Overview and Scrutiny Committees
Watching the Detectives!
Is the Council tackling the things that concern you the most? Does
it deliver what it promises? Can you think of ways it could improve?
If you have views, Bexley's Overview and Scrutiny Committees would like to hear
from you. These Committees provide an independent view on the actions
and performance of Bexley's Cabinet - the Council's decision-makers.
They can also investigate issues that concern you even if they are
outside the direct control of the Council.
The Committees are keen to ensure that they are investigating the
things that concern you the most. This is your chance to "watch
the detectives" and suggest what they should put under the
microscope.
There are many ways you can become involved in the work being undertaken
by Overview and Scrutiny Committees:
We have a  Guide
to Scrutiny in Bexley (408KB, PDF file) leaflet describing how our scrutiny meetings
work and some ways that people participate.
Suggest things to look into
If you wish to propose an issue for the Scrutiny Team to examine please use our online Overview and Scrutiny Request Form.
Find out about decisions
To find out about decisions that the Overview and Scrutiny Committees have taken, or matters they are about to consider, you can look at the agenda reports and minutes of the meetings.
Scrutinise decision-taking
You can examine the decisions taken by the Cabinet to see if you think there is anything the Overview and Scrutiny Committees ought to investigate. Bear in mind that only members of the Committee can call-in and suspend decisions. However, the Committee has the power to investigate all important decisions, even after they have been implemented.
It will improve the likelihood of the Committee investigating the matter if you can suggest a particular aspect of the decision that needs investigation or any alteration to the decision that would benefit Bexley residents. You will be contacted if the Committee decides that it will take up your suggestion.
Attend a meeting
Overview and Scrutiny Committees currently meet at least 4 times
a year and are usually open to the public - those scheduled for
the current year will be shown on our calendar
of meetings.
Give us feedback on your involvement in Bexley's Scrutiny
To provide us with feedback on scrutiny meeting or event you were involved in, please use our Overview and Scrutiny Feedback Form.
Talk to the Committee
The Chairman can allow the public to speak to the Committee.
If you want to do this, you should write to the Chairman outlining
the issue and the points you would like to raise. It will
improve your chances if your points are linked to things
that the Committees are already investigating, or you can
suggest new activities that are well suited to the role
of the Overview and Scrutiny Committees. You will be contacted if the
Committee decides that you can address it.
Get involved in a sub-group
Much of the detailed work undertaken by the Committees
is done by sub-groups to investigate policy matters or get involved
in the Council's reviews.
If you feel that you have something valuable to contribute to the
work of a sub-group, you should contact the Chairman
of the Committee or a Councillor serving on the particular sub-group.
It would help if you could explain if you have any special knowledge
or experience that might help the sub-group undertake its investigations.
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