Overview and scrutiny at Wakefield Council

Overview and scrutiny operate through:

• Adult Services, Health and Communities Committee
• Children and Young People Committee
• Corporate and Resources Committee
• Regeneration, Environment and Economic Growth Committee

The committees consist of elected members and co-opted members. The elected members are from different political parties. The co-opted members are either members of the public or representatives of organisations.

Interested in becoming a co-opted member?

The committees each hold at least six meetings per year. Meetings are generally open to the public and media, except for confidential items. We encourage public and media attendance as observers. Meeting details, agendas, and future dates are available on the Council's Meetings database.

How does Over​view and Scrutiny work?

Overview and scrutiny have no decision-making powers. It works by:

• investigating
• encouraging
• persuading
• reporting
• recommending

The committees examine a range of issues every year. This includes looking at how specific services are performing and recommending improvements. It may be a rapid review or take several months to complete. We gather information from diverse sources:

• professionals
• experts
• service providers and,
• members of the public

The committees do this through formal meetings, site visits and individual discussions.

After considering all the information, the committees will make recommendations for improvement to:

• Cabinet
• Full Council
• Wakefield Together Partnership
• Individual partner organisations such as the police, health service, housing and transport providers

Overview and scrutiny committees hold Council decision makers to account for their decisions.

Annual Report

Each year, overview and scrutiny produces an Annual Report about its work.

Joint Health Scrutiny

Wakefield works with other local councils on joint health committees. It has led on developing partnership arrangements for

• responding to statutory consultations 
• scrutinising regional scrutiny matters