Issue - meetings

To agree the draft work programme for 2011/12.

RECEIVED the draft Scrutiny Work Programme for 2011/12, introduced by Stuart Young (Assistant Chief Executive) and Eve Pelekanos (Head of Policy, Intelligence and Partnership) and the protocol and procedure rules covering Overview & Scrutiny Committee (pages 1-30 of the agenda pack).

NOTED

• The Committee’s concern at the fewer number of meetings this year and agreement that an additional special Child Protection Scrutiny meeting was required. Officers reminded members that Child Protection matters would be considered by other Council bodies and that the Committee could call extraordinary meetings if required.
• The Committee suggested that more meeting time be allocated to scrutiny of local health issues, which was not a responsibility of the Joint Overview & Scrutiny Committee for Health (JHOSC).
• The Committee agreed to request (via the Chair) that the report on Day Centre Closures be presented to the Committee as part of pre-decision scrutiny prior to it being considered by the Cabinet for a decision.
• Scrutiny Officers had been successful in securing the free services of a Health and Inequalities advisory.
• The report recommended that the Committee undertake 3 scrutiny reviews in the forthcoming year.  The Committee voted on the 8 suggestions in the report (pages 8-10) plus the additional suggestion of reviews on NHS Dentists in Haringey.
• It was agreed that the 3 scrutiny reviews for 2011/12 would be Health Inequalities, Benefits and Council Tax and Children Missing from Care Homes.

RESOLVED

i.          To accept the draft work programme as an indicative programme to be amended by the Chair in consultation with Overview & Scrutiny Committee members.

ii.         To hold an additional Overview & Scrutiny Committee meeting to focus on Child Protection Scrutiny.

iii.        To receive the report on Day Centre Closures as part of pre-decision scrutiny prior to its consideration by the Cabinet.

iv.        To undertake the following three scrutiny reviews for 2011/12: Health Inequalities (to be chaired by Councillor Winskill, Vice Chair of OSC), Benefits and Council Tax (to be chaired by Councillor Bull, Chair of OSC) and Children Missing from Care Homes (to be chaired by Councillor Karen Alexander).