Helen has over 20 years local government experience having worked in both district and unitary authorities. Initially specialising in criminal and civil litigation, all of Helen’s roles have included a focus on local authority governance, which reflects her interest in this area of expertise. She is politically astute and has successfully supported senior officers and members to navigate political change within authorities.
Through her work with LLG, Helen is acutely aware of the challenges faced by Monitoring Officers across the sector and the need for strong local authority governance. She works with a number of stakeholders to develop tools to support Monitoring Officers and promote good governance.
Helen believes that a good understanding of local authority governance from the outset was a key factor in her career progression. She is passionate about developing this knowledge with those entering into the local government legal profession and developing the Monitoring Officers of the future.
Helen is the current:
President for Lawyers in Local Government
National Lead for Monitoring Officers and Governance
Director of Legal & Democratic Services and Monitoring Officer, Durham County Council.
