Dudley Council undertook a detailed scrutiny process looking at all aspects of its approach to dealing with the pandemic in an attempt to make the most of the learning when it can have the most value
The adult health and social care scrutiny committee has looked at a number of key issues at the council including stocks of PPE, emergency planning procedures and links with partner organisations.
Cross-party members looked at how the council had responded to the challenges of the pandemic through a scrutiny process which has received national attention.
The timing of the scrutiny, occurring whilst the pandemic is still very much ongoing, puts Dudley ahead of the curve nationally, but elected members felt it was vital to undertake the work whilst its relevance and impact had most value.
The first of the Covid-19 scrutiny sessions were held on September 3 featuring emergency planning, PPE and communications whilst the October 15 meeting covered scrutiny of the impact on frontline council services and the work of partner organisations to ensure a full system-wide scrutiny is undertaken.
The final scrutiny meeting took place on November 4 with a specific focus on how regional partnerships and national government activity has linked up with the local authority’s response to the crisis.
