Tower Hamlets Council has created a new Chief Compliance Officer position, a role that will also encompass the responsibilities of Monitoring Officer once a suitable candidate is recruited. The council aims to fill this significant position fairly soon, though the exact timeline is contingent on the success of the recruitment process.
The creation of the new post was announced during a recent Standards Advisory Committee meeting. Matthew Mannion, Corporate Head of Governance and Democratic Services, outlined that the Chief Compliance Officer will oversee a range of audit and governance functions. These will include information governance, internal audit, legal services, democratic services, and human resources.
During the meeting, Fiona Browne, an Independent Co-opted Member, expressed concern about learning of the new role via an external network email rather than through direct communication. Mr Mannion acknowledged this, stating that the intention was to ensure co-opted members were made aware of such significant changes.
Candidates for the Chief Compliance Officer role will be sought for their experience in overseeing areas such as information governance, internal audit, legal, democratic services, and human resources. The structure of the role is designed to effectively manage these diverse governance and audit functions.