|
The council's Overview and Scrutiny Committees have the following main roles:
- to discuss and make recommendations on the development of Council policies and the budget;
- to hold the Leader and the Cabinet to account for their actions;
- to play a key role in considering matters of local concern;
- to undertake service reviews; and
- to scrutinise the work of other agencies including the Health Trusts serving the Medway area.
As well as council services, scrutiny has powers to monitor and to hold to account local health service providers. Scrutiny can also consider services provided by other agencies and other matters of importance to the people of Medway.
Overview and scrutiny committees can develop their own programme of policy reviews. This allows them to investigate issues in innovative ways. Much of this work is undertaken by informal sub-groups of councillors who are able to call on advice from experts and evaluate best practice.
When an overview and scrutiny committee has completed its investigations it can make recommendations to the council's decision-makers. The cabinet or full council is obliged to consider these recommendations and provide a response back to the committee.
Below is a comprehensive library of all the policy review reports produced by Medway Council's overview and scrutiny committees since they were established in 2001.
Business Support
Updated 28 November 2007
|
Review
|
Terms of reference
|
Date completed
|
|
Property and Property Services (pdf 89KB)
|
Review of the non-operational holdings, premises used to support service delivery (operational portfolio) and services and systems used to manage the property portfolio.
|
November 2003
|
|
Parliamentary Election (pdf 132KB)
|
Review of the arrangements for the recent parliamentary election.
|
November 2005
|
|
New Civic HQ
|
To act as a quality assurance for the overall management of the project - monitoring progress, risks and the budget.
|
Continuing task group (due for completion April 2008)
|
|
Energy conservation
|
To consider if, and how, measures can be introduced to ensure the new Civic HQ can be a flagship for energy conservation.
|
Continuing task group
|
Children's Services
Updated 28 November 2007
|
Review
|
Terms of reference
|
Date completed
|
|
School Organisation Plan (pdf 19KB)
|
To scrutinise the draft School Organisation Plan.
|
July 2002
|
|
SEN - Home to School Transport (pdf 21KB)
|
To review the criteria on Special Educational Needs (SEN) - Home to School Transport for children with an SEN statement.
|
September 2002
|
|
Behaviour and SEN (pdf 44KB)
|
To consider issues of inclusion, behaviour and special educational needs.
|
February 2003
|
|
Housing provision for vulnerable young people (pdf 405KB)
|
To investigate increasing the number of dedicated beds available to young people known to the Youth Offending Team and to develop working links with the Supporting Young People Programme.
|
April 2003
|
|
Understanding the work of the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) (pdf 152KB)
|
To review the LSC's relationship with the council, its roles and responsibilities for the education of 14-19 year olds, funding arrangements, participation and performance and to explore the skills gap in the local economy.
|
June 2003
|
|
Education of looked after children (pdf 22KB)
|
To explore the educational achievements of Medway's looked after children, the support provided and ways to improve their chances of success and progression.
|
December 2003
|
|
Youth Justice Plan update (pdf 129KB)
|
To contribute to the production of the Youth Justice Plan.
|
March 2004
|
|
Youth Services (pdf 62KB)
|
To review services provided to young people and to review the council's performance against national standards.
|
May 2004
|
|
Raising attainment at Key Stage 2 (pdf 231KB)
|
To investigate and identify ways to improving attainment at Key Stage 2.
|
February 2005
|
14-19 Task Group
Interim report (pdf 30KB)
Addendum report (pdf 11KB)
Final report (pdf 42 KB)
|
To consider issues in the 14-19 education inspection and contribute to the production of the action plan and monitor its progress.
|
Interim report
Addendum report December 2005 Final report
February 2007
|
|
Fostering Task Group (pdf 18KB)
|
To review payment structures, training of providers and the out of hours pilot scheme. To also consider the restructure of the Carer Supervision Policy.
|
30 November 2006
|
|
Bus fares (pdf 21KB)
|
Investigate the introduction of half price bus fares for chidren travelling to and from school.
|
20 February 2007
|
|
Youth facilities
|
To consider and to assess current facilities and whether they are well used (including the current access to them), suitably promoted and best value for money.
|
Continuing task group
|
Community Services
Updated 14 April 2008
|
Review
|
Terms of reference
|
Date completed
|
|
Review of the 24 hour economy (pdf 183KB)
|
To investigate ways the council can develop the economy by making services, entertainment and facilities more widely available at times and venues which suit the needs of all age groups and backgrounds, taking into account changing work patterns.
|
March 2003
|
|
NHS Renal and Vascular Services (pdf 126KB)
|
To participate in a Joint Panel with Kent County Council to respond to the consultation on the future configuration of Renal, Vascular and Interventional Radiology Services in Kent and Medway.
|
August 2003
|
|
Effectiveness and evaluation of referral and initial assessment systems (pdf 279KB)
|
To investigate the referral and initial assessment systems and identify any weaknesses. To ensure that systems exist to inform senior managers of important issues affecting teams that provide direct services to children and families.
|
December 2003
|
|
Community Learning Service (pdf 256KB)
|
To investigate how the service can be enhanced and improved to provide quality services, responsive to the needs and lifestyles of all areas of the community and to take the service into the 21st century.
|
December 2003
|
|
Library Services (pdf 251KB)
|
To investigate how Medway is developing community-based learning and leisure facilities and to look at schemes currently offered and to consider how increased provision could be offered to communities.
|
December 2003
|
|
Delayed discharges from hospital (pdf 379KB)
|
To investigate the reasons for delays taking place and identify the strategies and services which the NHS and the Council area adopting to limit the delays
|
December 2004
|
|
Sheltered housing (pdf 228KB)
|
To evaluate the sheltered housing stock taking into account specific elements set out in the terms of reference.
|
December 2005
|
|
Bereavement Services (pdf 1,776KB)
|
To review the cemetery regulations, current policies and other service issues.
|
September 2007
|
|
Day care services for adults with a disability (pdf 4,145KB)
|
To review day care services, investigating how services can be improved and modernised.
|
April 2008
|
Regeneration and Development
Updated 28 November 2007
|
Review
|
Terms of reference
|
Date completed
|
|
Parking charges (pdf 23KB)
|
To explore changes to the parking tariff structure and differential changes in the towns.
|
July 2002
|
|
The future development of air transport in the United Kingdom (pdf 761KB)
|
To review the consultation document "The future development of air transport in the UK" particularly those elements associated with the option of establishing a new airport at Ciffe.
|
October 2002
|
|
Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL) domestic services (pdf 212KB)
|
To participate in a Select Committee with Kent County Council to review CTRL domestic services and to identify the best service pattern for the communities of both areas.
|
January 2003
|
|
Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL) freight services (pdf 144KB)
|
To participate in a Select Committee with Kent County Council to review CTRL freight services and to identify the best service pattern for the communities of both areas.
|
January 2003
|
|
Greenspaces Regeneration Strategy (pdf 52KB)
|
To oversee the process of policy development and project implementation and encourage partnership working and community participation.
|
September 2004
|
|
Access for All - Local Transport Plan (pdf 312KB)
|
To investigate the issues around accessibility in relation to work, education, healthcare, leisure and shopping and to examine potential solutions to problems and identify prospective partners to work with to help deliver those solutions.
|
December 2004
|
|
The future provision of water in Medway (pdf 1,177KB)
|
To determine whether adequate plans and associated resources are in place to meet Medway's future needs for drinking water, taking into account the planned growth in Medway and the surrounding area.
|
July 2007
|
|
Alleygates (pdf 48KB)
|
To carry out detailed work into long-term solutions with regard to alley gates including giving consideration to community safety issues and the environment.
|
September 2007
|
|
Bus stop parking restrictions
|
To oversee and monitor the process for improving accessibility at bus stops.
|
Continuing task group
|
|
Text version | Accessibility help | Change contrast | Printer friendly
