Local government lawyers have set up a new body to support monitoring officers and provide them with a ‘safe space’ to grapple with the complexity of their role.

The Association of Monitoring Officers (AMO) was officially launched at membership body Lawyers in Local Government’s governance conference on Friday.

Monitoring officers are responsible for ensuring that the operation of a council’s decision-making process is lawful and fair, and have a duty to act when it appears to them that any proposal, decision, or omission by the authority has given rise to, is likely to, or would give rise to a contravention of any enactment or rule of law or amounts to maladministration. 

However, research carried out by the Local Democracy Research Centre, LLG and law firm Browne Jacobson found that monitoring officers do not feel sufficiently protected to fulfil their governance function without fear of reprisal.

Rachel McKoy 2

McKoy: 'It's a tough gig but it’s really rewarding'

Source: Darren Filkins

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LLG president Paul Turner told the conference the monitoring officer role was a ‘tough gig’. LLG vice-president Helen Bradley recalled feeling 'imposter syndrome' when she was a newly appointed monitoring officer, doubting her own abilities. The LLG network gave Bradley a safe space to speak to colleagues about how she was feeling, share ideas and boost her confidence.

‘When I become LLG national lead for monitoring officers, I established a “phone a friend” service. AMO is taking that one step further with the monitoring officer helpline… For far too long the monitoring officer has been the poor relation of the statutory officer,’ Bradley said.

Former LLG president Rachel McKoy will be executive director of the new association. She told the conference AMO will be the ‘professional voice’ for monitoring officers, deputy monitoring officers and aspiring monitor officers. ‘It’s a tough gig but it’s really rewarding. We sit at the centre of governance. It’s about ensuring integrity, about difficult conversations, upholding the law, lawful decision-making, working on behalf our taxpayers.’

 The helpline will open in January.