[Deborah Breedon]

Deborah Breedon Wrote:

Ehammond Wrote:For those who do this: how do you ensure that such workshops / awaydays also take into account public concerns? Obviously things are filtered up through councillors from their constituents, but to what extent do the public have an active input into the work programme?

We send a pack out to Members in advance of the session, including SCS, LAA and corporate priorities; perception survey results such as place survey and planned actions - Local Neighbourhood Plans, service priorities etc.

What we did in addition this year bearing in mind the duty to involve was:-

1.

Sorry Technical glitch!

We send a pack out to Members in advance of the session, including SCS, LAA and corporate priorities; perception survey results such as place survey and planned actions - Local Neighbourhood Plans, service priorities etc.
What we did in addition this year bearing in mind the duty to involve was:-
1. Press release - encouraging people to contact scrutiny
2. Message on Website - inviting people to suggest possible topics for scrutiny
3. Wolverhampton City Council 'City People' intranet page - asking staff and residents if there were issues they thought should be a topic for scrutiny
4. We circulated the possible topics to Members at the away session to be deliberated along side issues they had brought to the table.
Topics were prioritised by Scrutiny Board

[Karen Dainty]

In Salford we have held a half day work programme event for about the past 4 years.

We invite all elected and co-opted members; senior council officers and partner reps (e.g., health, police, police authority....) In terms of "community" reps, we invite the chair of each of our 8 community committees, the chair of a number of networks, e.g., Older People's Forum, Youth Forum, Disability Forum, etc. Not everyone attends of course, but we have had around 40 - 50 people there.

We use the event to give feedback on the work O&S has been involved in over the previous year and key areas for development. We had a presentation last year on the new LAA and opportunities for scrutiny. This year we focused on the CAA and emerging themes from the Audit Commission.

This is then followed by group discussions and we ask each table to feedback some of their identified priority issues. We haven't yet encouraged people to move around, a la scrutiny cafe, but this may be a future option! We mix people up so we get a range of views and experiences on each table. Following on from the event, we carry out further public consultation asking people for their top 3 issues from the list drawn up.

This supplements the work done in each scrutiny committee in reviewing and developing their work plans and has usual focused on some of the more strategic/cross cutting issues for the city.

Get in touch if you want any further info.

Karen Dainty

[Tracey Tiff]

Many thanks all for your responses - most helpful - I have contacted a couple for further information.

Tracy