Scrutiny

Overview and scrutiny is an important part of local government, and is at the heart of a councillor's role as an elected representative. In this section you will find details about the Overview and Scrutiny Panels and their work, links to other scrutiny web pages, and find out how you can become involved.

Scrutiny aims

The aim of overview and scrutiny is to make decision-making processes more transparent, accountable and inclusive and to improve services for people by being responsive to their needs. For scrutiny to be effective, the process must be open, fair, constructive and positive. The aim is to challenge decisions so improvements can be made, not to apportion blame when things go wrong.

The scrutiny process should be inclusive and should aim to ensure that all those who wish to contribute - whether as councillors, officers, co-optees, specialists or members of the public giving evidence - feel valued and are able to speak freely and openly.

Overall, overview and scrutiny is about making a difference and improving the lives of the people who live and work in Carlisle.

Scrutiny FAQ

How does scrutiny work?

In Carlisle, scrutiny operates through three Overview and Scrutiny Panels - Health & Wellbeing, Economic Growth and Business & Transformation.

Each Panel is made up of 8 non-executive members appointed to reflect the political make up of the Council. The Panels meet up every six weeks and these meetings are generally open to the public.

The Panels also work in more informal ways, for example by holding workshops, going on site visits or looking at a topic in-depth by a small group of Members (sometimes called a Scrutiny Review). The Panels set their own work programme and produce an annual report on their activities.

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