Invitation to residents: Propose a topic for investigation by the Corporate Improvement Scrutiny Committee

Overview

Slough Borough Council’s ‘Overview and Scrutiny Committee’ agreed, in July 2024 its Forward Workplan of  key scrutiny topics or each of its monthly meetings from September 2024 to April 2025 in July 2024.   The Forward Workplan is not, however, set in stone and is constantly under review.  The committee therefore welcomes your ideas for new topics you think it should investigate over the coming year.

Any topics you proposed will be normally be considered by the Chair and Vice Chair within 4 weeks of your suggestion being made.  They will either:

• add it to the Forward Workplan as an item for one of their meetings,
• add it to the the reserve list of topic ideas for future consideration or
• they may reject it if they dont think it a topic suitable for scrutiny.

Lots of subjects are shortlisted by the committee and only a few can become full committee items or more detailed ‘task and finish group’ investigations. But if your topic is chosen, the committee will investigate the matter you raise, setting out all the relevant evidence with the ultimate aim of making recommendations to the cabinet to change and improve the way things are done.  You will be notified should your topic be placed onto the forward plan so thatr you can attend the relevant meeting.

If you have something in mind, use the link below to make your suggestion.

If you would like to get some help with submitting your proposal, why not ask one of your local ward councillors: Your Councillors (slough.gov.uk)

If you have more than one topic you would like to suggest, it would really help us keep track of things if you could submit them separately.

Please bear in mind that the committee is unable to consider individual service complaints, planning issues, licencing issues and/or issues already considered by the committee within the last 6 months.

Why your views matter

Overview and Scrutiny is an important part of local democracy. This committee’s job is to hold the council’s Leader and cabinet to account, and to make suggestions to them about how to improve things.

The committee aims to:

• provide constructive “critical friend” challenge;
• amplify the voices and concerns of the public;
• be led by independent people who take responsibility for their role; and
• drive improvement in public services.

When the committee can show evidence that improvements can be made, they make recommendations to the SBC Cabinet. The cabinet is required by law to respond to these recommendations. This ensures transparency and you can see what they do by attending the relevant public meetings, viewing them online or reading the agendas and minutes of their meetings.