2008 will see the sixth Annual Conference on the 10th June with the Officer and Member Development Day on the 11th June. The CfPS Annual Conference and Exhibition is the only dedicated conference of its size to explore the latest developments in overview, scrutiny and public accountability.

This year sees the addition of the ‘Good Scrutiny Awards’ which celebrate the many achievements of scrutiny across the public sector. The awards will be given out by the Local Government Minister, John Healey, at the end of the first day - for more details about the Awards please click here.

2008 is set to attract an audience in the region of 400 non-executive scrutineers and practitioners from across the public sector in it's widest form, and learning the lessons from international corporations such as the BBC as well as exploring best practice in local government and the NHS.

The issue of public empowerment is a key theme for the conference with a particular focus on the role of the new Local Involvement Networks and their partners. Working with leading-edge practitioners in the field, delegates will have the opportunity to explore and try out innovative methods of engaging the community in holding public services to account and involving them in decisions about issues that matter to them.

The Officer Development Day on the 11th June gives delegates the opportunity for intensive practical learning exploring the core competencies needed to be a successful and effective scrutiny support officer or manager.  The day will include workshops on the following topics:  relationship building, communication skills, project management skills, research skills and negotiation skills.

The Member Development Day offers Chairs and Vice Chairs of Scrutiny a full day’s Leadership Academy Training which will enable delegates to analyse the challenges and potential of scrutiny leadership, understand their own leadership styles, develop influencing strategies within the council and local community and assess how they can add value to their organisations through overview and scrutiny.