5 th November 2012 Learning Review: Access to mainstream education for children with learning and physical disabilities Policy & Scrutiny Team
OBJECTIVES • Identify and agree terms of reference for the review. • Agree witnesses and how you will gather evidence. • Be clear about your next steps • Anything else?
HOW DID WE GET HERE? 1. What did you consider to determine this work topic as a priority area? • 2. What could you have considered?
Things you could consider when choosing a scrutiny topic….. • How will this work add value? • Is it something my residents care about? • Is it a Council or partner priority? • Are there relevant external factors i.e. new government legislation?
Remember…. • There is no right answer about how you should set your work priorities. • Gut instinct and interest in a topic can be as powerful as working through a detailed set of criteria.
Questioning Techniques 1. Do you think this clip demonstrates effective questioning? 2. Why?
Clip 1: Channel 4 News Interview, Emma Harrison Background • Emma Harrison, was previously Chairman and is currently a major shareholder of private employment company, A4E. • One of its biggest contracts is the Work Programme: individually tailored support to help people get back into work. • Channel 4 previously ran a report alleging the company was carrying out fraudulent activity, since this report company was cleared. Channel 4 Findings • All of the company’s government funded contracts together, give it a turnover of more than 200 million pounds. • In one year, less than 4% of all people helped by the company found work. • Negative feedback from some service users about poor and unskilled support. • Feedback from one previous senior manager; case loads of 100-200 clients is unmanageable. A4E Response: • Figures are out of date and do not give a full picture.
Analysis • What is the news presenter trying to find out? • Is this the right witness? • 4 questions asked; only one receives a response. • Presenting the same data in different ways; the 4% figure. • Cant get past disagreement about fact. • Questioning style? In Summary • Good theatre but as a way of communicating information and scrutinising, limited value.
CLIP 2: • Extract from Chilcot Iraq Inquiry • 29th January 2010. • Opening Question to Tony Blair from Sir Roderic Lyne.
Radio 4: Week in Westminster Analysis The marathon question…. • Roderic had opened cross-examination of Blair. His first question was not a question. It was a comment. It went on for a very long time, for three minutes. He effortlessly broke every rule in the cross-examiners handbook on the first question. • There were questions which screamed out to be asked for which effectively there is no answer. • You could see Blair relax at that moment. You could actually see the strain coming off his face. As this question rolled on and on with comment after comment you could see him limbering up. • There aren’t that many rules and they are not difficult to learn. Do not make comments to a witness. He’s bound to comment back to you.
Meeting Close • Have we met our objectives? • Are we clear about next steps?
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