The Roles of the Board

The work of the Overview and Scrutiny Board falls into the following categories:

General

The Overview and Scrutiny Board is responsible for the Council's Call In function, scrutiny of the Budget, Petitions and Councillor Calls for Action.

Policy Reviews

The Board usually delegates policy review to Task Groups.  These groups carry out detailed, evidence-based assessments of Council services or issues which affect the lives of local people.  During the course of a review a Task Group will speak to Council Officers, members of the Cabinet and external witnesses to assist them in their information gathering.  When the exercise is completed the Task Group will produce a report containing recommendations about how things can be improved.  This report will be considered by the Overview and Scrutiny Board who will make a decision about whether to refer these recommendations on to the Cabinet and/or partner agencies.

Short, Sharp Reviews

In addition to conducting in-depth reviews through Task Groups, the Board often wants to conduct a quick, one-off review of a topic.  A Short, Sharp Review might be more appropriate if there are time constraints, or the review topic is currently in the public eye.

Scrutiny of the Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership

The Police and Justice Act 2006 required all local authorities to have a Scrutiny Committee designated with the responsibility for reviewing the local Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP), in Bromsgrove the Overview and Scrutiny Board was designated to review the work of the North Worcestershire Community Safety Partnership.