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Terms of reference:
1. To be
responsible for the scrutiny and review of the decisions and
performance of the council.
2. To carry
out the functions falling within the committee’s area of
responsibility as set out below, working within the budget and
policy framework approved by the Full Council, except where these
functions remain the reserve of the Full Council or have been
delegated to another committee within the council’s scheme of
delegation.
3. To seek
assurance of the existence and application of key policies and
strategies as well as undertaking scrutiny of performance
monitoring to evaluate whether expected outcomes are being achieved
in accordance with the council’s corporate plan.
4. To
establish sub-committees to progress work of the
committee.
5. To decide
on matters falling within its responsibility or delegate decision
making to Directors of the council. However, this does not prevent
the committee from choosing to exercise the function
itself.
Areas of responsibility:
a. Overall
responsibility for audit and governance frameworks (including
functions of an audit committee).
b. Oversee
compliance with the council’s duties concerning Best
Value.
c. Monitor
implementation of agreed recommendations and actions from both the
Internal and External audit reports.
d. Monitor
progress on the council’s annual plan.
e. Review and
approve the Annual Governance Statement.
f. Exercise scrutiny over the council’s budget; the
management of its budget, capital programme, treasury management,
reserves, revenue borrowing and assets and the audit arrangements
thereof, plus associated strategy and policies.
g. Exercise
scrutiny of the quarterly budget monitoring reports.
h. Exercise
scrutiny and approval (where applicable) of the annual Statement of
Accounts, financial outturn, and external audit reports.
i. Receive an annual report setting out the activities relating to
compliance with key council policies including (but not limited to)
anti-bribery, anti-corruption, whistleblowing policies, modern
slavery and equality, diversity and
inclusion.
j. Receive and review the Local Government and Social Care
Ombudsman’s annual report.
k. Receive
and review, on a quarterly basis, the latest version of the key
performance indicators and targets from each committee which seek
to ensure the provision of cost effective, quality services to the
community (as part of the council’s own performance
management regime).
l. Review and/or scrutinise decisions made, or actions taken, in
connection with the discharge of any of the council’s
functions and make reports and/or recommendations to Full Council
where necessary.
m. Undertake, in
specific circumstances, pre-scrutiny reviews relating to council
services and projects.
n. Exercise
the right to call-in, for reconsideration, decisions made but not
yet implemented by any policy committee.
o. Work jointly on the corporate governance
framework with the Chairs of Standards and Constitution and
Strategy and Resources committees, incorporating strategic
planning, corporate risk and performance
management.
p. Carry out the council's responsibilities under
Section 19 of the Police and Justice Act 2006, to scrutinise the
work of the Community Safety Partnership (CSP)
annually.
In carrying out its responsibilities the committee
will:
1. Work in
partnership with other policy committees, sub-committees and panels.
2. Scrutinise
the application of the Risk Management Strategy and oversee the
corporate risk register, key performance indicators and any other
actions relevant to the committee under scrutiny. The committee
shall raise risk issues and concerns with relevant policy committee
chairs.
3. Have
oversight of any matters of interest or concern relevant to this
committee’s remit.
To make recommendations regarding:
a. Matters
with significant budgetary and/or policy implications arising
from:
- Internal or External
audit reports.
- The reviewing and scrutinising of the performance
of the council in relation to its policy objectives, performance
targets, committee work plans and any Government sponsored
assessment regime.
- Presentations by representatives of outside
organisations about services which have a significant impact upon
local residents.
b. Consideration of any Councillor Call for Action.
c. Changes to
this committee’s terms of reference.
d. Other matters
under the committee’s jurisdiction which, by virtue of
statutory provision, must be determined by Full Council.
To resolve:
a. Matters in
connection with above with no significant budgetary and/or policy
implication.
b. Decisions
to refer matters to policy committees.
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