The Council’s new Overview and Scrutiny structure
General
All councils must have an Overview and Scrutiny structure which acts as a check and balance for the decision making of the Cabinet – sometimes called the Executive.
Overview and Scrutiny also allows residents, local businesses and visitors to have a greater say in Council matters by holding public inquiries into matters of local concern. These result in reports to the Cabinet and the Council as a whole, which can influence policy, the budget and service delivery.
In Bournemouth, Overview and Scrutiny is delivered through separate Overview Panels and Scrutiny Panels working with an informal Overview Board.
Overview Panels
There are six Overview Panels which help the Cabinet and the Council as a whole on policies and big local issues. Part of their role is to encourage debate and test a wide range of views. Whilst they don’t make decisions themselves they make recommendations to the Cabinet and the Council on matters referred to them.
Five of the Panels are linked to the themes of ‘Bournemouth 2026’ – the new name for the Bournemouth Partnership:
- Bournemouth and Poole Economic
- Health and Well Being
- Investing in People
- Safer and Stronger Communities
- Sustainable Environment
There is also an Administration and Value for Money Overview Panel.
Each Panel is made up of 9 Councillors and meets at least four times each year.
Click here to view the diagram of the allocation of service areas for Overview Panels.
Scrutiny Panels
There are four Scrutiny Panels which check the performance of the Cabinet and the Council’s services to make sure that they are efficient, effective and provide what users want. They are:
- Adult and Community Services
- Children and Family Services
- Environment and Economy
- Health
The Panels also examine decisions made but not yet carried out by the Cabinet. This is known as the ‘Call-in’ system and can result in the Cabinet being asked to change or improve a proposed decision.
The Health Scrutiny Panel looks at all matters affecting the health of residents of the Borough, including National Health services.
Each Panel is made up of 9 Councillors and meets at least four times each year.
Click here to view the diagram of the allocation of service areas for Scrutiny Panels.
Overview Board
The Board is an informal body that is made up of 21 Councillors representing the Cabinet, each Statutory Board, Overview Panel and Scrutiny Panel. The role of the Board is to prioritise and timetable major issues and policies across the Council and its partners, including Bournemouth 2026 and the Local Area Agreement.
The Board meets every six weeks.
| 
