HEREFORDSHIRE COUNCIL'S SOCIAL CARE AND HOUSING SCRUTINY COMMITTEE

(As from May 05 Childcare matters are dealt with by the Children’s Services Scrutiny Committee.  Consequently this committee was re-named Adult Social Care and Strategic Housing Scrutiny Committee)

The Council has established Scrutiny Committees for Education, Environment, Health, Social Care and Housing and Social and Economic Development. 

A Strategic Monitoring Committee scrutinises Policy and Finance matters and co-ordinates the work of these Committees.

The purpose of the Committees is to ensure the accountability and transparency of the Council's decision making process.

The principal roles of Scrutiny Committees are to

·         Help in developing Council policy

·        Probe, investigate, test the options and ask the difficult questions before and after decisions are taken

·        Look in more detail at areas of concern which may have been raised by the Cabinet itself, by other Councillors or by members of the public

·        "call in" decisions  - this is a statutory power which gives Scrutiny Committees the right to place a decision on hold pending further scrutiny.

·        Review performance of the Council

·        Conduct Best Value reviews

·        Undertake external scrutiny work engaging partners and the public

Formal meetings of the Committees are held in public.

The Social Care and Housing Scrutiny Committee review the Social Care and Strategic Housing programme areas including scrutiny of arrangements under Section 31 of the Health Act 1999 having regard also to links with the Herefordshire Partnership and the Health Scrutiny Committee.

For further information please contact Tim Brown, Committee Manager (Scrutiny) on (01432) 260239 or e-mail: tbrown@herefordshire.gov.uk