Recommendations from the Cabinet and Enhanced Scrutiny Model report.

1.   As of the Annual Council Meeting 2013, Option B be agreed with four Overview and Scrutiny Committees with nine Members each, meeting on a calendar monthly cycle for the 2013/14 Municipal Year. Scrutiny Coordinating Committee to monitor and review this.

2.   The Leader should revisit its portfolios to avoid overlap, for example Cobtree and Maidstone Leisure Centre between the Economic and Commercial Development and Community and Leisure Services portfolios.

3.   The Spatial Planning Advisory Group and the Housing Consultative Board be subsumed into scrutiny to avoid duplication and strengthen the scrutiny process.

4.   A phased approach is taken to the induction for new Members.

5.   Information supplied to new Members should be accessible including contact details for key staff and information on the services provided by the Council, and who to contact regarding those services and alignment to Cabinet Portfolios.

6.   A glossary of acronyms and terminology and a Frequently Asked Questions list be made available to all Members using the expertise of current Members to identify common areas.

7.   The development needs for scrutiny and an appropriate programme be developed by the Overview and Scrutiny Chairmen and the Scrutiny Team. This could include an annual event with other Councils and use of the Parliamentary Outreach support.

8.   All new Members should attend a scrutiny committee meeting as part of the induction process.

9.   Mentoring of Members be encouraged.

10.                Each Overview and Scrutiny Committee should identify development needs at the beginning of the year and then on a quarterly basis via the Scrutiny Coordinating Committee.

11.                Cabinet Members should attend Committee meetings to present completed Scrutiny Committee Recommendation Action Improvement Plans and the action that will be taken following recommendations; and

12.                The Scrutiny Coordinating Committee meet quarterly and monitor Overview and Scrutiny Committee recommendations as part of its role.

13.                Cabinet Member decision reports are amended so they contain contact details for the Cabinet Member and Officer.

14.                Cabinet Members should make themselves available to discuss forthcoming decisions with Members.

15.                The decision notice for Cabinet Member decisions should contain a section summarising any views put forward by other members on the decision and how these have been taken into account in the decision.

16.                That Overview and Scrutiny Chairmen be encouraged to include visiting members at committee meetings.

17.                Cabinet Members should seek to involve scrutiny pre decision wherever possible.

18.                Party/Group Leaders should continue to improve the appointment process to Overview and Scrutiny Committees to encourage the right Members.

19.                Cabinet Members should attend scrutiny at three points during the year to discuss their portfolio and progress made.

20.                Each Overview and Scrutiny Committee should meet individually to set its work programme with the relevant Cabinet Members invited to give their forward plan for the year ahead.

21.                The Scrutiny Coordinating Committee should meet following the individual Overview and Scrutiny Committee meetings to review the work programmes to address overlap and identify opportunities for joint working.

22.   The Chief Executive, as part of the review of structure, be recommended to agree that Scrutiny remain with Policy because there is a natural synergy between the two services and closer matching of skills than in Democratic Services.

23.   Any amendments to the Constitution necessitated by the approval of recommendations 1 – 22 be drafted by the appropriate Officers and, if appropriate, reported back to the next meeting of Council for approval.