Overview and Scrutiny

Purpose of Overview and Scrutiny

Overview and scrutiny exists to ensure the Council's Executive is publicly held to account for its decisions and actions.

It promotes open and transparent decision-making and democratic accountability. It has a wide remit to explore how the Council and its partner organisations could improve services for the people of Nottingham. When evidence shows there could be a better way of doing things, overview and scrutiny can make recommendations for change.

Overview and scrutiny cannot make decisions or overturn the decisions of others.  Instead, it aims to support improvement.

Overview and scrutiny have specific powers and duties in relation to:

  • Organisations commissioning or providing NHS or public health funded services received by local people
  • Organisations involved in work to reduce crime and disorder in the City
  • Organisations with responsibility for managing flood risk affecting the City.

Overview and Scrutiny Committee - takes an overview of key strategic issues relevant to Nottingham, ensuring decision-makers are held to account for their decisions and actions.  

Health Scrutiny Committee - responsible for carrying out the statutory health scrutiny function in Nottingham and scrutinising adult social care issues.   

Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee - is responsible for reviewing and scrutinising issues and services that affect the wellbeing and safeguarding of children and young people in the City.  

Call-In Panel - a sub-committee of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee that meets to consider requests to 'call-in' a decision.  'Call In' refers to the power of overview and scrutiny to ask the Council's Executive to reconsider a decision that it has made but not yet implemented.

The agendas and minutes for all scrutiny meetings can be accessed online. Please click here to view details of the Council's meetings and decisions.

How to Get Involved with Overview and Scrutiny

There are many different ways to get involved with the work of overview and scrutiny, including:

  • Suggesting a topic for scrutiny
  • Providing information and evidence to inform a particular piece of review work - either written or in person
  • Attending a meeting to listen to the discussion.

The overview and scrutiny committee cannot investigate individual complaints about services. However, information from local people about their needs, experiences and concerns in relation to services can be useful in helping scrutiny councillors to get an impression of services overall.

If you have an experience that you would like to share, particularly in relation to forthcoming agenda items (see above), we would like to hear from you.  Please contact us via the contact details below to discuss further. 

Contact Information

For more information about overview and scrutiny, contact the Overview and Scrutiny Team: