Author: Ed Hammond
Lessons from scrutiny improvement reviews
In 2018, CfGS carried out its first evaluations of local authority scrutiny functions using a new method, and under a new title. We brought together our wealth of research, policy and practical experience and developed the “scrutiny improvement review” (SIR) as a consistent and comprehensive way to evaluate scrutiny arrangements, to diagnose problems and to […]
Post-pandemic recovery: the importance of debriefing
We are currently drawing together evidence to support some guidance for councils on how they can use scrutiny to look back on their experiences during the pandemic – as well as to look forward to today and tomorrow’s new policy challenges. Both tasks will involve fundamentally new ways of working for scrutiny. Scrutiny has reflected […]
Scrutiny, governance and “levelling up”
Perhaps surprisingly, the Prime Minister’s speech on “levelling up” last week provided less, rather than more, certainty about what the Government flagpole policy agenda actually means for local councils and the communities they serve. A helpful intervention from Robert Jenrick served to anchor some of the changes in the context of the devolution agenda, but […]
An update on the Health and Care Bill
Happening parallel with England’s run of success at the Euros (and ongoing covid rolling news), the introduction into the Commons of the long-awaited Health and Care Bill received less media coverage than it perhaps ought to have done. Here is the second fundamental reorganisation of the NHS in less than a decade – at once […]
Bolstering governance
This week (w/c 5 July 2021), we are starting work to highlight the need for councils to support and bolster their commitments to good governance, as we continue to emerge from the pandemic. The pandemic has been exceptionally tough. Restrictions are being removed in the coming weeks but we are far from through this emergency. […]
2021 annual survey: main findings
Our annual survey of overview and scrutiny in local government is published today (7 July). It’s been the first opportunity to fully assess the impact of the pandemic on councils’ scrutiny functions, and to think about the role that scrutiny might play as we set about the task of recovery. Councils’ approaches on, and successes […]
Financial scrutiny
New municipal year, new financial year – same pressures. We move into quarter 2 of 2021/22 still struggling to shake off the pandemic, and still facing unprecedented uncertainty about fundamental aspects of the way we do business. In our recent annual survey – full findings of which will published in the coming days – 78% […]
An update on the forthcoming Health and Care Bill
Last week we held a webinar for councillors and officers on the subject of the forthcoming Health and Care Bill. We were joined by colleagues in the Bill team at the Department for Health and Social Care, who heard the views of scrutiny practitioners about the likely changes which the Bill will bring about. There […]
Remote meetings partnership: compendium of information on remote meetings
In England, a partnership of national organisations came together in March 2020 to support councils to put remote meetings arrangements in place. In recent months, the partnership has been co-ordinating discussion on the planned end of remote meeting powers on 6 May 2021, and exploring alternative options and actions to mitigate. This document is intended […]
Best Value intervention: what is it and what does it mean for local accountability?
Last week the Secretary of State announced his intention to exercise his powers to appoint commissioners to run certain services operated by Liverpool City Council. This is a big, and rare, event – only four councils since 2010 have previously been subject to this kind of intervention (for the completists, they are, in reverse order, […]