Scrutiny and Governance

Members of the Authority represent the people of Cheshire and it is their responsibility to ensure that the policies, practices and services delivered are meeting local needs and to an acceptable standard.

The Authority has established a scrutiny process to help it be more proactive in holding the Constabulary to account for the services it provides, its performance and the policies it develops.

Scrutiny groups help the Authority develop a better understanding of the complex issues behind the performance of the Constabulary and other areas of policing activity. The Authority also uses the process to review its own performance, services and policies.

The Authority has six committees and panels which are responsible for monitoring the performance of the Constabulary and each one is able to recommend to the Authority an area of activity requiring further scrutiny. Local people can raise their concerns through "Have Your Say meetings" and other engagement methods and the issues they raise may also influence the issues chosen for scrutiny.

The Authority approves the areas of scrutiny and maintains a programme of activity. The parent committee/panel selects three Members with the most appropriate skills/interests to sit on the scrutiny group. Throughout the process, Members are actively involved with the officers of the Authority in dictating the overall direction of the work, and agreeing the progression to the next stage of work.

Important documents detailing the Governance arrangements can be found in the Documents and Information section.

A more detailed description of the Authority's scrutiny group process can be found here