
Scrutiny Links- Local and National Websites
Below is a list of website we think you might find useful. Please let us know if you find any of the links aren’t working, or if you know of any relevant sites that are not included.
1. Scrutiny- General
The Centre for Public Scrutiny
The Centre for Public Scrutiny has been created to promote the value of scrutiny in modern and effective government - not only to hold executives to account but also to create a constructive dialogue between the public and its elected representatives - to improve the quality of public services.
http://www.cfps.org.uk/
The Scrutiny Map
This section contains information on the range of bodies engaged in public scrutiny. It also provides resources that will be useful for those with an interest in each area.
http://www.cfps.org.uk/scrutiny_map/index.php
The Good Scrutiny Guide
The guide is being refreshed for 2006 at present
http://www.cfps.org.uk/publications/index.php
Realising the Potential of Scrutiny: Research and Recommendations on the Overview and Scrutiny function in Local Government (2003/4)
A new report by the New Local Government Network (NLGN) is calling on local authorities to address the extent to which overview and scrutiny is not yet embedded in the culture of their organisation
http://www.cfps.org.uk/pdf/publications/9.pdf
Putting the Public First through Performance Management (2006)
a briefing which looks at how to ensure a user and citizen focus to performance management
http://www.idea-knowledge.gov.uk/idk/aio/4446549
'Real roles for members' - The role of non-executive members in the new structures (2000)
Report from the LGA's Community Member Task Group on the roles available to non-executive members in the new arrangements for political management introduced by the Local Government Act 2000.
http://www.lga.gov.uk/lga/blg/818-00.pdf
A Hard Nut to Crack? Making Overview and Scrutiny Work (2001)
This report makes clear that there are a number of very real and important roles for non-executives. From being scrutineers to members of full council to Community champions, the report identifies some of these roles and illustrates them with examples of good practice from local councils. The report recognises however, that there is a major challenge to local councils in ensuring that members are adequately supported in performing these new roles.
http://www.lga.gov.uk/Documents/Briefing/Our_Work/BLG/nut.pdf
2. Inspection
Audit Commission
The Audit Commission is an independent public body responsible for ensuring that public money is spent economically, efficiently, and effectively in the areas of local government, housing, health, criminal justice and fire and rescue services.
http://www.audit-commission.gov.uk/
National Audit Office
The National Audit Office scrutinises public spending on behalf of Parliament. We are totally independent of Government.
http://www.nao.org.uk/
Ofsted
Ofsted is the inspectorate for children and learners in England. It is our job to contribute to the provision of better education and care through effective inspection and regulation.
http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/
IDeA
The Improvement and Development Agency (IDeA) works in partnership with all councils, to enhance the performance of the best, accelerate the speed of improvement of the rest, and develop the sector as a whole. They excel at creating local solutions for local needs by combining visionary goals with highly professional management.
http://www.idea-knowledge.gov.uk/idk/core/page.do?pageId=1
3. Local Government
Local Government Association
The LGA exists to promote better local government. We work with and for our member authorities to realise a shared vision of local government that enables local people to shape a distinctive and better future for their locality and its communities. We aim to put local councils at the heart of the drive to improve public services and to work with government to ensure that the policy, legislative and financial context in which they operate, supports that objective.
http://www.lga.gov.uk/home.asp
Association of London Government
The ALG is committed to fighting for more resources for London and getting the best possible deal for London’s 33 councils. We formulate and develop policy, lobby government and others, and also run a range of direct services.
http://www.alg.gov.uk/
Mayor of London and the Greater London Authority
The official website for the Mayor of London and the Greater London Authority
http://www.london.gov.uk/
The Department for Communities and Local Government
(Formerly Office of the Deputy Prime Minister)
The job of the Department for Communities and Local Government is to help create sustainable communities, working with other government departments, local councils, businesses, the voluntary sector, and communities themselves.
www.communities.gov.uk/
4. National Government
Government Office for London
Work representing ten central Government Departments in the capital, delivering their policies and programmes.
http://www.gos.gov.uk/gol/
Information for Local Government from Central Government
Info4local provides local authorities with quick and easy access to information from more than 65 government departments, agencies and public bodies. It is run by a group of seven departments, with the Department for Communities and Local Government in the lead.
http://www.info4local.gov.uk/
Local Government Information Unit
The Local Government Information Unit is an independent research and information organisation. We represent the interests of local authorities by providing practical, independent advice, resources and training
http://www.lgiu.gov.uk/index.jsp
5. General- Local
Enfield Observatory
Enfield observatory, which pulled in data and documents relating to Enfield to make it as easy as possible, especially for public use.
Enfield Observatory
The Enfield Strategic Partnership
The Enfield Strategic Partnership (ESP) has been set up to bring together all the major public sector organisations, local businesses, community and voluntary groups to make our borough the best place to live, work, study and do business.
http://www.enfieldsp.org.uk/
CPA- Enfield’s Homepage
The Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA) is the main inspection through which a Council’s performance is evaluated.
http://www.audit-commission.gov.uk/authority.asp?CategoryID=ENGLISH^576^LOCAL-VIEW^AUTHORITIES^102894&CPAOnly=True
Every Child Really Does Matter - Enfield’s Local Area Agreement March 2006
The collection of targets that make up our Local Area Agreement (LAA), the plans to drive up performance in a variety of services
http://www.enfield.gov.uk/council and demo/key plans and strategies/Local Area Agreement.pdf
6. Websites For Scrutiny Panels
Adult Social Services
Age Concern
The UK’s largest organisation working with & for older people
http://www.ageconcern.org.uk/
Commission for Social Care Inspection(CSCI)
The CSCI inspect and report on care services and councils to improve social care and stamp out bad practice
http://www.csci.org.uk/
The Department of Health
The aim of the Department of Health (DH) is to improve the health and wellbeing of people in England
http://www.dh.gov.uk/socialcare
The Princess Royal Trust for Carers
The Princess Royal for Carers is the largest provider of comprehensive carers support services in the UK
http://www.carers.org
Children’s Services
The Department for Education and Skills
The Department for Education and Skills was established with the purpose of creating opportunity, releasing potential and achieving excellence for all.
http://www.dfes.gov.uk/
Ofsted
Ofsted is the inspectorate for children and learners in England. It is our job to contribute to the provision of better education and care through effective inspection and regulation.
http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/
Every Child Matters
Every Child Matters: Change for Children is a new approach to the well-being of children and young people from birth to age 19.
http://www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/
Environment, Parks & Leisure
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
One department has brought together the interests of farmers and the countryside; the environment and the rural economy; the food we eat, the air we breathe and the water we drink.
http://www.defra.gov.uk/
Transport for London (TfL)
The primary role of TfL, which is a functional body of the Greater London Authority, is to implement the Mayor of London's Transport Strategy and manage transport services across the Capital.
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/
Highways Agency
The Highways Agency is an Executive Agency of the Department for Transport (DfT), and is responsible for operating, maintaining and improving the strategic road network in England on behalf of the Secretary of State for Transport. We have a major role in delivering the Government's Ten Year Plan for Transport..
http://www.highways.gov.uk/default.aspx
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
The DCMS is responsible for Government policy on the arts, sport, the National Lottery, tourism, libraries, museums and galleries, broadcasting, creative industries including film and the music industry, press freedom and regulation, licensing, gambling and the historic environment (listing of historic buildings and scheduling of ancient monuments).
http://www.culture.gov.uk/about_us/
Health
The Department of Health
The aim of the Department of Health (DH) is to improve the health and wellbeing of people in England
http://www.dh.gov.uk/Home/fs/en
A guide to the NHS for members and officers of health scrutiny committees (2003)
This guide to the NHS provides an insight into the NHS in the 21st century.
It explains how it works; how it is monitored, regulated and inspected; its
priorities and targets and the key drivers for partnership working. It also
includes an A–Z of financial terms used and an A–Z of the NHS.
http://www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/06/99/22/04069922.pdf
National Health Service
It is recognised as one of the best health services in the world by the World Health Organisation but there need to be improvements to cope with the demands of the 21st century.
http://www.nhs.uk/
The North Central London Strategic Health Authority
North Central London Strategic Health Authority (NCLSHA) is the headquarters for the local NHS based in the boroughs of Barnet, Enfield, Haringey, Camden and Islington serving a population of 1.2 million people. (Organisation defunct from 1st July 2006 replacement not yet known)
http://www.nclondon.nhs.uk/
Enfield Primary Care Trust
Primary Care Trusts are responsible for improving the health of local people, understanding the various health needs and making sure services are available to meet these needs.
Enfield Primary Care Trust holds the NHS budget for the Enfield's population of nearly 290,000 people. We work closely with GPs, dentists, opticians and pharmacists, as well as local hospitals, to develop high quality healthcare for people in Enfield. We also directly provide services such as: community nursing, physiotherapy, other therapists, podiatry, sexual health services and services for people with learning difficulties. The Trust also makes sure that hospital care and other specialist treatment is available for local patients when they need them.
http://www.enfieldpct.nhs.uk/
Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust
We are a major London hospital trust based in north London, across two main hospital sites, providing general and specialist care to patients.
http://www.bcf.nhs.uk/
North Middlesex University Hospital Trust
Our aim is to provide for the local community a hospital of excellence by continually striving to provide a first class service to meet the local needs. By setting high standards, and being innovative, we will meet the challenge of a modern NHS. The North Middlesex University Hospital Trust will inspire others by proving that dedicated, highly motivated trained staff using the resources available can provide a diverse health care service, which the local community deserve.
http://www.northmid.nhs.uk/
Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health Trust
Our Trust provides a range specialist mental health services including inpatient, outpatient, community and day hospital services across Barnet, Enfield, Haringey and parts of South Hertfordshire.
http://www.beh-mht.nhs.uk/
London Health Observatory
The LHO is one of a network of nine Regional Public Health Observatories (PHOs) that were created in England following the publication of the White Paper "Saving Lives: Our Healthier Nation".
http://www.lho.org.uk/Default.aspx
Practise Based Commissioning
This paper sets out proposed arrangements to give GP practices commissioning budgets from April 2005. The right to hold a budget is a first step towards the development of a sophisticated range of ways in which practices are involved in commissioning which support the principle of greater devolution. Practice based commissioning will assume greater importance in the NHS system overall.
http://www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/09/03/59/04090359.pdf
Dr Foster
Dr Foster Intelligence promotes effective decision-making in health and social care.
http://www.drfosterintelligence.co.uk/index.asp
Kings Fund
The King's Fund is an independent charitable foundation working for better health, especially in London. Our goals are to help develop: informed policy, by undertaking original research and providing objective analysis; effective services, by fostering innovation and helping put ideas into action; and skilled people, by building understanding, capacity and leadership.
http://www.kingsfund.org.uk/index.html
Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health
The Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health works to improve the quality of life for people with mental health problems. We carry out research, policy work and analysis to improve practice and influence policy in public services.
http://www.scmh.org.uk
Commission for Social Care Inspection
The Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) registers, inspects and reports on social care services in England.
http://www.csci.org.uk/
Housing
Audit Commission
The Audit Commission is an independent public body responsible for ensuring that public money is spent economically, efficiently, and effectively in the areas of local government, housing, health, criminal justice and fire and rescue services.
http://www.audit-commission.gov.uk/
The Department for Communities and Local Government
(Formerly Office of the deputy prime minister)
The job of the Department for Communities and Local Government is to help create sustainable communities, working with other government departments, local councils, businesses, the voluntary sector, and communities themselves.
http://www.communities.gov.uk
Federation of Enfield Community Associations
http://www.feca.co.uk/
Enfield Council Housing Strategy 2005-2010
http://www.enfield.gov.uk/868/Housing%20Strategy.pdf
Home Connections - Enfield's choice based lettings scheme.
http://www.homeconnections.org.uk/Enfield/CFEHome.jsp?partnerName=Enfield&websiteformat=graphical&colorSchemeText=1
Enfield Council- “Tackling Anti-Social Behaviour”
A Guide for Residents. December 2004
http://www.enfield.gov.uk/Housing/Council and Social/anti social behaviour/Tackling Anti Social Behaviour.pdf
Almo Arms Length Management Organisation (ALMOs) – Department for Communities and Local Government
http://www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1152487
Audit Commission Key Lines of Enquiry. Criteria for assessing and measuring the effectiveness and efficiency of housing services.
http://www.audit-commission.gov.uk/kloe/housingkloe.asp
Special Projects
Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA)
The Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) exists to make sure that London’s police are accountable for the services they provide to people in the capital.
http://www.mpa.gov.uk/default.htm
Home Office
The Home Office is the government department responsible for internal affairs in England and Wales.
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/
Feedback
Has the content of this site been helpful?
Have you got a suggestion for a future Review?
Compliments, Comments & Complaints
Frequently Asked Questions
This document was last updated on 2008-01-14 16:00:05 published by the Sysadmin team. Document Reference:LBE_129554


