Agenda item

To present the report of External Audit.

The report of External Audit on the outcome of a review of the scrutiny arrangements at the Isle of Anglesey County Council was presented for the Committee’s consideration. The review explored with each of the 22 councils in Wales how “fit for the future” their scrutiny functions are and how well councils are responding to current challenges in relation to their scrutiny activity as well as how councils are beginning to carry out their scrutiny of Public Service Boards. The review also examined how well placed councils are to respond to future challenges in particular the continued pressure on public finances and the possible move towards more regional working between local authorities.

Mr Alan Hughes, WAO reported that the review of the scrutiny function at the Isle of Anglesey County Council found that the Council has strengthened its overview and scrutiny function and is making arrangements to meet future challenges. The review came to this conclusion because –

•           The Council is supportive of overview and scrutiny, and arrangements necessary to help overview and scrutiny members meet future challenges are being put in place.

•           Overview and scrutiny committee practice is improving, the range of evidence sources they draw on has increased, and scrutiny committees’ forward work programmes align with the work of the Executive, and

•           The overview and scrutiny function is contributing to improvements in performance and decision-making, and the Council regularly evaluates its effectiveness.

The review made the two following proposals for ways in which the Council  could further improve the effectiveness of its overview and scrutiny function to make it better placed to meet current and future challenges –

•           The Council’s Overview and Scrutiny function should further improve arrangements for promoting the engagement of the public and other stakeholders in scrutiny activity.

•           The Council should build on its experience through further self-assessment, to consider more innovative methods of undertaking scrutiny activity.

Some of the improvements made to Overview and Scrutiny at the Council which has strengthened the function include the following –

•           Councillor roles and responsibilities for scrutiny are clearly set out in the Constitution with member and chair role descriptions, and the member training and development programme has enabled those involved in the scrutiny function to develop a clear understanding of their roles.

•           The Council provides training on effective scrutiny and chairing skills as part of its councillor induction and scrutiny members’ development.

•           The Council has recognised the need to strengthen scrutiny of the Public Services Board and has begun to scrutinise elements of PSB activity including its draft well-being plan in March, 2018. The Scrutiny Improvement Programme action plan also identifies the further work that needs to be done in relation to scrutinising the PSB. This is set out in the report.

•           The quality of papers that were observed being presented to scrutiny committees is generally good and the Scrutiny Template provides guiding principles for scrutiny members including references to the Well-being of Future Generations Act’s five ways of working.

•           Overview and scrutiny committees regularly challenge and hold lead members and officers to account.

•           The scrutiny meetings observed as part of the review were well run.

•           The Council regularly evaluates the effectiveness of the scrutiny function and has identified good progress in a number of areas. These are noted in the report.

The Head of Democratic Services said that improving the Scrutiny function at the Council has been a collective endeavour between Officers and Councillors and has been effected through the three scrutiny panels as well as the scrutiny committees. Work to further improve and enhance the Scrutiny function will continue building upon the foundation which has been put in place and which is recognised in the report. The Scrutiny Improvement Action Plan will also be updated to reflect the recommendations of the External Audit report.

The Committee welcomed the report as a positive endorsement of the way the Scrutiny function is being developed at the Council, and in considering the information it made the following points –

•           The Committee sought clarification of whether there are examples of good practice with regard to communicating and engaging with the public in terms of better enabling their views and concerns to be heard in scrutiny and policy development.

The Committee did note that the Democratic Services Sub-Committee has given consideration to webcasting the Council’s scrutiny committees as a means of reaching the public but due to the costs involved and the current financial constraints on the Council, doing so was not recommended by the Democratic Services Committee at this time. Also an analysis of the data shows that the numbers viewing the committee meetings that are already webcasted by the Council are generally low unless the business covered includes issues that are or have proven contentious.

Mr Alan Hughes, WAO said that although Scrutiny at the Council is not lagging behind as regards its arrangements for promoting public engagement it needs to assess whether it is doing so consistently enough and whether there have been missed opportunities in terms of areas/topics that might have benefited from greater public involvement. It should form part of the ongoing dialogue about further improving and developing the Scrutiny function at the Council.

•           The Committee noted that the WAO recommends that the Council should consider more innovative methods of undertaking scrutiny activity. The Committee sought clarification of what forms of innovation might be introduced and whether there is evidence from other councils that innovation is required.

Mr Alan Hughes, WAO said that councils are operating under pressure in an ever-changing environment which as well as posing challenges, offers opportunities to find new and different solutions to the problems that they face. Councils also need to be in a position to respond to those changes. Public services are always evolving for example through technological change and increased communication and public awareness through social media. It is therefore a matter of scanning the horizon to see what methods are available to maximise public engagement with the scrutiny process.

It was resolved to accept the external audit report and its proposals for further improving the Scrutiny function at the Council.

NO ADDITIONAL ACTION WAS PROPOSED