Overview and Scrutiny
Overview and Scrutiny Annual Report
The Council's Overview and Scrutiny Committees examine policies, performance and decision-making to support transparency, accountability and continuous improvement. The reports below provide an overview of their work and achievements.
Previous Annual Reports
Democratic and Scrutiny Services
Please contact:
Mrs Susan Sanders, Head of Democratic Services
01437 775719
Services Committee
The role of the Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee is to review and scrutinise public facing services delivered by the Council, with the exception of those within the remit of the Schools and Learning and Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committees. The committee will scrutinise the quality and performance of these services.
The remit and scope of the committee in relation to council services, and divisions within these services, is as follows:
- Infrastructure
- Environment and civil contingencies
- Housing
- Building maintenance
- Planning
- Property
- Public protection
- Economic development and regeneration
- Cultural services
- Leisure services
- Revenues and benefits
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.
Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee Forward Work Programme
Policy and Pre-decision Committee
The role of the Policy and Pre-decision Overview and Scrutiny Committee is to review and scrutinise policies, plans and strategies prior to decision by Cabinet.
The Committee will undertake pre-decision scrutiny or order to contribute to the quality and robustness of Cabinet decision-making. A further function of the committee is to ensure that cabinet decision making is compliant with the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 and takes account of the ‘sustainable development' principle and 5 ways of working (long term, preventative, involving, collaborative and integrated) as well as other statutory requirements as appropriate (e.g. Equality Act 2010). It will also ensure non-executive Member involvement in the Council’s budget policy and planning framework through a standing Finance Panel.
The remit and scope of the committee is as follows:
- Cabinet forward work programme
- Proposals for service changes, transformation and / or efficiencies
- Integrated Impact Assessments
- Strategies and plans, as appropriate
- Development of and planning for annual budget and Council Tax proposals through the Finance Panel
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.
Policy and Pre-decision Overview and Scrutiny Committee Forward Work Programme
Social Care Committee
The committee will scrutinise the quality and performance of all social care related services delivered by the council.
The remit and scope of the committee in relation to social care related services is as follows:
- Adult care
- Children’s services
- Strategic joint commissioning
- Carers
- Integrated services and well-being
- Domiciliary care
- Work with the third sector
- Compliance with the Social Services and Well-being Act
- West Wales Care Partnership
- Regional safeguarding
- Regional fostering
- Regional adoption
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 below.
Schools and Learning Committee
The role of the Schools and Learning Overview and Scrutiny Committee is to review and scrutinise services delivered to improve outcomes for children, young people and adult learners and to support the raising of educational standards and outcomes.
The remit and scope of the committee is as follows:
- Educational outcomes at all stages, particularly at Key Stage 4
- School performance, including support provided to schools
- School categorisation
- School support through regional working (i.e. ERW)
- Individual schools (via a schools scrutiny panel)
- Inclusion services
- Youth support and other community based services (including adult learning)
- Post-16 learning, skills and training
- Memorandum of understanding with Pembrokeshire College
- Music service
- Sports development
- Children’s voice and participation
- Financial arrangements relation to schools and learning
- Safeguarding in education
The Committee has 13 members and four statutory co-optees 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.
Public engagement
Forms for public engagement:
Bringing views to the attention of an Overview and Scrutiny Committee (opens in new tab)
Suggest topics for consideration by an Overview and Scrutiny Committee (opens in new tab)
Under Section 62 of the Local Government (Wales) Measure 2011, anyone who lives or works in Pembrokeshire can:
- Submit views on a matter being considered by an Overview and Scrutiny Committee.
- Suggest topics for future scrutiny by an Overview and Scrutiny Committee.
Overview and Scrutiny Committee work programmes are flexible and may be amended to consider matters raised by residents, businesses and other stakeholders where appropriate.
Privacy information can be found at the bottom of this webpage.
Guidance for public submissions
Members of the public can ask to speak at an Overview and Scrutiny (O&S) Committee meeting about an item on the Committee's work programme or a specific agenda item.
Meeting dates, agendas and reports are published on the council's website - Committee Structure. Agendas and reports are usually available at least three clear working days before a meeting.
Forward work programmes for each committee can be found at via our Web Library.
How to request to speak
To request to speak, please submit written representations to the Democratic and Scrutiny Services Team via the links above at least two clear working days before the meeting.
Your request should include:
- The committee you wish to address
- The agenda item or topic
- A brief outline of what you wish to speak about
- Your language preference (English or Welsh)
Requests can be submitted by:
email: Democraticservices@pembrokeshire.gov.uk
Post:
Democratic Services
Pembrokeshire County Council
County Hall
Haverfordwest
SA61 1TP
Requests received after the deadline cannot be considered.
How requests are considered
All requests are acknowledged and passed to the chair of the relevant committee.
Permission to speak is not automatic. The chair will decide whether a request is relevant to the committee's work programme or the agenda item being considered.
Where several people wish to speak on the same issue, they may be asked to nominate a spokesperson.
If you are invited to speak
If your request is approved, you will be contacted and sent formal confirmation of the meeting details.
At the meeting you will:
- Be invited to speak by the chair
- Have up to five minutes to address the committee
- Be able to ask one supplementary question
- Have the opportunity to respond to questions from Committee members
Any supporting documents, photographs or surveys must be submitted to Democratic and Scrutiny Services at least 24 hours before the meeting. Documents cannot be distributed during the meeting.
Providing evidence to a committee
A committee may invite residents, businesses, community groups or other stakeholders to provide evidence as part of a scrutiny review.
If invited, you will be given information about:
- The issue being considered
- Any questions the committee would like you to address
- Any written information required in advance
Attendance is voluntary and can be outlined within the form.
Called in executive (Cabinet) decisions
Members of the public may also request to speak when an executive (Cabinet) decision has been called in for scrutiny.
The same application process and deadlines apply. Due to the short timescales involved in call-in meetings, anyone wishing to participate should monitor meeting information published on the council's website.
Meeting conduct
When speaking at a meeting, you should:
- Keep comments relevant to the matter being considered
- Respect the chair, committee members and other attendees
- Avoid personal, offensive or defamatory comments
- Respond politely to questions
The chair will determine matters relating to public participation and may rule comments out of order where appropriate.
Webcasting
Overview and Scrutiny Committee meetings are webcast and open to the public and press.
Unless you specifically request otherwise, your contribution may be recorded as part of the webcast.
Welsh language
Facilities are available for anyone wishing to speak through the medium of Welsh. Please indicate your language preference when submitting your request.
Information notice for Overview and Scrutiny Committees
Why do we collect and keep your personal information?
We collect and use your personal information so that we can confirm you are a resident of the county. This entitles you to suggest topics for consideration at an Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting or to bring your views on any matter under consideration by a committee to their attention. The processing of your data is necessary for the performance of this task under the Local Government (Wales) Measure 2011 (Part 6 Chapter 1, Section 62).
For more details regarding the Pembrokeshire County Council privacy statement, you can find all information here (Privacy Notice – Law and Governance and Democratic Services - Pembrokeshire County Council)
Overview and Scrutiny in Pembrokeshire
The Local Government Act 2000 introduced major changes to the way in which Councils make decisions. The Act enabled Councils to introduce new political structures, including one involving a Leader and Cabinet model (the Executive) and Overview and Scrutiny Committees. The Executive is responsible for taking key decisions about services in accordance with the policies adopted by the Council.
Overview and Scrutiny Committees monitor performance, contribute to policy development and review and investigate matters which affect the County and its residents. Another function of Overview and Scrutiny Committees is to balance the Executive's powers, if necessary, by holding the Executive to account by examining and questioning their decisions.
In March 2016, following a review by the Corporate Governance and Democratic Services Committees and recommendations in the Welsh Audit Office Corporate Assessment of Pembrokeshire County Council in 2015, Councillors voted to introduce five new Overview and Scrutiny Committees from September 2016 to replace the previous ‘thematic' Committees.
Guide to Scrutiny in Pembrokeshire
On this page:
The role of Overview and Scrutiny Committees
The Role of the Chairs, Vice-Chairs and members of Overview and Scrutiny Committees
Guide to Overview and Scrutiny for Members and Officers
What is Scrutiny?
As a result of the Local Government Act 2000, changes were introduced to political structures within Councils which altered their decision making processes. These changes allowed for the introduction of a Leader and Cabinet (the Executive) model, as well as at least one Overview and Scrutiny Committee.
The Role of Overview and Scrutiny Committees
Within this structure, the role of Overview and Scrutiny Committees is to hold the Executive to account, by reviewing, investigating and challenging decisions, contributing to Policy development and monitoring performance. The aim of scrutiny is to;
- Improve the Council’s performance
- Ensure that services delivered by the Council provide value for money
- Ensure that Council services are receptive to local needs
- Engage with the public and communities about decisions which affect them
Overview and Scrutiny Committees cannot make decisions; they can only make recommendations to the Executive or the Council. They also cannot become involved with concerns or complaints from individuals which do not affect the wider community.
How does Scrutiny work?
Each Overview and Scrutiny Committee has a forward work programme which provides details of what the Committee will scrutinise over a 12 month period. Work programmes consist of items that will be, or have been, considered by Cabinet (pre and post decision scrutiny), departmental performance monitoring or items of interest or concern to Committee members or to the communities they represent. Members of the public may also put forward suggestions for items to be discussed by Overview and Scrutiny Committees and provide written submissions in relation to matters being considered by a Committee. For this reason, forward work programmes are designed to be flexible and may change to accommodate issues that may arise within the year and which are within the remit of Overview and Scrutiny Committees.
The Role of the Chairs, Vice-Chairs and members of Overview and Scrutiny Committees
Chairs and Vice-Chairs
Chairs and Vice-Chairs of Overview and Scrutiny Committees should work together to support the work of their Committee, through;
- prioritising the work of the Committee
- ensuring Committee members are engaged and have the opportunity to contribute and have their views heard
- working closely with officers to agree the business for each meeting and set the agendas
Committee Members
The following list outlines what a Scrutiny Member should and should not do to ensure that the scrutiny function is discharged successfully and to ensure the aims of scrutiny are met;
- ensure that they understand their role fully, so that they are able to contribute at meetings and be part of the ‘critical friend’ process
- not use meetings to pursue personal agendas or air individual grievances
- prepare for meetings by reading papers, making notes and formulating challenging questions
- not raise subjects that are not on the agenda
- ask positive and challenging questions
- not make statements rather than ask questions, or try to score political points
- contribute to setting forward work programmes and be prepared to assist in any Task and Finish groups
- try to ensure that they attend every meeting.
Scrutiny in Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire has five Overview and Scrutiny Committees;
How is Scrutiny monitored?
Each year an Annual Report is produced which reviews the work of the Committees over the previous year. The report focuses on the work the Committees have carried out, the differences the work of each Committee has made, key outcomes, training and development undertaken by Committee members and challenges for the Committees in the year ahead. Overview and Scrutiny Annual Reports are presented to Council and can be viewed on the Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Web pages.
Officer Support
Overview and Scrutiny Committees have support from Democratic Services Officers who provide advice and guidance to the Chair, Vice-Chair and Committee members and to any working groups established to undertake detailed investigations into particular areas of the work programme. Officers also co-ordinate the preparation and gathering of reports for consideration at Committee meetings.
Public Engagement
Scrutiny provides opportunities for members of the public to get involved with the work of the Council. If there is a topic that you feel strongly about or one in which you have a particular area of expertise, you can make a request to speak at an Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting. A protocol is available on our Scrutiny web pages which explains how this process works. Alternatively, members of the public can submit written views on a matter being considered by a Committee which is already on the Committee’s work programme, or can suggest a topic for Scrutiny. Forms are available on the Scrutiny web pages along with work programmes for each Committee, which list areas for Scrutiny over the coming months.
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 (Including Revenues & Benefits and Procurement)
- Information Technology
- Audit, Risk and Information Services
- Customer Services
- Human Resources
- Law and Governance
- Corporate Policy and Partnerships
- 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