AU & Societies’ Scrutiny Committee

1. AU & Societies’ Scrutiny Committee

2. Overview • What is Scrutiny? • Your responsibilities • What to do at Scrutiny Sub-Committee Meetings • What to scrutinise • What to do at AU/Societies Meetings

3. What is Scrutiny? • ‘Critical observation or examination’- Oxford Dictionary definition • Northamptonshire County Council’s Scrutiny Committee responsibilities: • Proposing action to respond to issues affecting Northamptonshire • Contributing to the development of new policies • Reviewing the effectiveness of policies and services already in place • Monitoring performance against important targets • Providing constructive challenge to decision-makers and holding them to account for their decisions and priorities.

5. Your Responsibilities • Read your role description • Hold to account the Elected Officers of the Students’ Union (VPSE/Societies Officer/AU Officer) by discussing reports and planning questions and actions for the Committee • Generate questions for Officers at AU or Societies’ Committee based on these reports. • To monitor the financial accounts and propose actions where necessary (AU only). • Provide financial reports for AU Committee (AU Only). • Reports will be sent to your sub-committee Chair at least 48 hours prior to a meeting.

6. Extra Responsibilities • Attendance at all AU or Soc committee meetings • Read the Sports/Societies bye-laws • Send your minutes to AU/Societies Chair at least 5 days before AU/Societies Committee meetings

8. Scrutiny Sub-Committee Meetings • Read your Terms of Reference • Must occur at least 5 working days in advance of an AU or Societies Committee Meeting • Maximum of 1.5 hours • Elect a Chair and a Secretary at your first meeting. • Chair sets Agenda, chairs meeting and acts as a spokesperson at AU/Soc meetings • Secretary distributes and uploads agenda to the website. Secretary also takes meeting minutes and uploads them to the website.

9. Scrutiny Sub-Committee Meetings • Current dates AU Committee (Mondays): • 13th October • 10th November • 8th December • 19th January • 16th February • 23rd March • April TBC • Current dates Societies Committee (Tuesdays): • 14th October • 11th November • 9th December • 20th January • 17th February • 24th March • April TBC

10. What to Scrutinise • What to include in your report: • Finances (AU Only): • Is too much/too little being spent? • Which clubs are responsible for this? • Tiered Funding: • Are all Clubs/Societies reaching their targets i.e. volunteer hours, loyalty points? • Should disciplinaries affect Tiered Funding Levels? • Disciplinary outcomes • Officer Reports: • Did they submit a report on time? • Progress on mandates • Have they been fulfilling their role? • Any other issues with their report or points that need clarifying?

11. AU/Socs Committee Meeting • There will be a section on the AU & Societies’ agenda for scrutiny • After each Officer report….scrutinise! • Scrutinising Officer Reports: • Did they submit a report on time? • Progress on mandates • Have they been fulfilling their role? • Any other issues with their report or points that need clarifying?

12. Re-Cap • ‘Critical observation or examination’- Oxford Dictionary definition • Read your role description • Be honest and fair • Do not disclose commercially sensitive information • What to scrutinise?