centre for public scrutiny

The Centre for Public Scrutiny is a charity dedicated to promoting the theory and practice of good governance, and the principles of accountability, transparency and involvement. You can find out more about us as an organisation - including some quick links to some of our most popular publications - by clicking on the "About Us" tab, above.

The bar on your left will take you to parts of the site where you can access work we've done recently, and work we're planning in the future.

All publications - a library of over 200 pieces of research and practical guidance and best practice advice that we have produced since we were established in 2003. You can find a selection of our more popular recent publications via the "quick links" page.

Accountability Works - this major project, kicked off by research published in April 2010, has focused on identifying the links between different forms of accountability operating in the delivery of public services. More recently we have developed Accountability Works for You, a framework designed to assist organisations who wish to improve their governance arrangements.

Ageing Well programme - this programme, funded by Age UK, explored how backbench councillors in local authorities can help to tackle issues affecting the elderly.

Events - this page provides links to forthcoming and previous events organised by CfPS, as well as providing information on events organised by others attended by CfPS staff.

National Overview and Scrutiny Forum - we manage a national practitioners' forum for overview and scrutiny in England and Wales - you can find the agendas and minutes of meetings here.

Police and Crime Panels - information on the support that we, along with the LGA, have provided to councils in the setup and early operation of these new bodies, which will both support, and scrutinise, elected Police and Crime Commissioners.

Policy and Skills Briefings - these popular publications, added to regularly, provide national background and best practice on a number of current issues. Written to meet the needs of those involved in local government scrutiny, we try to publish roughly one every month and a half.

Supporting health, care and well-being scrutiny - since 2004, the Centre for Public Scrutiny has been running a Department of Health funded support programme for the 150 health overview and scrutiny committees of social services authorities as they have developed their powers to promote the well-being of local authorities through effective scrutiny of health, care and well-being issues. More recently we have been working with a number of local areas as they develop their approaches to the health services reforms.

Tackling health inequalities - our major programme examining health inequalities involves us working with a number of local agencies, including councils, to explore how overview and scrutiny can make a positive contribution to tackling difficult problems centred on equality and deprivation. You can download our "Peeling The Onion" guide which outlines the successes of the first phase of this project.

Tenant scrutiny - research and practical guidance on powers of scrutiny arising from the Localism Act, giving social housing tenants the right to hold their landlords to account.

Training and development - we provide direct consultancy to organisations seeking to enhance their governance arrangements, both through our Accountability Works For You framework and by providing one-off support - this involves drawing on our significant body of research to help people to explore practical issues around the practice of effective accountability. We have a team of Expert Advisers - practitioners especially selected by us who have the skills and knowledge necessary to provide a high quality service to our clients.

Working with regional scrutiny networks - setting out our plans, and activities, working with our Regional Advocates to provide additional support to overview and scrutiny practitioners through the regional scrutiny networks.

Last updated 19/2/2013