all Councillors. Members agreed that The Scrutiny function of the Council has undergone a Committees undertake detailed work on chosen review • Policy review it was important not to be constrained by the need to number of developments in the last year. This has been subjects. The review subjects can be on any topic. complete a review topic each year, thus allowing much • Policy development led and championed by the Select Committee Chairs Typically it will be on an area of policy to be developed, bigger topics to be considered for review. Members through the Overview and Scrutiny Co-ordinating Group. reviewing current policy or practice to assess • Performance monitoring also considered the benefit that topics would contribute effectiveness and areas for improvement. It can also be to the corporate aims and objectives of the Council and • External scrutiny The developments in the Scrutiny function have on an area where concerns have been raised. our partners. delivered improvements and ensured that the Scrutiny process has kept pace with changes to working The membership of these review groups is The scoping process that establishes the purpose, Scrutiny involves using a structured common sense practices. predominantly formed from members of the parent aims and parameters for review topics was revised and approach to check that the Council’s services and Select Committee but it is open to any member of the substantially developed. Scoping documents now take policies meet the needs of local people, according Select Committees and Executive Councillors co- Council with a particular interest or expertise in the the form of the Council’s project management (PRIME) to the Councils own aims and standards as well

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