Traditionally the guardian of good governance, lawful decision making, and high standards of conduct, the Monitoring Officer is increasingly required to cultivate additional skills in an ever-more complex political and financial landscape. This shift in focus for the MO and the need to be able to move effortlessly between a diverse range of roles and responsibilities makes it an increasingly demanding position to hold. This year’s Monitoring Officers Conference will include a varied programme of sessions covering some of the most topical and challenging issues facing MOs and those working alongside them.
We are delighted to be joined by Paul Najsarek, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, for our keynote address looking at some learning and leadership lessons from complaints. The Conference will also include a session on fostering an effective relationship between the MO and the CEO with Rachel McKoy, Director of Law and Governance and Monitoring Officer at the London Borough of Hounslow and Niall Bolger, Chief Executive for Hounslow. Governance Consultant and Trainer Bethan Evans will then look at the lessons to be learned from recent best interest reports, the links between culture and governance, and the role of the MO in helping set organisational culture.
The Conference will then feature a panel session on the golden triangle and good governance with Graeme McDonald, Managing Director of Solace, Andrew Burns, Associate Director at CIPFA, and Phil McCourt, Partner at Bevan Brittan. After lunch, we will have a bitesize session on the LGA's improvement and assurance framework for local government with Heather Wills, before we hear from Claire Ward, Partner at Anthony Collins, on executive decision making. The day will finish with a session exploring GDPR five years on with Vicki Bowles, Partner at VWV.
We very much hope you can join us for what promises to be both an informative and practical day’s training.
Bookings
To make an individual booking, please book directly via the 'Book Now' button on this page. Please note, that the membership number is not required when making a booking, you can simply untick the 'Delegate is a member' box. Please use the delegate's work email address.
Discounts are available for multiple and group bookings. For more information, please email bookings@llg.org.uk
PLEASE NOTE
Attendee joining instructions and relevant documentation will be circulated to all delegates in the week commencing 17th July 2023 via email. The conference will run on Zoom.
Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman
Paul was appointed as the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman on an interim basis in April 2023. Paul is the former Chief Executive of Ealing Council and was previously acting Chief Executive and Chief Executive of Harrow and Bolton Councils respectively. He has also been a Director of Adult Social Services.
Paul’s leadership of partnerships at national and regional level include leading for Solace on health and social care including its Covid-19 response, regeneration for the West London Alliance, and adult services for London Councils encompassing the capital’s adult social care response to the pandemic. He was the Chief Executive lead for Thrive London, the capital’s initiative to promote mental health wellbeing. Paul was Head of Policy at the Audit Commission and was part of the central government team that drafted 'Every Child Matters' in 2003.
Chief Executive, London Borough of Hounslow
Niall Bolger is Chief Executive for the London Borough of Hounslow who were awarded the LGC Council of the Year 2021. He is Lead CEO for Skills and Employment and Regeneration for the West London Alliance, Chair of the London PREVENT Board and lead CEO for Environment and Climate Change for the Chief Executive London Committee. He co-chairs the Population Health and Inequalities Board for the NW London ICS. He also chairs the Program Board for the UK Cities Climate Investment Commission, 3Ci, which is in the vanguard of bringing funding and finance to the net zero challenge in local government. Niall is a Trustee for the Centre for Local Economic Strategies, the national “think-do” tank for fair and just economic development. He was the SOLACE spokesperson for Commissioning and Innovation from 2018 - 2020.
Prior to his role with Hounslow, he was Chief Executive of the London Borough of Sutton for eight years. Niall’s professional background is in urban planning, regeneration and environmental management and he has held a number of board level roles in local government over the last two decades leading these areas and implementing organisational change. In all of his roles he has held, he is passionate about making a difference to communities and securing social justice.
He is a graduate of Queen Mary, University of London, London Southbank University and Warwick University.
Director of Law and Governance & Monitoring Officer, London Borough of Hounslow; LLG President
Rachel is a commercial law specialist, with extensive experience acquired within local and central government. She is passionate about both championing the voices of our members and showcasing the breadth of complexity local government law offers through the work of LLG, as reflected by her former role as Chief Projects Assessor for the Diploma in Local Government Law and Practice (2016-19).
Bethan Evans Governance Training and Consultancy
Beth is a recognised expert in local authority governance, having worked in the field for over 35 years. She worked as an in-house lawyer for nearly 20 years at four different councils in England specialising in housing, education and social care. Beth then moved into management posts, culminating in roles as a County Solicitor and a Director of Corporate Services in a unitary authority.
Beth led the Welsh Local Government Agency responsible for improvement and development in Welsh local government for three years. In 2001 she joined Bevan Brittan LLP as a partner where she led the local government team for 17 years, four of which she spent as senior partner.
Beth acted as secretary and chair of a branch and then as national chair of the (then) Local Government Group in 1998/99.
Associate Director and Fellow, Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA)
Andrew Burns is an Associate Director and Fellow at CIPFA where his role is to further develop strong links between CIPFA and the local government sector, building trust to improve public financial management and governance.
He was CIPFA President in 2017/18 serving an Institute with over 14,000 members worldwide who work throughout the public services, in national audit agencies, in major accountancy firms and in other public bodies where public money needs to be effectively and efficiently managed.
Until December 2018, he spent 12 years as Director of Finance and Resources for Staffordshire County Council; was Treasurer of the Staffordshire Pension Fund and a former President of the Society of County Treasurers.
He is also a trustee of the Centre for Governance and Scrutiny (CfGS) the leading national organisation promoting and supporting excellence in governance and scrutiny across public services and a Non-Executive Director at the Housing Plus Group, a Charitable Community Benefit Society providing homes and care services across Shropshire and Staffordshire.
Legal Director, Bevan Brittan
Philip specialises in local authorities’ corporate law and decision making. He joined his first local authority in 1988 as a trainee Chartered Secretary and then Solicitor, and was first made an authority’s Monitoring Officer and a member of the senior management team in 2000. Since then he has acted on governance, standards and monitoring officer issues for a wide range of local authorities, combined authorities and central government through both consultancy and direct employment.
One of Philip's roles prior to joining Bevan Brittan was as Corporate Director for Law and Governance at Wirral MBC. He is also a past president of the Association of Council Secretaries and Solicitors (now LLG), where he was the national spokesperson on local authority powers and regulatory matters for several years.
Philip has led on a number of national projects on governance and standards, including:
the model Members’ Planning Code (described by the Supreme Court as offering sound practical advice);
the LLG example Code for the Governance of Council Interests in Companies;
materials and training products that make up the LGA Ethical Governance Toolkit; and
the Parish Council Governance Toolkit.
He has extensive experience in constitutional matters and has advised on their drafting for a variety of local authorities, which has included leading on governance for the creation of the West of England CA and drafting the inaugural constitution for the Liverpool City Region CA. Philip has at various times chaired the national groupings on council constitutions (England), new committee system authorities and on parish council governance.
Managing Director, Solace and Solace in Business
Graeme McDonald is Managing Director of Solace and Solace in Business and is responsible for the overall strategic direction and management of the organisation. Prior to joining Solace, Graeme had spent over fifteen years working in local government. He has worked for London Borough, Metropolitan and District councils; his final role was as the Director of Policy and Performance at the London Borough of Ealing. He also has experience in roles within social care, housing and environmental services, as well as a range of corporate and change management roles.
Graeme focuses on leadership development; influencing policy across central government and ensuring the very best of the sector is shared and built upon. He is particularly keen to develop the sector's long term leadership capabilities and has developed a number of programmes aimed at firmly embedding high quality professional leadership in local public services.
Principal Adviser (Improvement), Local Government Association
Heather Wills is a member of the Local Government Support team at the Local Government Association. The team provides a comprehensive support offer to councils including peer challenges, leadership development, benchmarking, and service-specific support including finance and governance improvement.
Following more than 20 years’ experience working in local authorities before joining the LGA, Heather has more recently completed secondments in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and the London Borough of Croydon, delivering programmes of governance-related improvements.
Heather is currently leading work to map the Improvement and Assurance Framework for local government through discussions across the sector, with professional bodies and others. Once the mapping is completed, there will be an opportunity to consider whether any of the current checks and balances can be simplified, improved or enhanced to provide greater assurance for the sector.
Partner, Anthony Collins
Claire supports local authorities nationwide and acts as an important sounding board for council monitoring officers, chief executives and other senior officers on governance issues.
She has extensive local government expertise having been monitoring officer and director of governance and legal services at Herefordshire Council, where she also served as acting deputy chief executive.
Claire also holds a judicial appointment as an employment tribunal judge in Wales.
Partner (Barrister at Law), VWV
Vicki has extensive experience in advising schools, charities, businesses and public authorities on data protection and freedom of information. Her knowledge of the information commissioner and information tribunal mean that she is able to advice both strategically as well as practically, and she can help with general compliance (such as policies and agreements) as well as specific questions around subject access and other individual rights.
Having started life as a VAT litigator before moving to the Charity Commission and then into private practice, Vicki's experience means that she understands the broader context of her client's organisation, and takes time to understand her client's specific needs. Vicki always aims to give advice that is clear, practical and tailored to the particular situation.
Vicki has spoken to a wide variety of audiences on data protection, including faith organisations, schools, charities and creative businesses. As a governor of Sherborne School, Vicki has chaired the sub-committee that oversaw Sherborne International, and is now chair of the Estates and Infrastructure Committee. She describes this as an 'eye-opener' in terms of understanding independent schools, as well as a challenge and a great experience.
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09:15 - 16:00
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