Decision details

The Cabinet will be asked to consider proposals for the future of the Legal Service following a review of arrangements agreed by the Cabinet on 25 January 2011

Further to Minute 97 (25 January 2011), the Leader of the Council introduced a report on proposals to extend the current arrangements with Thurrock Council in respect of the shared Divisional Director of Legal and Democratic Services and Monitoring Officer post, together with arrangements to further enhance the joint working between the two boroughs’ legal teams.

The Leader commented on the success of the new arrangements which had operated on a formal footing since 1 April 2011 and he welcomed the proposals for greater integration between the two teams under the second of a three phase approach to a shared service.  It was noted that a report on the benefits of moving to a fully merged, shared service (phase three) would be the subject of a further report to Cabinet in early 2013.

Cabinet agreed:-

  (i)  A 12 month extension of the secondment agreement between LBBD and Thurrock regarding the sharing of the Divisional Director of Legal and Democratic Services and Monitoring Officer;

  (ii)  That the current shared arrangements are progressed to phase two, as set out in the report, which would involve joined up legal teams between LBBD and Thurrock; and

 (iii)  That the Assembly be recommended to confirm the extension of the appointment of Tasnim Shawkat, Divisional Director Legal and Democratic Services, as this Council’s Monitoring Officer.