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Scrutiny committees
Find out about our Scrutiny process.
Scrutiny committees examine our decisions and activities closely. They ask us to be open and accountable and review our services, budget, and policies.
The overview and scrutiny committee can 'call in' decisions made by the cabinet and recommend changing or reconsidering them.
The committees may review other organisations that provide services to Southwark residents. They can review statutory services, including those in the NHS.
The committee cannot look at individual complaints.
The scrutiny committees in Southwark are:
- overview and scrutiny committee
- education and children's services
- healthy communities
- housing and community safety
Any councillor elected who is not on the cabinet can be appointed to a scrutiny committee. Each scrutiny committee has 7 to 11 councillors. They represent a cross-section of Southwark's political parties.
Representatives from the community may be on a scrutiny committee. For example, scrutiny committees look at education. They include members of the Church of England and Roman Catholic dioceses. They also include elected parent governors.
You can browse committees to find out the members of each committee.
What happens during a scrutiny review
Once a committee picks a topic for review, it collects evidence from experts, community groups, and the public. It may also do site visits or 'mystery shopping.'
After reviewing the evidence, the committee issues a report with recommendations for the relevant governing body. The governing body considers the report and specifies its intended course of action.
Scrutiny meetings are open to the public, and each committee meets about 6 times a year.