Current projects

CfPS are working on a number of projects at the moment. The delivery of the usual annual programme of training, seminars and the annual conference are elements of this.

Guidance for the 2007 Act

Key work for the first part of 2009 lies in the preparation of best practice guidance for the scrutiny elements of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act. CfPS has been commissioned to provide this guidance by Communities and Local Government. The first priority is the production of guidance on Councillor Call for Action, scrutiny of partners, joint committees and scrutiny in district councils. Further work on other areas will be carried out in the spring.

Safeguarding children, and Comprehensive Area Assessment (CAA), and other work for the IDeA

The Improvement and Development Agency for local government (IDeA) have commissioned CfPS to carry out two pieces of work for them. One is on safeguarding children, to support a wider programme of support for authorities on this issue being planned by IDeA, and the other is on CAA and how scrutiny members can use the IDeA's self-assessment toolkit to challenge their authority's preparation for CAA and its expectations around partnership working. CfPS has also recently been involved in several of the IDeA support programmes for new unitary councils.

Regional scrutiny

Following on from an evaluation of the Yorkshire and Humber Assembly's scrutiny function, further capacity building work is about to begin with local authorities in the Yorkshire and Humber region to create a scrutiny officer and member network. Similar work is being undertaken with authorities in the North East.