Southwark Council's Appointments Committee has deferred a decision on the permanent appointment of a Monitoring Officer. The committee was due to consider the designation of John Scarborough, Interim Director of Law and Governance, for the statutory role at a meeting on Tuesday, June 16, 2026. However, the meeting information clarifies that the permanent recruitment for the Director of Law and Governance position is underway, and a further meeting is scheduled for July 16, 2026, to interview candidates and make an appointment. The committee will then be asked to designate their chosen candidate as the council's monitoring officer.
The permanent recruitment process for the Director of Law and Governance is expected to be finalized on July 16, 2026, with the chosen candidate being designated as the monitoring officer from their first day of service. The council's strategy for ensuring continuity and effectiveness of the Monitoring Officer role during this period involves designating John Scarborough, who has prior experience as a monitoring officer, as the interim Monitoring Officer. The report states, John Scarborough, an experienced monitoring officer, has been appointed on a temporary basis as the council's Director of Law and Governance.
The role of Monitoring Officer is crucial for ensuring lawful decision-making and upholding standards for councillors. It also involves intervening in cases of unlawful action or maladministration and handling requests under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. The previous postholder, the Assistant Chief Executive – Governance and Assurance, had retired, and this role would not be retained.
John Scarborough, who has previous experience as a monitoring officer in the London Boroughs of Greenwich and Merton, was appointed on a temporary basis as Director of Law and Governance following a competitive recruitment process. The report presented to the committee recommended his designation as the monitoring officer.
The report highlighted the importance of the monitoring officer in promoting public confidence and ensuring compliance with duties under the Equality Act 2010, which requires due regard to the elimination of discrimination, advancement of equality of opportunity, and fostering of good relations between people with and without protected characteristics.
The meeting was convened on an urgent basis to fulfil the council's legal obligations and ensure the monitoring officer could exercise their functions as outlined in the council's constitution. The report indicated no significant health, climate change, or direct financial implications arising from the proposals. The agenda for the meeting can be found here, and the public reports pack is available here. The printed minutes of the meeting are available here.