Scrutiny boards
There are nine Councillors (also known as Elected Members) on each of the four scrutiny boards. The political balance of each board reflects the political balance of the Council as a whole.
- The Children and Young People Board also has a number of co-opted members.
- The Adults Health and Social Care Board has is responsible for the scrutiny of the local NHS.
- The Place Board also meets as the Council's Crime and Disorder Committee at least once each year.
- Each Board's Chair and Deputy are appointed at the Annual Meeting of Council, which tends to be held in May.
- The Council also appoints substitute members to attend when regular members cannot.
Work programmes
Boards decide their own 'Work Programmes' and the public are able to examine these. The aim is to improve services for the people of Calderdale.
They will focus on:
- Scrutiny of decisions made and action taken by Cabinet, Senior Council Officers and at times external bodies.
- In-depth scrutiny review of a small number of topics led by board members.
- Ongoing overview of the performance of the Council and key partners.
- Ideas to improve services or policy.
Improve through scrutiny
Our boards do scrutiny in different ways.
- They decide which issues they want to look at, then adopt methods to suit those topics.
- Boards discuss an issue and gather evidence from a wide range of sources. They will then agree if they want to recommend any changes.
- The boards will check to see if what they recommend is accepted and put in place.
Methods
- Ask for reports.
- Question Cabinet members, officers and witnesses.
- Do research.
- Consult with stakeholders/public.
- Visits sites.
Outputs
- Talk about key issues.
- Work out what to recommend.
- Make reports based on evidence.
Responses
- Refer what they recommend and/or reports to relevant bodies.
- Monitor the progress of what was recommended.
The boards do not have the power to make direct changes to Council policies or the way services are delivered.
However, they can recommend changes and influence decision/policy making.
Links to our key priorities
Effective and challenging scrutiny is key to help us achieve our 2024 vision.
Our key priorities are reflected in the breadth of issues that the boards look at.
Scrutiny can make sure that better outcomes are delivered for the people of Calderdale as they can:
- Review performance against local targets.
- Suggest ways to make services better.