What do the Overview and Scrutiny panels and Select Committees do?
- monitor and review policy formulation and implementation
- policy development
- quality review
- provide a check on the activities of the executive through call-in
- scrutiny of external bodies and agencies.
What do the Overview and Scrutiny panels and Select Committees not do?
It is not possible for the Overview and Scrutiny Select Committees to examine all aspects of service provision in depth.
The Overview and Scrutiny panels and Select Committees do not deal with individual queries, concerns, complaints or matters that are dealt with by the Council’s quasi-judicial committees such as Licensing and Planning.
With this in mind, the overview and scrutiny select committees try to address areas where the Council and its partners could improve, where there is concern in the community or where the Council is making significant changes.
If you are not satisfied with a service received from the Council, you are welcome to use the Council’s complaints procedure. Either contact the complaints department on 020 8314 7566 or pick up a form from any Council office or library.
What is call-in?
Call-in is a provision of the Local Government Act 2000 which allows overview and scrutiny members to ask the maker of an executive decision to reconsider a decision that has been made but not yet implemented.
At Lewisham, the overview and scrutiny business panels meet regularly to consider whether to call-in executive decisions which have been made.
When they consider the issue, the business panels may take no action; refer the matter back to the decision maker; or refer the matter to full Council if it appears that the decision is contrary to the policy framework or inconsistent with the budget. Where the matter is referred back to the decision maker, the business panels must set out the reasons for requesting a reconsideration of the decision in writing.
The decision maker is required to reconsider the decision within seven working days of receiving the request. They may amend the original decision or not. The final decision by the decision maker is not subject to further call-in.