Havering Council has adopted a new protocol designed to streamline responses and improve the efficiency of its scrutiny process, fostering a more collaborative and effective working relationship between the council's Cabinet and its scrutiny function.
The protocol, endorsed by the People Overview & Scrutiny Sub Committee, establishes clear expectations for communication, information sharing, and conduct between the two bodies. It emphasizes mutual respect, timely access to information, and a focus on evidence-based challenge to improve council services and decision-making.
Under the new protocol, the Cabinet and scrutiny function will share information through timely access to relevant materials, with Cabinet Members also expected to share key lines of enquiry in advance when attending scrutiny meetings. Cabinet will provide formal, recorded responses to scrutiny recommendations, which will then be tracked to assess their implementation and impact.
Councillor Tom Vickery suggested an amendment to ensure that when Cabinet responds to scrutiny recommendations by stating that the council already carries out the work, there should be an explicit reference to where this work can be found, such as in policy documents or dashboards. This amendment aims to make Cabinet's responses more transparent and verifiable. The current process involves scrutiny recommendations being presented to Cabinet, with the Chair and/or Deputy Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Board potentially presenting them. Cabinet is expected to give formal, recorded responses, which will be tracked alongside the recommendations to analyse their impact.
Councillor Petru Eugen Dinsorean raised concerns about the five-calendar-day timeframe for requesting scrutiny after an item is added to the Council's Forward Plan of forthcoming key decisions. He suggested this should be extended to five working days to accommodate holidays and busy schedules. Sandy Hamberger, Statutory Scrutiny Officer, explained that the five-calendar-day period falls within a broader 28-day window before items reach Cabinet. However, she agreed to explore the possibility of changing it to five working days, which would allow members more time to review items and prevent them from missing opportunities for pre-decision scrutiny.
The protocol also addresses the roles of co-opted members. Discussions ensured their inclusion and visibility within the framework, clarifying their status and ensuring their contributions are valued. Councillor Vickery noted that the protocol was written for 'members' without clear indication of how co-opted members fit in. Ms Hamberger acknowledged that while the protocol is applicable to all scrutiny members, she agreed to clarify the exact role and status of co-opted members, as their involvement has now been formalized.
The effectiveness of the new protocol will be reviewed annually by the Cabinet and the Overview and Scrutiny Board, with any changes requiring agreement from both. The protocol also commits to regular training for both Cabinet and Scrutiny Members to ensure their skills are updated, with the training plan subject to review at the annual protocol review.
The endorsement of this protocol is a significant step towards enhancing the council's governance, ensuring that scrutiny processes are robust, transparent, and ultimately beneficial to residents. The full details of the protocol can be found in the public reports pack for the People Overview & Scrutiny Sub Committee meeting on 8th September 2026 Public reports pack 08th-Sep-2026 19.00 People Overview Scrutiny Sub Committee.