Issue - meetings

The Board considered a report proposing guidelines for supporting and strengthening the links between the Council’s Overview and Scrutiny (O&S) function and the HSP.

As part of the powers granted to the O&S function under the Local Government and Involvement in Public Health Act 2007, which came into effect in April, O&S was now able to scrutinise relevant partners and require them to provide certain information. The relevant partner authorities were now also required to give regard to recommendations made by O&S. 

In the light of these powers proposals had been put together to form a protocol setting out how the O&S arrangements would operate in relation to the Partnership.

It was noted that there had been provision within separate legislation for O&S to scrutinise the NHS and local health services for several years now. It was suggested that work should be carried out with partner organisations before  O&S looked at the Partnership to ensure that there was an understanding of what its remit was.

It was contended that the O&S Work Programme may need to forward plan  on a longer term basis in order to review the Partnership effectively. Whilst this point was taken on board it was noted that members of the O&S Committee determined the work plan.

The Chair noted that O&S had key role to play in supporting the delivery of the Community Strategy and Local Area Agreement targets and advised that Members of the O&S Committee were considering options for adopting a longer term Work Programme.

RESOLVED:

That the proposed guidelines be adopted.