Details
Convenors: Andrew Coulson and John Cade
This Workshop has been created for council officers who need to develop the skills and the techniques involved in support for Overview and Scrutiny - including Democratic Services Officers, Committee Services and Policy Officers. It can be used to develop the skills of recently appointed officers; more experienced scrutiny officers will find it a useful means of refreshing and updating their skills.
Good scrutiny depends on effective officer support as much as it does on member leadership. Anyone attending this event can expect to come away with a clear vision of what is needed to make scrutiny effective in their own particular circumstances, and in the current context of pressures on local authority budgets.
This seminar will examine the following key issues:
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The latest thinking on overview and scrutiny in the light of the Localism Act and the many pressures on council budgets
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The importance of relationships - between scrutiny members, the cabinet and senior officers
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The skills needed to manage the scrutiny process
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The particular skills involved in the scrutiny of financial issues and proposed service reconfigurations
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How to select appropriate topics for reviews and
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The opportunities for external and health scrutiny and the scrutiny of partnerships
The convenors for the day are Andrew Coulson and John Cade. Andrew is one of the most experienced scrutiny trainers, and has written many articles on scrutiny. He edited the book Scrutiny: Theory and Practice in Local Government and developed INLOGOV’s three- and five-day post-graduate modules on scrutiny topics. John was until recently Director of Scrutiny in Birmingham and is an Honorary Lecturer at INLOGOV.
Programme
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9.30
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Coffee and registration
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10.15
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Welcome, Introductions, Aims for the Day
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10.30
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Scrutiny in Local Government: What Works - Latest thinking in light of experience and new legislation
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11.15
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Refreshments
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11.30
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Relationships – the key to scrutiny success
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12.15
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The day-to-day skills of Overview and Scrutiny support
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1.00
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Lunch
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2.00
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Creating a Work Programme for a scrutiny committee
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2.30
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Scrutiny in a Harsh Climate – The Scrutiny of Budget Changes and Reconfigurations of Services
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3.00
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Refreshments
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3.15
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Beyond the Council: external and health scrutiny and the scrutiny of partnerships
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4.00
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Key Learning and Action Points
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4.15
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Seminar concludes
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Fees
£195 and £95 for a second participant from the same authority. Fee includes refreshments, lunch and resrouce pack.
Booking Information
To register for this seminar, please visit our e-shop, alternativley you can use our booking form (PDF, 166KB). If you have any problems booking then please contact Sue Platt (s.p.platt@bham.ac.uk).