McKoy named monitoring officer at Newham, Director of Law and Governance at One Source

Former Lawyers in Local Government (LLG) president, Rachel McKoy, has been appointed chief legal advisor and monitoring officer at the London Borough of Newham.

She has also been named Director of Legal and Governance at One Source, the shared service collaboration between Newham and Havering Councils.

Mckoy is currently Director of Law & Governance and Monitoring Officer at Hounslow Council and just recently ended her one-year term as president of LLG.

She is set to take up her roles at One Source and Newham in early September.

According to Newham, McKoy's appointment follows an extensive recruitment process, which saw shortlisted candidates meet stakeholder panels before final interviews by the oneSource Joint Committee in May chaired by the Mayor of Newham and comprising elected members from both councils.

Prior to her current role at Hounslow, Mckoy has held senior roles at Tower Hamlets, Southwark, and Bracknell Forest Council.

She also spent two years as a lawyer working on major infrastructure projects for the Government Legal Department.

In addition, Mckoy currently sits on the Solace board as solicitor to the board and recently became chair of the BCS Professional Conduct Disciplinary Panel at the Chartered Institute for IT.

Rachel McKoy said: "I am delighted to be joining Newham's Corporate Leadership Board as its Monitoring Officer, and working jointly across both Newham and Havering as their Director of Law and Governance.

"Ensuring good governance and decision-making on behalf of our communities is something I am very passionate about. It has been key to every role I have held, and will remain pivotal to the discharge of my responsibilities when I arrive.”

She added: "My experience both in local government and with external organisations has provided me with a unique insight into the current challenges and opportunities facing the sector.

"I aim to use this insight, to work collaboratively with colleagues to make a positive difference, whilst anchoring the role of the monitoring officer and legal function."

Newham Mayor Rokhsana Fiaz OBE said: "With the increasingly complex landscape facing local government, I am delighted that we have Rachel, a formidable legal heavyweight, joining Newham's top officer team.

"Building on the good governance agenda I started back in 2018, I know that Rachel will be a stickler for the robust and ethical standards that I expect here at the council on behalf of Newham residents, as we serve the public good and in the public interest at all times. All elected Members and officers at the council will undoubtedly benefit from her wise counsel."

Adam Carey