Overview and scrutiny is a statutory activity of the Council, its powers and responsibilities are set out in detail the Council’s Constitution.  The Council will appoint members to 2 Overview Committees and 2 Scrutiny Committees:

·                People and Health Overview Committee

·                People and Health Scrutiny Committee

·                Place and Resources Overview Committee

·                Place and Resources Scrutiny Committee

Each Overview and Scrutiny Committee will perform all those functions conferred on it by the Local Government Act 2000.

The Scrutiny Committees shall:

(i)           Challenge, review or scrutinise the decisions or actions taken by the Cabinet.

(ii)          Through the Call to Account process:-

·           Scrutinize and review decisions made or actions taken in connection with the discharge of any of the executive functions of the Council.

·           Consider petitions made in accordance with the Council’s Petitions Scheme requiring senior officers to be called to account at a public meeting of the Council.

(iii)         Through the Call-In process consider executive decisions.

(iv)         Provide clear focus upon the scrutiny of matters in relation to:-

·           The Council’s strategic approach to Dorset-wide objectives and the Corporate Plan

·           Budget plans

·           Transformation plans

·           The effectiveness of partnership arrangements

(v)          Consider matters referred through the Councillor Call for Action.

For information about public speaking, filming and how to get involved in committees, please see this page.

In the absence of any alternative joint arrangements having been entered into, the Overview Committee and the Scrutiny Committee with primary responsibilities for:

(i) “People and Health” shall be the Council’s Overview Committee and the Council’s Scrutiny Committee for the purposes of fulfilling the Council’s statutory duties in relation to crime and disorder;

(ii) “People and Health” shall be the Council’s Scrutiny Committee for the purposes of fulfilling the Council’s statutory powers in relation to health scrutiny; and

(iii) “People and Health” shall be the Council’s Overview Committee and its Scrutiny Committee for the performance of the Council’s statutory functions in relation to education matters.