PAT in Sefton
Submitting a Question to Sefton Councillors:-
Questions must be in writing and relate to a single issue. This can be done by:-
Completing the on-line question form.By downloading the Open Forum word version form. By downloading the Open Forum pdf version form.The form should be completed and submitted to the Committee Clerk at least 15 minutes before the start of the meeting (by 3 p.m. for fax or on-line submissions).
If possible your question will be answered at the meeting, if not the aim is to write to you within 10 working days.
It is preferable for the form to be completed in advance of the meeting. This will enable us to try to give you a response at the meeting. If you wish to do this:-
Complete the on-line question form or
FAX it to 0151 934 2034 (to be submitted by 3 p.m. on the day of the meeting);
or
Send your form to:- The Legal Director, Sefton Council, Town Hall, Lord Street, Southport, PR8 1DA
PAT parents are promoting local democracy and the active participation of parents as full and equal care partners in local democracy processes. PAT parents work together as a Scrutiny and Accountability Workgroup and can arrange for you to attend council area committees, council meetings, meetings with councillors and meetings of the various council scrutiny committees. The PAT workgroup can help you prepare and submit your question to a council meeting.
For local issues related to the ward where you live there are 7 Area Committees which are based on Ward boundaries as follows:-
Crosby Blundellsands and Church and Manor and Victoria Formby Harington and Ravenmeols Linacre and Derby Derby and Linacre Litherland and Ford Ford and Litherland Sefton East Parishes Molyneux and Park and Sudell Southport Ainsdale and Birkdale and Cambridge and Dukes and Kew and Meols and Norwood St Oswald and Netherton and Orrell Netherton and Orrell and St OswaldEach Committee meets regularly and members of the public from within the area are invited to attend. Details appear in the local Press and are displayed in all libraries
The first part of every meeting is an "Open Forum" where members of the public can ask questions, raise matters or present petitions about Council issues.
Open Forum
A period of up to the first 45 minutes (60 minutes in Southport) of each meeting will be set aside for an Open Forum. During this time the public are invited to ask questions, raise matters, or present petitions on issues which are relevant to the Council. Members of the public may ask questions or speak and make representations about any matter of general interest or concern in the area which is of relevance to the Council. If the matter is the responsibility of another Committee, it will be referred to that Committee to be dealt with.
Members of the public may also present a petition during the open forum and a spokesperson may make a brief statement about the content of the petition, which must be about an issue of relevance to the Council in the area. Such a petition must be signed by at least 25 residents of Sefton. Notice of a petition about a matter not already on the agenda must be given to the Legal Director at the address shown above by 12 noon on the day before the meeting.
What happens at the meeting?
The Chair of the Committee will decide which matters are dealt with and the order in which they are taken. Questions which are defamatory, unsuitable, frivolous or derogatory will not be accepted. If possible your question will be answered at the meeting, but if not, the aim is to write to you within 10 working days. You will not be able to discuss the reply to your question, but you may ask one supplementary question.
A maximum period of 5 minutes is allowed for a statement or speech by the person who wishes to make representations or present a petition to the Area Committee. After the statement, the speaker may be asked questions. This is up to the Chair of the meeting and this period will not exceed five minutes. To ensure best use is made of the Open Forum, it is not intended that representations should prompt lengthy debate.
You can normally only ask one question, make one representation or submit one petition to each meeting of the Area Committee. However at the discretion of the Chair an additional question or representation may be allowed if time permits. You cannot ask the same question, make the same representation, or submit the same petition again within a three month period.
Replying to matters raised
Replies to questions/representations will normally be oral. If a response is required and it cannot be provided at the meeting or the matter is not reached within the designated period of the Open Forum, the matter will either be passed to:
The appropriate officer for a written response The appropriate Cabinet Member for further considerationIf you need help completing this form, in advance of the meeting, please contact the Committee Section on (0151 934 2067) or see the Committee Clerk in attendance at the meeting who will be pleased to assist you.
What is Scrutiny?
The Local Government Act 2000 brought changes to political structures within local government. One effect of these changes was the creation of a Cabinet, given wide powers to deal with the day to day decisions involved in running the council, and the introduction of Scrutiny Committees. Members of the Scrutiny Committees have an important role acting as a check on the Cabinet, holding it to account for its decisions, reviewing Council policies and making recommendations for future policy directions.
What Scrutiny is not!
Although public comments and questions in Scrutiny and Review committee meetings is encouraged, it is not a complaints system and there is a separate Corporate Complaints System in place for use members of the public. You can download a copy of Sefton's Scrutiny Handbook here.
Sefton's Structure
Since May 2006 there are four Scrutiny and Review Committees at Sefton MBC:-
Performance and Corporate Services Children's Services Regeneration and Environmental Services Health & Social CareThese Scrutiny and Review Committees meet regularly and in public. They comprise of ten non-Cabinet Members representing all political parties. The Committees are entitled to carry out in depth reviews and investigations in to any of a large number of areas of the Council's work, as well as that of external organisations which affect the people of the Borough such as a health authority or external provider of services used by residents.
Each Scrutiny and Review Committee is able to adopt their own style of working and also develop their own work programmes. It is hoped that these work programmes can be developed with contributions from members, Council Officers and the Public.
How do I get involved?
Scrutiny and Review Committees at Sefton actively welcome involvement from the public and seek the views of members of the public on services and areas under review and any suggestion for topics for review. We also encourage the public to attend meetings and/or send their views to the Scrutiny Support Team:
Southport Town Hall,
Lord Street,
Southport PR8 1DA
Telephone 0151-934-2042
Useful contacts details and addresses for Senior Officers responsible for Sefton Children's Services
Bryn Marsh
Strategic Director
Children’s Services
Merton House
Stanley Road
Bootle
L20 3JA
0151 934 3706
Colin Oxley
Assistant Director - Inclusion
Children’s Services
Merton House
Stanley Road
Bootle
L20 3JA
0151 934 3128
Cllr Robertson
Leader of the Council
161 Liverpool Road North
Maghull
Liverpool
L31 2HH
0151 934 2252
Cllr Dowd
Cabinet Member, Children’s Services
1 Thirlmere Drive
Litherland
Liverpool
L21 5JL
0151 934 3361
Cllr Glover
Chair, Scrutiny and Review Committee – Children’s Services
31 Preston Road
Southport
PR9 9EE
01704 534969
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