Information Governance Officer

Positive Employment is currently recruiting for a Information Governance Officer for our client, a local government organisation based in Staffordshire.

The successful post holder is responsible for supporting and ensuring the council’s compliance with statutory access to information requirements and standards. This role is the principal contact for specialist knowledge and advice relating to policy, procedure and requests for information under the provision of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOI) and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 (EIR) and Data Protection Act. The role will provide advice and training along with designing and implementing processes to ensure that the Council comply with FOI, EIR and Data Protection Act legislation.

This post is designated as a casual car user

This role is a contract position with an initial contract of 3 - 6 months, with the possibility to extend. Hybrid working is available.

Duties and Responsibilities but not limited to:

• To lead and manage requests for information (under FOI and EIR) and transparency data for the Staffordshire County Council and partner organisations, ensuring statutory obligations are met.

• To develop and maintain appropriate, and up-to-date policies, processes, procedures, and systems to enable Staffordshire County Council to comply with the statutory requirements of FOI, EIR and associated legislation.

• To provide to Staffordshire County Council departments, and partner organisations with detailed, expert, legally compliant professional advice and interpretation of legislation and policy relating to FOI and EIR.

• To ensure internal and external partners/ clients are educated and informed of their statutory obligations relating to FOI and EIR by developing training and guidance.

• To liaise with service departments to ensure that requests for information are managed within the legislative timeframes. Escalating overdue requests and non-compliance.

• To manage the exemptions and public interest test by collating service area

intelligence and information, interpreting legislation and caselaw and providing technical legislative advice to services, senior managers, and council’s public interest test panel.

• To support the investigation of complaints relating to FOI and EIR requests by providing technical advice, interpretation of legal requirements, case law and evidence based information.

• To ensure FOI performance statistics and transparency data, as required by statutory codes of practice, and management information are prepared, provided, and where relevant, published.

• To provide day to day supervision of the allocation of work of the Business Support Assistant and provide technical advice and support.

• To work closely with the Information Rights Officer (DPA) to ensure a requests for information are managed in an efficient and timely manner.

• To ensure information is accessible to the public in accordance with statutory transparency data publication requirements by undertaking research, and collating data, ensuring webpages are up to date.

Personal Requirements:

• Educated to degree level or equivalent or have substantial FOI experience.• Demonstrable experience as a practitioner in an information governance role

• Detailed legal knowledge of principles and practices of data protection/freedom of information/environmental information regulations

• Detailed knowledge of up to date UK statutory guidance, codes of practice and relevant case law

• Experienced in independently researching, interpreting and presenting legal decisions and case law.

• Experience of providing professional and comprehensive legally compliant advice

• Ability to supervise others.

Pay: £30.73 per day

Working Hours: 9:00am – 5:00pm, Monday to Friday, Hybrid.

Please note this role is within the scope of IR35, and pay will be via an umbrella company.