Job Purpose: 

• To work as part of the Senior Management team, reporting to the Corporate Director of Resources at Newham, providing strategic direction and leadership to onesource ensuring the delivery of policy priorities for partner Councils. 

• To be the Monitoring Officer for either London Borough of Havering or London Borough of Newham, ensuring that the Council’s statutory obligations and responsibilities are fulfilled under the terms of the Constitution and Legislative Statutory Regulations and relevant codes of conduct. 

• Lead the provision of Legal and Democratic Services for partner Councils and onesource. 

• Provide business focused and strategic leadership to onesource and develop a marketable shared Legal and Governance Service Model which can be offered to other Boroughs and Public and Private Sector organisations. 

 Specific Responsibilities :

• To have strategic responsibility for the delivery of a portfolio of activities and provision within Legal and Democratic functions falling within both Councils as appropriate including: Legal, Committees and Partnerships, Scrutiny and Electoral Services. 

• To lead the delivery and transformation of Legal and Governance functions, to ensure the provision of professional legal advice and support to partner Councils and customers. Enabling the delivery of policy decisions and priorities of each Council ensuring functions are commercially sound with robust business systems and processes. 

• Ensure high quality legal and procedural advice is provided at all stages of the partner Council’s decision making and ensure that a strong corporate governance culture is achieved with decision making by members meeting the highest standards of ethical and corporate governance. 

• Ensure the creation of a robust and proactive officer governance culture within partner Councils with sound practice and systems for supporting member decision making. Develop the corporate framework to ensure the maintenance of probity, good governance and the enforcement and review of policies within the democratic process. 

• Lead the partner Councils strategic response to ensuring that it meets current and future requirements to publish data on its activities and be proactive in developing systems to achieve the optimisation of transparency in relation to the Council’s activities and that the information provided is robust, accurate and resilient.  

• Ensure that support services to elected Members are delivered to the highest quality and professional standards. 

• Lead and direct the implementation of each Council’s elections in close partnership with District and Borough Councils. 

• Act as Head of Profession for the provision of legal services to the partner Councils to provide direction, leadership and guidance to staff in the Legal Services function and ensure the improvement and implementation of standards across partner Councils and partner organisations. 

• Ensure that the partner Councils are provided with the best legal advice, that legal services are effectively managed and that legal advice is appropriate to ensure propriety of decision making. 

• Ensure that all services provided by this post are actively reviewed as to the 'right source' option for their future delivery - that will cover options of outsourcing, co-sourcing or insourcing to ensure the most effective and efficient delivery method has been chosen. 

• Other duties – the job description indicates the main areas of activity for this post. From time to time other tasks/duties maybe required which are commensurate with the general area of responsibility and grade of the post. 

 One Source Corporate Critical Success Factors  

• Provision of and delivery of quality services – ensuring a high level of service that is reflective of all customer needs and value for money 

• Anticipates different customer needs – delivering a customer focused shared service which is a cultural ‘fit’, is flexible and proactive in approach 

• Delivers a resilient business, which continuously improves and innovates  with healthy revenue streams  

• Operates an ethos of joint working and operates across the board regardless of location  

• Delivers capacity and capability to operate business as usual with the capacity and capability to innovate and project manage to support this  

• Delivers a flexible and scalable platform to innovate, enhance market knowledge and continuously improve 

• Invests in people and skills to deliver a sustainable business 

• Provides a transactional service that is multi-channelled, face to face, local and nationwide   

 General 

• onesource is committed to and champions equality and diversity in all aspects of employment and service provision. All employees are expected to understand and promote this approach in their work. 

• Adherence to Health and Safety requirements and proper risk management is required from all employees in so far as is relevant to their role. All employees are expected to understand and promote good health and safety practices and manage risks appropriately 

Person Specification 

Able to demonstrate and evidence a highly developed Competence in: 

• People management including, motivation, performance and capability 

• Strategic leadership in the provision of functions within the Shared Service 

• Service improvement, maximising efficiency and new delivery models for the functions within the shared service 

• Running major operations or service provision 

• Leading, managing and delivering transformational change in a complex organisation

Able to demonstrate and evidence knowledge and experience in: 

• A significant understanding of the workings of local government and the challenges being set by the new local government agenda along with the financial, legal and political context of local government. 

• The ability to set the strategic direction of Legal and Democratic Services, drawing up the overarching strategy for the service and the necessary supporting plans for delivery, with and through partners. 

• Detailed knowledge of local government powers and duties and at least one of the following areas of law, civil litigation, procurement & contract, planning, development. 

• A qualified solicitor holding a valid practicing certificate issued by the Solicitors Regulation Authority with at least 3 years PQE 

Behaviours and personal qualities 

• A strategic thinker and leader with the ability to balance competing priorities and deliver within tight timescales.  

• A corporate team player, highly motivated and resilient.  

• A decision maker who listens to, and takes cognisance of, the views of others along with a high degree of integrity and probity.  

• Highly skilled communicator with the ability to communicate orally and in writing to a diverse range of audiences. 

• Ability to influence and negotiate effectively along with the ability to lead, motivate, inspire confidence and enthusiasm.