centre for public scrutiny

Wear Valley DC: Internal Communication »

The review was launched in response to several instances where internal communication in the authority was perceived to have failed.

Ashfield: catering service »

The objective was to undertake an in depth review of the Council’s internal catering service.

Ashfield: central office meeting space »

The objectives of the review were to consider the availability of central office meeting space and to recommend solutions to current problems.

Bath and North East Somerset: access to information in rural areas »

This review considered how the Council can help overcome issues of rural isolation by improving access to information about council services.

Bath and North East Somerset: communications review report »

Despite high satisfaction levels with individual Council services, customer satisfaction levels with the council as a whole appeared to be lower (only 60% were satisfied). This review looked at the ways in which the Council communicates information with the public.

Birmingham: operational property holdings »

This review looks at how the Council manages its large portfolio of office buildings, the balance of which falls within the properties portfolio with certain leased properties. The following report contains an element of the historical status and practice, and comes up with a number of recommendations to ensure that the property portfolio is more adequately serviced and maintained.

Birmingham: Problem Debt »

This review addresses the need for good quality, sustainable money advice in response to the needs of an increasing number of people in Birmingham who are in debt. It comes at a time when UK national figures on problem debt spirals out of control at £1.1 trillion.

Urban Design »

This review looks at whether Urban Design, the City Council's in-house provider of professional services relating to construction, design and maintenance, delivers a value for money, quality service. It exams in detail, its fees, costs and levels of client satisfaction.

Birmingham: neighbourhood offices »

The review looked at the role Neighbourhood Offices currently fulfil and how it can be developed in the future.

Birmingham City Council: Reducing Sickness Absence »

This report reflects on the current position on sickness absence, in which a new managing attendance policy has been introduced to tackle sickness absence rates. We chose to undertake a short review, building and expanding on work undertaken elsewhere in order to examine how managers are responding to the changes, what effect it is having on sickness levels and to consider what can be further enhanced.

Birmingham City Council: Retention and Development of Staff in the City Council »

One of the current challenges the City Council faces, resulting from the economic climate, is to manage change in the City Council’s workforce. This includes moving towards different ways of working as well as making reductions in headcount.

Birmingham City Council: Customer Services »

Investigation into Customer Services

DDA 2005 - Access to Council Facilities (Review) »

Short review looking at whether the publicly accessible areas of the Main Council Offices meet the necessary DDA access requirements.

Systems Thinking Review »

Review looking at the implementation and impact of 'systems thinking' within the Council.

Website Improvement »

Review to identify potential changes that can be made to the Council's website to improve its accessibility to customers.

Blyth Valley: ICT strategy »

The Commission undertook a review focusing on the Council's ICT strategy and how it was contributing to the delivery of the Council's vision.

Blyth Valley: sickness absence management »

This review set out to investigate what sickness absence statistics reveal and make recommendations to the Council in their light.

Bradford: scrutiny of Fairtrade across the district »

Full Council requested a review into progress against the Council's Fairtrade Policy.

Bridgend: agency staff expenditure »

A review of agency staff expenditure within the Authority.

Bridgend: human resources function »

A review of the efficiency and effectiveness of the Authority's Human Resources Functions across all Directorates of the Council

Staff Disabilities »

Brighton & Hove's Scrutiny Panel on Staff Disabilities was set up to investigate and to support the areas of good progress helping staff with an existing disability, those who may become disabled for whatever reason whilst at work and disabled people applying for a job. The Members heard of the on-going work in the Councils’ departments and with our partners.

Twelve Council staff with a disability spoke to Members to show something of the additional challenges that the workplace can present to employees with a disability impairment or medical condition, that may otherwise be hidden.

Based on the personal stories and evidence from other witnesses, recommendations were made on monitoring, communications, training, recruitment and selection, to policy development and partnership working. These will help achieve greater cultural changes towards inclusion and disability equality ‘excellence.’

Dignity at Work »

This scrutiny review was established to provide a mechanism for strong
Member input into the development of a Dignity at Work strategy for Brighton
and Hove City Council.

Bristol: property assets »

How do we ensure that the Council makes best use of its property resources?

Bristol: Staff, Health and Welfare »

what measures the council can put in place to effectively promote staff health and welfare

Bristol: Improving local service delivery »

The review looks ar how the council and other agencies can deliver services in a more targeted and effective way to meet the needs and aspirations of local communities