centre for public scrutiny

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The Centre for Public Scrutiny is a charity whose principal focus is on scrutiny, accountability and good governance, both in the public sector and amongst those people and organisations who deliver publicly-funded services.

We believe that accountability, transparency and involvement should be the foundations of planning and delivering public services.

Effective scrutiny and accountability can hold services to account and create opportunities for communities and decision-makers to improve the quality of services by producing solutions to problems together.

The Centre supports individuals, organisations and communities by sharing research and analysis of current and developing best practice through publications, consultancy and events. We also create and support networks and on-line forums. The bulk of our work focuses on local government and the wider localism agenda, but we also work extensively with and for health and social care bodies, and others such as police, park and fire authorities, housing associations and other housing management organisations, universities, regulators, Parliament and select committees and government departments.

The Centre for Public Scrutiny is an independent charity (charity number 1136243) and company limited by guarantee (company number 5133443), governed by a Board of Trustees and supported by an Advisory Board. There are three Trustees from our founder members (LGA, CIPFA and LGiU) and six independent Trustees, including the Chair, the Rt Hon Nick Raynsford MP.

Since becoming a charity in 2010, we have published Annual Trustees Reports on our work in 2010-11 and 2011-12, and have recently reviewed our governance using our own Accountability Works for You framework, so that our governance arrangements have been amended and the Advisory Board refreshed, following consultation with key stakeholders.