A key role for opposition councillors on the County Council is Overview & Scrutiny. A number of Overview & Scrutiny Committees (OSC’s) exist to scrutinise and challenge the Conservative administration’s running of the council’s activities, and these are chaired by opposition councillors.

I am vice-chair of the Children’s, Young People & Families OSC (CYPF OSC), and also a member of the Environment OSC.

Today’s meeting of the CYPF OSC was a very good one. The highlight was a presentation of a review of bullying carried out by members of the County Youth Panel, culminating in a large number of recommendations that were backed by the committee and recommended to Cabinet for approval. We also finalised a review of Child Poverty and passed this on for Cabinet approval and action.

Both of these reports highlighted the fact that the work of OSCs is about policy development as much as scrutiny of others’ activities.