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Director of Legal Services (Monitoring Officer and Proper Officer)

Employer
Croydon London Borough Council
Location
Croydon (City/Town), London (Greater)
Salary
£104,902 - £109,140 pa
Closing date
8 Dec 2021

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Inspire Excellence

Croydon is a council on a journey. By accepting and addressing the challenges of its past, the council is transforming itself into a modern, sustainable and resident-focused local authority.

This is an opportunity to be part of a new chapter for Croydon and help shape the future of the council. A council with a passion for driving positive change and delivering excellence; a community with a rich heritage, a diverse population and a distinct identity. It’s a chance to help shape who we are today, and what we become tomorrow. It’s an environment in which you can find fresh inspiration and inspire others in equal measure.

Welcome to Croydon Council – and a role that will challenge you and fulfil you like never before. Join us as our Director of Legal Services, and you’ll be our chief legal officer responsible for the provision of all legal services as well as holding the statutory post of Monitoring Officer and the role of Proper Officer. It will be down to you to ensure we always operate in full compliance with the law and best practice. You will also oversee the shift to the new elected Mayor Governance model for Croydon.

The impact you’ll have

You’ll manage our Legal Services division, ensuring that we follow all the relevant legal regulations as we develop and transform our services. As our Monitoring Officer, you’ll make sure our constitution is maintained and that our decision making is lawful and reasonable. You will need to support members and officers to at all times fulfil the seven principles of public life and might need to undertake investigations referred by the Ethics Committee. We’ll also need you to ensure that our Leader and Cabinet, Scrutiny and Overview members, employees and all other members are well-advised on compliance and the legal implications of different council matters, working closely with the Head of Democratic Services and Scrutiny (Deputy MO).

There will be difficult decisions to make and tough budgets to deliver. But you’ll relish the chance to apply your ideas and ingenuity to find the best ways forward.

Your specific responsibilities will include:

  • Delivering high quality legal services to the council, and taking responsibility for the procurement and management of all external legal service suppliers
  • Managing demand for legal services efficiently, ensuring full use is always made of our in-house legal resources
  • Authorising the delivery of any legal proceedings carried out in the name of Croydon Council
  • Working closely with the Chief Digital Officer and Director of Resident Access to maintain our relationship with the Information Commissioner and the Local Government Ombudsman, and providing support on data protection and information management issues
  • Working closely with the Head of Democratic Services and Scrutiny to ensure our governance meets the principals of public life.
  • Maintaining responsibility and oversight of our whistleblowing policy, and ensuring we operate within our governance, financial and legal frameworks at all times

The skills and experience you’ll bring

We’re looking for someone who’ll be passionate about and experienced in delivering an exceptional legal service, and shaping the future of our organisation as a whole. An inspiring, engaging and motivational individual who’ll live and breathe our values, you’ll be adept at identifying and developing talent, driving high standards and value for money, and embedding a culture of trust and respect. You’ll empower people within your team to bring new ideas and try new approaches as well as inspiring them through your own. You should also be a natural inclusive collaborator – someone who can work well with a range of stakeholders, establish productive relationships and see things from different perspectives.

Who we are – and where we’re going

We fully acknowledge the fact that we haven’t got things right in the past and have strengthened our resolve do them better. With a clear financial strategy in place together with an unwavering commitment to listening to our residents and putting them first, this is a reenergised Croydon. A determined Croydon, with a fantastic team of people who care about our community, and how we can support the many different people who live and work here.

We have a vision of what improvement success looks like for us – a future where we have a vibrant local economy, a great team of people, and delivering new ideas that will mean we can be at our best for the communities in Croydon.

How to apply

If you’d like to find out more, please click on the Apply Button below.

Croydon Council is an inclusive employer and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. We are happy to consider applications from candidates seeking flexible working arrangements.

As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the advertised role. We’re committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and we expect every member of our team to share this commitment.

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