Professional Body for Monitoring Officers: MO Helpline – Can you help?

LLG is working hard to build a new Professional Body for Monitoring Officers. One of the first services it will provide is a helpline for Monitoring Officers to use if they need support. 

We are looking for experienced MOs to volunteer to support the helpline. 

Who are you looking for? 

We’re looking for people who:

• Have had significant MO experience (preferably 5 years with no more than 3 as DMO, but please don’t be put off if you have less experience than that).

• Would feel confident in providing support to MOs.

Do I have to give legal advice? 

No. You may be making suggestions and giving your thoughts but the MO you are supporting will retain accountability for their actions.  We will make that clear. 

You won’t be expected to give employment law advice – we have the MO defence scheme for that.

Do I have to be an expert on everything? 

We expect that MOs are experiencing similar issues. Chances are that you are an expert in what’s been raised, but we will provide support and expertise, and we will try and direct queries to the right place. 

You can ‘pass’ on a request at any time.

What do you think will come up? 

We haven’t launched yet so we can’t say for sure but we anticipate a mix of things including: 

• Technical queries about meetings and procedures 

• Member standards issues 

• Relationships with officers 

• Relationships with members 

• Issues about MO reporting duty 

• Just someone to talk to 

What’s the commitment? 

We are expecting people to be available for a few days at a time in accordance with a rota.  Contacts will be raised by email and you will be expected to attempt to make contact in a few hours. You aren’t expected to sit by the phone waiting for calls. 

As we haven’t yet launched the service we don’t know what the demand will be, but we will let you know in advance when you are ‘on duty’. 

What’s the pay? 

The warm glow of helping your colleagues – giving something back.  You will definitely learn new things and probably make new contacts. 

You will be helping us to build the professional body that everyone is telling us they want and need. 

Does this sound fantastic? 

Of course it does! Please complete this form to express an interest. We will be in touch. 

More questions? 

Please email Deborah.evans@llg.org.uk or Paul Turner.