28/7/2004 - £20,000 for pioneering health scrutiny project

Today, Cumbria County Council has been awarded £20,000 to carry out an innovative action learning project in the field of health scrutiny. The council is one of only nine in the country taking part in the project to improve local well being. 

One authority from each English region has been selected to scrutinise a topic that impacts on the health and well-being of their local community. The project aims to test and evaluate new health scrutiny processes and share lessons learned with councils across the country. 

The awards are being made by the Centre for Public Scrutiny (CfPS) as part of their three-year Health Scrutiny Support Programme, designed to increase capacity as non-executive members get to grips with their new powers to scrutinise health services. 

The council's project is teenage health. It will begin by September 2004 and run for around 9 months. After completion, Cumbria County Council will be involved in disseminating lessons learned to others. 

County Councillor Peter Farmer, Chairman of the Cumbria Health and Well-being Scrutiny Committee says, 

"This project aims to find the best ways to promote teenage health and will cover physical and mental well-being. The Council's role as corporate parent will also be investigated. A key part of this project is the proposal to involve teenagers themselves across schools and colleges in Cumbria to talk about their health and to help the scrutiny committee to frame appropriate questions for service providers. A representative sample of teenagers will meet separately with service providers before 'comparing notes' with the scrutiny committee. The conclusions of the committee will be tested with teenagers." 

Scrutiny reviews are most successful when they reflect the voice and concerns of the public. It is important that young people get involved in this review. In this project and beyond, health scrutiny is a real opportunity for the public to shape their own services. Local council overview and scrutiny committees can investigate any issue that impacts on local well-being. It can make recommendations on how to improve health services in their area. 

Anyone who wants to be involved can contact County Councillor Peter Farmer, Chair of Health & Well-being Scrutiny Committee on 01228 515988 or via e-mail peter.farmer@cumbriacc.gov.uk

Email Peter Farmer