How to get involved in Scrutiny

An Accessible and Open Process

We are keen to develop Scrutiny as an accessible and open process. All meetings of Overview and Scrutiny Committee are held in public, the meetings are more flexible than other council committees; everyone is welcome to attend. People can get involved in Scrutiny by contributing oral or written evidence to a Scrutiny Review, by submitting questions to a Scrutiny meeting or by being invited to participate in a Scrutiny Review Panel. People can also get involved by submitting topics for consideration as the subject of a future Scrutiny Review. You can get involved by:

• Being a witness
• Asking questions
• Writing to us
• Becoming a Co-optee

Being a witness

Like parliamentary select committees, scrutiny reviews may call a range of individuals to give evidence and answer questions. This may include service users and community stakeholders, as well as service providers, policy makers, managers and people who have some knowledge or expertise of the area under consideration.

Being called as a witness gives individuals – whatever their background – a rare and valuable chance to make a real contribution to improving the quality of local services.

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Asking questions

Members of the public can raise questions about a subject under Scrutiny Review or can submit questions in writing to executive councillors and chief officers called before the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

The Overview and Scrutiny Committee may call a Member of the Council Executive and chief officer to answer questions on the performance, policy plans and targets for their portfolio. The committee will also call local NHS executives to account for policy and performance issues in the health sector.

Questions should be sent in writing at least 5 clear days (one week) in advance of the meeting. Questions can be sent by email, post or fax to the Head of Local Democracy and Members’ Services, or to the clerk to the committee. For more information read 'Writing in to us' below.

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Writing in to us

Scrutiny Reviews can consider written evidence and members of the public, community groups, or other key stakeholders can write in to bring evidence to the attention of Review members.

Inevitably, Scrutiny Reviews have only a limited amount of time, so they are not able to hear oral testimony from all interested people. Written evidence provides an alternative way to receive evidence from key stakeholders–policy makers, service providers, service users and community groups.

Written evidence may put forward on a particular perspective of the issue being considered or may highlight evidence to help the investigation. It can also put forward questions for witnesses, which may be taken up by Members of the Review during the discussion.

Members of the public and community groups may also write in with suggestions of topics for possible future Scrutiny Review. Please use the forms below to comment on a review or to suggest a topic for review.

Written submissions should be sent to:

Email Scrutiny@haringey.gov.uk
Fax 020 8489 2662

Address
Strategic Support and Scrutiny
7th Floor, River Park House
255 High Road
Wood Green
London
N22 8HQ

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Becoming a Co-optee

Sometimes, people with expert knowledge or experience of the topic under review may be approached and asked to play an active role as part of the Scrutiny Review.

If there is a future Scrutiny Review planned that you would like to be involved in, either as a witness or to be considered as a co-optee, please contact us at:

Tel: 020 8489 2921 or 020 8489 2933

Email: Scrutiny@haringey.gov.uk

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Attached Files