Corporate Committee

The role of the Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee is to review and scrutinise corporate functions and support services.

The Committee will have oversight of the overall strategic direction, policies, plans and priorities of the Cabinet and Council (post-decision) and monitor their implementation. The Committee will scrutinise corporate services utilising relevant management information such as Service Improvement Plans and Business Risk Registers. Any areas of specific concern may be referred to the Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee as appropriate. The Committee will also have oversight of the Public Services Board (PSB) and Community Safety Partnership (CSP) through a standing Partnerships Panel, as required under the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015.

The remit and scope of the Committee in relation to Corporate functions and services is as follows:

Corporate functions

Office of the Leader
Cabinet Member annual reports
CEO
Budget monitoring (half yearly)
Corporate performance monitoring (quarterly)
Corporate Improvement Plan and Review
Compliance with Well-being of Future Generations Act
WAO corporate reports
Welsh Language
Risk Management
Corporate Safeguarding
Whistleblowing
Transformation programme management
City Deal programme management

Corporate services

Financial Services
Information Technology
Audit, Risk and Information Services
Customer Services
Human Resources
Legal and Committee Services
Procurement
Corporate Policy
Partnership and Scrutiny Support
Corporate Communications, Press, PR and Marketing
Electoral Services

The Committee has 13 members and will meet at least five times per year. Details of Committee members and future meetings, along with the Committee Work Programme can be found via the links below.

Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee Forward Work Programme

Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee

March 2025

Item: Performance Measurement Quarterly Monitoring
Purpose: To scrutinise the Corporate Scorecard which forms part of the Council’s revised performance management framework.

Item: Budget Monitoring report 2024-25
Purpose: To ensure timely monitoring of in-year spend and savings targets

Item: Improvement and Transformation Programme Board
Purpose: To receive an annual update from the Board to enable the Committee to scrutinise delivery and management of the programme.

Item: Corporate Service: Financial Services (Including Revenues & Benefits and Procurement)
Purpose: To Scrutinise one of the 11 Corporate Service Areas which fall under the remit of the Committee per Committee meeting.

Item: Anti-Racist Action Plan
Purpose: To receive an update on the resolution of the 21 March 2024 Committee meeting requesting that the Strategic Equalities Action Plan Working Group consider Councillor Tom Tudors/Labour Group Notice of Motion and develop an Anti-Racist Action Plan; and that the membership of the Group be increased to include elected Members.

Item: Proposed Change to DBS Renewal Period for Members
Purpose: Following a decision made by Cabinet in January 2025 it was agreed that matters relating to best practice and legal requirements around the use of DBS checks for elected Members be further explored by the Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee, before returning to Cabinet.

June 2025

Item: Welsh Language Standards Annual Report
Purpose: To scrutinise a draft version of the Authority’s Welsh Language Standards annual report before publication at the end of June each year.

Item: Overview & Scrutiny Annual Report
Purpose: To provide an integrated review of the main activity of the Committee over the past year, as well as looking forward to future challenges and areas for improvement.

Item: Shared Prosperity Fund
Purpose: To scrutinise how the funding is distributed, the output of the funding provided to communities and whether it compliments the levelling up agenda.

September 2025

Item: County Council Budget Outturn Monitoring Report 2024-25
Purpose: To scrutinise the Budget Outturn Report

Item: County Council Budget Quarter 1 Monitoring Report 2025-26
Purpose:

To ensure timely monitoring of in-year spend and savings targets
To scrutinise sustainability of the Medium Term Financial Plan

November 2025

Item: Draft Annual Corporate Self-Assessment
Purpose To scrutinise the Council’s Annual Self-Assessment, incorporating Review of Well-being Objectives

Item: Strategic Partnerships - Swansea Bay City Deal, Corporate Joint Committee and Celtic Freeport.
Purpose: To receive and scrutinise Minutes from the three Strategic Partnerships

Item: County Council Budget Quarter 2 Monitoring Report 2024-25
Purpose: To ensure timely monitoring of in-year spend and savings targets and scrutinise sustainability of the Medium Term Financial Plan

Item: Capital Programme
Purpose: To scrutinise the risks being raised in relation to increased costs of projects and the realistic longevity of delivery of the programme.

Item: Performance Measurement Quarterly Monitoring
Purpose: To scrutinise the Corporate Scorecard which forms part of the Council’s revised performance management framework.