Appendix 1
PEOPLE OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEE TERMS OF REFERENCE
1 Delegated Functions
1.1 The People Overview and Scrutiny Committee shall perform the overview and scrutiny role and function in relation to:
• Adult Social Care
• Council Public Health services (in accordance with Regulation 28 of the Local Authority (Public Health and Wellbeing Boards and Health Scrutiny) Regulations 2013 for scrutiny of the Council’s health functions.
• Life Events, including bereavement and registration services
• Communities and Equalities
• Children & Young People services
• Council Local Education Authority functions
• Adult Skills & Learning
• Library services
• Housing Needs, Homelessness and Tenant/Resident services
• Any other services within the scope of the Council’s Housing, Care and Wellbeing and Families, Children and Learning directorates which are not included in the terms of reference of another Overview and Scrutiny Committee.
2. Membership of the People Overview and Scrutiny Committee
2.1 All Councillors except members of the Executive, Cabinet Advisers or members of the Health & Wellbeing Board, may be members of the People Overview and Scrutiny Committee.
2.2 No member may be involved in scrutinising a decision in which they have been directly involved.
2.3 Members of the People Overview and Scrutiny Committee will be appointed by Council in accordance with the rules on political proportionality.
3. Co-optees
3.1 The People Overview and Scrutiny Committee will include 2 statutory education co-optees representing the Church of England and the Catholic Church, and 2 statutory parent governor co-optees. These co-optees will only attend and participate for matters relating to the Council’s Local Education Authority functions, and will have voting rights in relation to these functions.
3.2 The People Overview & Scrutiny Committee will also include non-statutory non-voting co-optees providing lived experience. These will be:
• A co-optee from the Parent Carers’ Council
• A co-optee from the Youth Council
• A co-optee from the Older People’s Council
• 2 co-optees representing the local Voluntary & Community Sector, one representing children and young people issues, and the other equalities and communities issues
• A standing invitee to provide lived experience of black and racially minoritised communities.
3.3 The Council may appoint additional non-voting co-optees to the People Overview and Scrutiny Committee as it chooses. Additionally, the Chair of the Committee may invite individuals to attend meetings of the Committee as they consider appropriate to the agenda.
4. Meetings of the People Overview and Scrutiny Committee
4.1 The People Overview and Scrutiny Committee will meet in accordance with a programme of meetings agreed by full Council. In addition, an extraordinary meeting may be called by the Chair or the Chief Executive at any time if they consider it necessary or desirable.
4.2 The People Overview & Scrutiny Committee shall meet in public.
5. Quorum
5.1 The quorum for People Overview and Scrutiny Committee meetings shall be 3 elected members.
6. Chair of People Overview and Scrutiny Committee
6.1 The Council will appoint the Chair and Deputy Chair of the People Overview and Scrutiny Committee.
7. Work programme
7.1 The People Overview and Scrutiny Committee will be responsible for setting its own work programme.
7.2 The Chairs of the Overview & Scrutiny Committees will work together to manage any overlap between the committee work programmes, minimising duplication.
7.3 Issues appropriate for Overview & Scrutiny may include, but are not limited to:
• Items on the Council Forward Plan due for executive or Council decision at a later date (pre-decision scrutiny)
• Issues suggested by members of the public
• Issues suggested by partner organisations
• Issues raised by any member, including executive members
• Issues relating to the performance of council services
8. Agenda items
8.1 Agenda items shall be agreed by the Chair of the People Overview and Scrutiny Committee, reflecting the committee work programme priorities.
8.2 Any voting Member of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee is entitled, by giving at least seven working days notice before the meeting to the Chief Executive, to request that an item relevant to the functions of the Committee be included on the agenda.
9. Task & Finish Groups
9.1 The People Overview & Scrutiny Committee may establish informal task & finish groups to undertake in-depth reviews of specific issues.