Publications

The seventh in our series of Library Monitors; this report documents 13 reviews in to community engagement, assessing common features and provides a starting point for those interested in conducting an inquiry into this topic.

This guide can help OSCs influence development of the 10-year local delivery framework (LDF) for their area to ensure it supports efforts to increase the physical activity levels of the general population.

This publication examines the different perspectives of the various players involved in the provision of outsourced public services and their scrutiny: service providers, client side officers and overview and scrutiny councillors.

This guide is one of a series designed to help health Overview and Scrutiny Committees (OSCs) carry out their scrutiny work around various health, healthcare and social care topics.

The sixth in our series of Library Monitors; this report documents twelve scrutiny reviews into climate change, its impact on local authority services, and the cost of energy.

As part of our "putting it into practice" series, this paper discusses the third of our principles of good scrutiny - being "independed minded".

This new research paper from CfPS seeks to provide an analysis of all four parliamentary scrutiny models currently in operation in Britain, to compare and contrast their ways of working, and to analyse their effectiveness according to the Centre for Public Scrutiny four principles of good scrutiny.

Original research from the Centre for Public Scrutiny assessing how party political influence on overview and scrutiny has changed over time.

This guide describes the new Local Area Agreements, looking at what has been done to scrutinise them in the past, give ideas for preparing for the new round and then ideas for scrutiny in the future.

CfPS's Annual Lecture 2008, delivered by The Rt Hon Nick Raynsford MP in which he called for a greater level of transparency and scrutiny in central, regional and local government.

This publication is based on a review of acute health services undertaken by the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee of Warwickshire County Council during 2006.

This guide is one of a series designed to help health Overview and Scrutiny Committees (OSCs) carry out their scrutiny work around various health, healthcare and social care topics.

The fifth in our series of Library Monitors; this report documents twelve scrutiny reviews into flooding prevention and dealing with the effects of flooding.

This guide is one of a series designed to help health Overview and Scrutiny Committees (OSCs) carry out their scrutiny work around various health, healthcare and social care topics.

The purpose of this guide is to provide practical advice to health overview and scrutiny committees (OSCs) and commissioners of specialised services about how OSCs can best be engaged in and consulted on arrangements for commissioning and providing specialised services.

This publication showcases a selection of authorities whose scrutiny resulted in real effective outcomes and direct changes. It shows that across all topics and all types of authorities, scrutiny bites.

In this publication, the Centre for Public Scrutiny has joined forces with the three commissions to look at how scrutiny can put equalities at the heart of its review work and monitor specific equalities policies effectively.

The fourth in our series of Library Monitors; this report documents fourteen health scrutiny reviews into health service reconfigurations.

This new guide from CIPFA, CfPS and LGIU provides advice both for councillors and the finance officers whose job it is to provide information to them, on scrutiny of finance and the budget.

This report details the findings from the health scrutiny evaluation research carried out by the University of Manchester, commissioned by the CFPS. It focuses on the progress made in the development of health scrutiny within eight case studies.

This report provides a summary of the processes, achievements and lessons experienced through action learning in health scrutiny reviews during the second year of our Health Scrutiny Support Programme.

This guide is designed to help HOSCs carry out work relating to substantial variations and developments in health services. This latest publication is being issued to help OSCs prepare for redesign and reconfiguration proposals likely to come forward in each SHA area during 2007 and 2008.

Interviews with twelve scrutineers from across England and Wales, discussing how they are involved in and making an impact through scrutiny work.

This publication discusses contribution of local government health scrutiny, the wider patient and public involvement framework, inspection and regulation to democracy and accountability.

This guide is intended to help members of OSCs think through, compare and evaluate the information and views they receive in order to reach fair, balanced and informed conclusions and recommendations on behalf of the people they represent.

This special publication, composed of four case studies, looks into how district councils are effectively contributing to the health and well-being agenda.

This new publication by the Centre for Public Scrutiny examines a sample of the Audit Commissions CPA reports in order to extract common themes and trends regarding comments on overview and scrutiny in local authorities.

The fifth publication in a series of discussion papers from CfPS examines the relationship between overview and scrutiny and other forms of internal review that operate in local government.

This is the first in a new series of reports from CfPS that focus on its four principles of effective scrutiny. The first report explores the first principle: "providing critical friend challenge". The report examines effective questioning as a key component of a "critical friend" challenge.

Our latest version of 'Successful Scrutiny' shares case studies of scrutiny reviews that have resulted in better and more responsive public services.

Twenty-three reports from overview and scrutiny reviews on the topic of anti-social behaviour have been submitted to our online library. This report presents a comparative analysis of those reports and the approaches taken to review by each authority.

The nineteen reports considered for this paper are the result of reviews into the topic of waste disposal, management and recycling and how these affect their immediate locale and beyond.

This guide provides practical advice for health overview and scrutiny committees about producing a commentary on the performance of NHS bodies as part of the Healthcare Commission's annual health check.

Lessons from the first nine action learning projects that were funded as part of CfPS' Health Scrutiny Support Programme.

This is the first in a new series of reports designed to add value to the national library of scrutiny reviews. This launch edition focusses on scrutiny reviews of Post Office reconfiguration.

This report focuses on the use of the model in the European Parliament, highlights current practice, proceedings, and specific powers of rapporteurs.

A breifing for health scrutiny practitioners on recommendations made by DH's expert panel established to review arrangements for representing patients and the public in the NHS.

This handbook provides practical advice and guidance on overview and scrutiny in local government and is written to help elected members understand and perform their role.

This briefing considers how to maximise the effectiveness of questioning witnesses as part of the health scrutiny process.

This briefing summarises and comments upon the recommendations of a review of specialised commissioning, requested by Lord Warner (Minister for Health Reform) in October 2005.

A new research report that highlights the ways in which Ombudsmen act as independent scrutineers in both public and private sectors.

This research gathers examples of how some authorities' scrutiny members and officers have been involved in their authority's implementation of the new partnership arrangements.

This paper discusses the contribution the National Audit Office's "Value For Money" work to the scrutiny of Government, focusing on parliamentary scrutiny.

This briefing draws out the key issues for OSCs in policy guidance published by the Department of Health (DH) earlier in 2006.

This guide gives an introductory overview of NHS finance. It is based on the approach in England but some of the principles apply across the UK. It has been written to meet the needs of non-executive councillors serving on health OSCs.

This guide is the first in a series designed to help health OSCs develop a range of high-level questions around various health and healthcaretopics. The aim is to help OSCs learn from the experiences of others and to assist them to scope scrutiny reviews, based on some key questions.

The Good Scrutiny Guide outlines four principles of effective scrutiny which together build towards an accountability cycle to improve public services.

The third in a series of policy papers from CfPS discusses the strength, workload and influence of accountability provided by school governing bodies in the light of recent policy developments.

A study of the local authority 'call-in' procedure and the variations in its interpretation and use across English Councils.

Examples of evidence-based scrutiny reviews that have made an impact on the delivery of services by challenging executives to be more responsive, and giving the public a voice in shaping key decisions.

This guide aims to encourage and enable OSCs and NHS bodies to reach agreement on what constitutes 'substantial' within their local context.

A report of the third CfPS annual conference - Citizens, Scrutiny and Public Governance - which was held on June 23rd in London.

A report with findings from the first year of a three year research project being conducted by Manchester University as part of the Health Scrutiny Support Programme. Executive summary also available.

Research based on 12 local authority case studies that examines the developing relationship between local authority overview and scrutiny committees and the voluntary and community sector.

This pack has been designed for new parent governor representatives elected to serve on the local authority overview and scrutiny committee dealing with education matters.

This pack for mentors includes the same text as the individual Parent Governor Representative induction pack but includes notes for the mentor's use, which are indicated clearly throughout.

The second in a series of policy papers from the Centre for Public Scrutiny, 'the voice in the crowded room' outlines the landscape of external scrutiny across all tiers of government in the UK and makes an assessment of its ability to provide effective accountability and influence powerful executives in the wider arena of policy development.

Authoritative new guidance on best practice in sustainable procurement, launched this week by WRAP (the Waste and Resources Action Programme), could help councils to significantly boost their performance when it comes to efficient use of resources.

An assessment of the local government overview and scrutiny function according the CfPS' four principles of good scrutiny, by Professor Steve Leach.

This guide clarifies the distinct roles of OSCs and PPIFs and suggests ways that they can work together to maximise their influence on decisions about health and healthcare.

A CfPS publication charting the increasing number and variety of bodies involved in public scrutiny, setting out their functions, power and responsibilities.

The first in a series of policy papers from the Centre for Public Scrutiny, "Effective Public Scrutiny in Multi-level Governance" argues there must be a coherent strategy for effective public scrutiny at national, regional and local levels, in order to ensure increasingly complex mechanisms for modern multi-level governance deliver genuine results.

A group of overview scrutiny managers have jointly published Redefining Scrutiny in which they counter scrutiny's critics arguing instead that it is a significant catalyst for change.

A paper produced jointly with the national Primary Care Research and Development Centre providing an introduction to democratic engagement in the NHS, patient and public involvement in health, and health scrutiny.

This is a joint paper between the Audit Commission in Wales and CfPS on Scrutiny in Welsh Local Government.

This publication addresses different stages of the development of joint health OSCs from the legislative and constitutional framework, to planning ahead with health partners and neighbours, to carrying out joint health scrutiny reviews and tackling consultations from the NHS.

A start to finish view of the House of Commons' select committee system - the only publication of this kind that is specifically designed for OSCs as a tool by which they can critically examine Parliamentary scrutiny and compare it with their own processes.

A report covering keynote speeches, workshops, and discussion points from CfPS' annual conference 2004.

This is an a new CfPS project, designed to grow over time, providing examples of effective outcomes from scrutiny reviews in local government.

This guidance document looks at the specific lessons for councils operating under "alternative arrangements" since the introduction of overview and scrutiny. Examples are provided throughout.

This document does not seek to reproduce existing work but addresses some common issues and problems encountered by district councils as distinct from other forms of local government. Examples are provided throughout.

A new report by the New Local Government Network (NLGN), in association with CfPS, is calling on local authorities to address the extent to which overview and scrutiny is not yet embedded in the culture of their organisation.

A model illustrating those points where scrutiny can best intervene in the policy and planning framework.

The first four in a series of CfPS briefing papers focussing on scrutiny of: health; children's services; procurement and budgets.

This report summarises the key issues, concerns and points of view expressed at the conference and includes full reports from the workshops held on the day.

The first CfPS publication presents the case for strong public scrutiny from the different perspectives of those involved, from the Select Committee chair to the scrutiny officer and from the health sector to regional assemblies.