Put on the spot, could you explain exactly what a head of paid service in a council does and what responsibilities are conferred in that role? How about a section 151 officer? Or a monitoring officer?
At a time of increased complexity, challenge and change in the work councils do, understanding who does what – and, crucially, why they might act (or not act) in a particular way in certain circumstances – is incredibly important. And following several governance failures in recent years in local authorities around the country, as well as major churn among not only local government professionals but elected members too, going back to basics and developing a common language and understanding across different professions about how the key roles in local government operate feels like a timely exercise to undertake.
