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Decision making (Cabinet and Committee information)
Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee : Terms of Reference
Membership :
- 8 Councillors from Adur District Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee; and
- 8 Councillors from Worthing Borough Council (not Cabinet members).
- Politically balanced.
Quorum : 4 members, 2 from each council (To include the Chairperson or Vice-Chairperson of the Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee).
Regularity of meetings : At least 4 per year
Advisory functions
Delegated functions
- Adur District Council and Worthing Borough Council will appoint a Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee to discharge the Overview and Scrutiny functions conferred on the Councils in relation to joint working between Adur and Worthing.
- The Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee has no authority to review regulatory policies or determinations or Member Code of Conduct issues relating to the individual Councils.
- ‘Joint Working’ shall mean:
- Joint service delivery;
- Shared service; and
- Joint functions.
General role
- To perform Overview and Scrutiny functions on behalf of the two Council’s in relation to the delivery of joint services across both authorities as outlined in the Joint Committee agreement;
- To appoint such Sub-Committees as it considers appropriate to fulfil the Overview and Scrutiny functions;
- To receive a joint report from the Leaders at their first normal meeting after the Annual Council meetings on the ‘state of the district/borough’ or their priorities for the coming year and the Joint Strategic Committee’s priorities for the coming year;
- To receive from the two Councils an annual Overview and Scrutiny work programme which is linked to the Councils’ priorities;
- To agree an annual work programme for each Sub-Committee to ensure that each Sub-Committee is effectively and efficiently utilised;
- To receive requests from the Joint Strategic Committee, Joint Delivery Committee, Joint Staffing Committee or Members to carry out additional work;
- To determine whether or not to carry out work requested under 6 above using the appropriate scoring method as agreed by the Committee, and if so to allocate to an appropriate Sub-Committee;
- To make an annual report to both Councils as to its work undertaken by Overview and Scrutiny and to recommend the annual work programme for the next municipal year.
Onward limits on delegations
The Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee will appoint Joint Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Committees to discharge the Overview and Scrutiny functions conferred on the Councils in relation to joint working between Adur and Worthing.
Joint Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Committee : Terms of Reference
Membership :
- 4 Councillors from Adur District Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee; and
- 4 Councillors from Worthing Borough Council (not Cabinet members).
- Politically balanced.
Quorum : 2 from each council (To include the Chairperson or Vice-Chairperson of the Joint Overview and Scrutiny Sub Committee).
Chairmanship : For each sub-committee to decide; or
- The Chairman shall be elected at each meeting on an alternate basis between the two Councils as the first item on the agenda for each meeting;
- At election the Chairman must be a member representing the Council of the area in which the meeting occurs; and
- The Chairman shall then hold office until the election of the Chairman at the next meeting.
Advisory functions
The following is taken direct from the Joint committee agreement:
- The Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee will appoint Joint Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Committees to discharge the Overview and Scrutiny functions conferred on the Councils in relation to joint working between Adur and Worthing.
- The Joint Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Committee has no authority to review regulatory policies or determinations or Member Code of Conduct issues relating to the individual Councils.
- ‘Joint Working’ shall mean:
- Joint service delivery;
- Shared service; and
- Joint functions.
General role
- To perform Overview and Scrutiny functions on behalf of the two Councils in relation to the delivery of joint services across both authorities as outlined in the Joint Committees Agreement;
- To carry out the work allocated to the Sub-Committee by the Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee.
- To appoint such Panels/Working Groups as it considers appropriate undertake specific tasks or reviews; panels / working groups to report to the sub-committee on completion.
- To receive ‘call-ins’ allocated and carry out any work necessary in relation to them;
- To undertake investigations into matters referred to it, and in respect of:
- matters originally referred by the Joint Strategic Committee, the Joint Delivery Committee or the Joint Staff Committee to report its findings and recommendations to that Committee;
- matters originally referred by the two Councils, identified by the Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee or Members to report its findings and recommendations to such Committee as shall have been identified by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee; or
- decisions that have been referred under the call-in procedure to report its findings and recommendations to the committee which made the decision.
- To review and advise on existing or new policies in areas of joint service delivery by the two Councils;
- To review and advise on existing or new policies in areas where the Joint Strategic Committee is considering options for joint service delivery by the two Councils;
- To review arrangements to secure continuous improvement in the way in which the two Council’s functions are exercised having regard to a combination of economy, efficiency and effectiveness;
- To monitor the performance of and risks relating to those services delivered jointly by the two Councils against national and local performance targets;
- To consider any matter affecting both areas or their inhabitants jointly; and
- To discuss initiatives/items put forward for consideration by individual members of the Councils where these relate to joint services.
Specific functions :
Policy Development and Review
The Joint Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Committee may
- Assist the two Councils, the Joint Delivery Committee, the Joint Strategic Committee and the Joint Staff Committee in the development of budgetary matters and policy frameworks by in-depth analysis of policy issues;
- Conduct research, community and other consultation in the analysis of policy issues and possible options, including any proposed business case, where these relate to current or potential joint service delivery;
- Question members of the Cabinets and senior officers about their views on issues and proposals affecting the two areas; and
- Liaise with other external organisations operating in the area, whether national, regional or local, to ensure that the interests of local people are enhanced by collaborative working.
The specific responsibilities and functions delegated to this Committee are set out in detail in Part 3 of the Council’s Constitution (.PDF 258kb).
See also :
- Agendas, reports and minutes of Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee
- See list of councillors serving on this committee
- Dates of committee meetings
