How Decisions are Made

The Council is made up of locally elected Councillors who make decisions on how to provide local services on behalf of local people.

Decisions are made by democratic bodies, including the Full Council, The Cabinet, and other committees that Councillors are appointed to.

Meetings of these committees are normally open to the public. A full description of these bodies and meetings can be found in the Committees pages, which describe the purpose of each body.

Details of decisions that have been taken are posted on the Decisions page.

Videos of meetings (webcasts) and see decisions being taken.

In summary the Council's decision-making structure is:

• Full Council - at Full Council Councillors decide the Council's overall policies and set the budget each year
• The Cabinet - the Council appoints the Cabinet which has, as a main role, the task of developing and implementing policy on behalf of the Council. The Cabinet has to make decisions which are in line with the Council's overall policies and budget. If it wishes to make a decision which is outside the budget or policy framework, this must be referred to the Full Council to decide
• The Forward Plan - key decisions that the Council plans to make in the coming months are published in the Council’s Forward Plan
• The Licensing Committee operates as a statutory Licensing Committee to cover under the Licensing Act 2003. It also has other non-statutory responsibilities around Licensing. There is also a Licensing Sub-Committee which determines individual applications. 
• The Strategic Planning Committee considers strategic planning matters. There is also a Planning Sub-Committee which determines individual applications. 
• The Corporate Committee's responsibilities include making arrangements for proper administration of the Council’s financial affairs, formulating the Treasury Management Strategy Statement, Health and Safety at work (other than in the capacity as employer), functions relating to public rights of way, all functions relating to elections, approving the Council’s accounts and issues relating to them, authorising payments and benefits in cases of maladministration and audit functions
• The Pensions Committee and Board responsibilities include all functions (that are not the responsibility of the Executive) relating to the management and monitoring of the Council’s Pension Fund and the approval of all relevant policies and statement
• The Staffing and Remuneration Committee's responsibilities include determining the terms and conditions of service for staff, including procedures for the appointment and dismissal of staff and the pay structure, the approval all human resources policies and the exercise of functions relating to the appointment, dismissal and remuneration of the Head of Paid Service, Chief and Deputy Chief Officers. It is the parent committee for the Haringey Council and Employees Joint Consultative Sub-Committee and the Dismissal Appeals Sub-Committee
• The Alexandra Palace and Park Board performs the functions, powers and duties of the Council as Trustee of Alexandra Palace and Park under the Alexandra Park and Palace Acts and Order 1900 to 1985
• The Health and Wellbeing Board's functions include carrying out the statutory duties as set out in the Health and Social Care Act 2012, preparing Joint Strategic Needs Assessments and Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategies and encouraging integrated working between Health and Social Care commissioners
• Overview and Scrutiny Committee - Scrutiny is a statutory function which helps to ensure that local public services are delivered effectively, efficiently and in the best interests of residents. The Overview and Scrutiny Committee is supported in its work by four advisory scrutiny panels which cover the following service areas: Adults and Health; Children and Young People, Communities, Environment and Housing
• Standards Committee promotes and maintains high standards of conduct by councillors, co-opted members and representatives of organisations and parent governor representatives. It oversees the Members' Code of Conduct and Ethical Framework
• Officer delegated decisions are clearly described in Part Three, Section E of the council's Constitution. Certain types of decision must by law be delegated to an officer rather than being determined by Members. These include the appointment and dismissal of officers below Deputy Chief Officer level, discharge of the duties of the Returning Officer in elections and the Proper Officer functions. For the great majority of local authority functions it is a matter of local choice for the Council whether they are exercised by Members or delegated to officers

The framework that lays out how the council is governed is the council's Constitution which describes how the Council makes decisions and the role of Full Council, The Cabinet and various committees.

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