Governance and Scrutiny Officer

Barnet Council; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 42,000 - 56,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

31 days leave

LG Pension Scheme

Flexible working

Discounts

Payroll benefits

Training & development

Wellbeing programs

Job summary

Barnet Council in London is seeking a governance specialist to lead as a point of contact for Members, officers and the public on formal decision-making processes, providing advice on governance across council service areas and partner bodies.

You will proactively engage the organisation on governance matters, help ensure decisions are sound and constitutional, and contribute to the Governance Service Plan through project work and assigned tasks.

Qualifications

• Understanding of local authorities' decision-making processes.
• Knowledge of local government policy environment and performance framework.
• Ability to build confidence and trust with Members and senior officers.
• Evidence of participation in relevant professional networks.

Responsibilities

• Lead as the main contact for governance matters across the council and partners.
• Provide advice to ensure decisions are sound and constitutional.
• Engage the organisation proactively on governance issues and deliver project work.
• Contribute to the Governance Service Plan and related tasks.

Skills

Local government governance

Stakeholder management

Policy interpretation

Networking

Job description

Important Information for Current Barnet Council Employees

Where possible, employees who have access to Oracle are encouraged to apply via the Opportunity Marketplace (Internal Career Site). This helps to ensure applications are correctly identified as internal and avoids potential delays during the recruitment process.

About Barnet Council

Barnet is a borough with much to be proud of. Our excellent schools, vibrant town centres, vast green spaces and diverse communities all help make it a great place to live and work. As a council we want to build on these strengths as we move into the future. We are growing and developing as an organisation to meet the challenges facing our borough and we are committed to working with partner organisations and residents to make Barnet even better. As an organisation, our staff are committed to Our Values: Learning to Improve, Caring, Inclusive, Collaborative – which drive everything we do.

About The Role

• To be a leading point of contact for Members, officers and the public on matters relating to the formal decision-making process, and to provide advice and guidance on all matters relating to governance matters (Council, Cabinet committees, quasi-judicial bodies, boards/panels, delegated decision making and the Constitution) across council service areas and key delivery partners.
• To proactively engage the organisation on governance matters, enabling decision making to take place in the context of a diverse organisational structure.
• To ensure that decision making is based on sound legal practice and in accordance with the Constitution.
• To contribute to the delivery of the Governance Service Plan including leading on or contributing to project work and/or being responsible for specific tasks as instructed.

About You

• Experience and/or understanding of local authorities' decision-making processes and the context in which they operate
• Strong understanding of the local government policy environment and the performance framework in which local public services operate.
• Ability to work effectively and establish positive relationships with Members and senior officers in a way that establishes confidence, credibility and trust and manage and facilitate effective Member-Officer relations
• Can evidence participation in relevant professional networks

What We Offer

• 31 days annual leave, plus public and bank holidays
• Access to the Local Government Pension Scheme , which provides a valuable guaranteed income in your retirement together with security for your dependents
• A comprehensive Flexible Working Policy which supports work-life balance by empowering staff and management to make decisions around when, where, and how work is done
• A vast range of lifestyle discounts from major retailers, supermarkets, energy suppliers and more
• Broad range of payroll benefits including cycle to work, eye care vouchers, travel and gym membership
• Excellent training and development opportunities
• Employee well- being training programs including confidential employee assistance

System notice

Some dates shown on our online application system (such as “Apply Before”) appear in US date format (MM/DD/YYYY) due to Oracle system settings.

AI and Safeguarding

Artificial intelligence (AI) can be a useful tool to support your application as a reasonable adjustment, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn, escalated to counter Fraud for further investigation and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Safeguarding and Safeguarding BCPG Framework

Barnet Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Barnet operates stringent safer recruitment procedures, this may include AI Detection Screening, Biometric ID/Right to Work Checks, Qualification and Registration Checks, Up to 6 years of Employment Data and Insights to Accelerate Screening (Konfir), Up to 5 years of Employment History References, DBS (Disclosure & Barring Service) Checks, Credit Checks and Social Media, Sanctions and Occupational Health Screening.

Equality and Diversity

To deliver Barnet Council’s commitment to equality of opportunity in the provision of services, all staff are expected to promote equality in the workplace and in the services the Council delivers. As such we value diversity and welcome applications from all backgrounds.

Flexible working

Barnet Council embraces all forms of flexible working (including part-time, compressed hours, and hybrid working) and is committed to offering employees a healthy work-life balance. Candidates are encouraged to talk about relevant requirements and preferences at interview. We can’t promise to give you exactly what you want, but we do promise not to judge you for asking.

Disability Confident Employer

Barnet Council is a Disability Confident Committed Employer. We welcome and encourage job applications of all abilities. If you require any reasonable adjustments in the application or interview, please contact the lead contact on this advert. We will make reasonable adjustments to make sure our disabled applicants and those with health conditions are supported throughout our recruitment process. We support the access to work scheme, further details are available at www.gov.uk/access-to-work/apply

Probationary period

All posts with the council are subject to a probationary period of six months, during which time you will be required to demonstrate to the council satisfaction your suitability for the position in which you will be employed.

Vacancy closing

Due to the high number of applications that are received for some posts we may close vacancies before the stated closing date if sufficient number of applications are received. Therefore, please apply as soon as possible.