TOWN HALL chiefs will be told the process by which the councils policies and decisions are scrutinised is “working well”.

Cllr Robert Caserta is set to present the overview and scrutiny annual report for 2017/18 to at Wednesday’s full council meeting at Bury Town Hall.

The chair of the overview and scrutiny committee will tell fellow councillors that the committee has “tackled a wide and varied work programme” across all council departments over the last year.

The report continues: “The primary focus for the Health Scrutiny Committee this year has been the transformation of the health and social care landscape and urgent care redesign.

“The Council has continued to take the lead role in administering the two Joint Health Scrutiny Committees established in January 2004, which review the work of the Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust and the Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust.

“Excellent working relationships have continued with Members and Officers in both the NHS and in the partner Local Authorities of Manchester, Stockport, Oldham, Rochdale and Tameside.”

And he will inform councillors – some who will be taking the seats for the first time following election — how a dedicated Health Scrutiny Committee was set up to scrutinise partner organisations on issues relevant to the borough.

The Pilkington Park ward councillor will also highlight the work of the Children’s Safeguarding Overview Project Group.

Over the last 12 months the group has focused on areas including child sexual exploitation, children with disabilities and children missing from home.

The committee also used its powers to call in the cabinet decision to axe 10 of Bury's 14 libraries.

This was on the grounds that “insufficient consideration” had been given to “discrimination against young people from disadvantaged backgrounds who rely on libraries as a place to do their homework.”

There were also concerns that the decision would discriminate against people with mobility problems who are unable to travel long distances – and that there had not been enough notice to allow community groups to take over the operation of the libraries earmarked for closure.

And Cllr Caserta will also be giving and update on the work of the two Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee established jointly by Bury, Manchester, Oldham and Rochdale Councils to consider issues affecting the health of local people.

And there will be further updates on the local health scrutiny committee, including continued scrutiny of “delayed discharge” from care. This involved interviewing representatives from social care, the Acute Trust and the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and social workers.

Members were supportive of the arrangements put in place to alleviate the issue, but expressed further concern that “there needs to be a long term multi-agency response to address the problem.”

The pilot scheme enables staff in the care homes to access ongoing help, advice and support from paramedics to avoid un-necessary 999 calls.

And concerns over the number of call outs received by the North West Ambulance Service to individual nursing and residential homes, led to a pilot scheme enabling staff to access ongoing help, advice and support from paramedics to avoid unnecessary 999 calls.

The report concludes that: “The scrutiny function is well established in Bury, with good examples of in depth reviews and partnership working.”