Vlad Valiente

- Monitoring Officer & Chief Solicitor
- Proper Officer
- Clerk to the Licensing Boards
- SPOC for Police - Fraud and corruption
- Chair/ Lead Officer for a number of executive groups and boards. Including joint trade union meetings.
- Deputise for the Director of Enabling and Customer Services

Member of the Senior Leadership Team and Council Management Team.

I have specific responsibility for leading the delivery of the following services:

- Human Resources
- Health and Safety
- Legal Services
- Licensing
- Democratic Services (including Committee Services, Elections management, Information Governance and Member training);
- Internal Audit;
- Risk Management;
- Communications
- Business Intelligence and Policy
- Business Support

Budget responsibility for the above portfolio is in the region of £10 million.

Elected by in-house lawyers to this role, I hold the role jointly with another Local Government Lawyer. We Chair the Committee and manage relevant Law Society staff and Committee Members.

As Convener I represent the in-house lawyers community (Public and Commercial practice) and I am a Law Society Council Member (Strategic decision making body of the Law Society). This includes representing the in-house community and ensuring their needs are considered within the Law Society’s decision making and strategic planning processes.

As Convener I lead the direction and strategy for the Committee.

Member of the Senior Management Team and the Corporate Management Team. Support both decision making forums from a strategic legal and governance perspective.

Principal adviser to the CEO and Elected Members in all legal and governance matters.

I had full leadership, management and budgetary responsibility for the following Services:
- Legal Services
- Democratic Services (including Committee Services; Elections management, Information Governance; Licensing and Member training);
- Internal Audit and Risk Management;
- Community Protection (Environmental Health and Trading and Licensing Standards); and
- Resilience and Community Safety (including Anti-Social Behaviour; Emergency Planning- Civil Contingencies; Local Resilience and Contingency planning; HMO Licensing).

Responsible Officer for:
- Council’s Risk Management Group and Corporate Risk register
- Principal Officer for the Audit Risk and Scrutiny Committee
- Council’s Annual Governance Statement
- Council’s Integrity Group- Corporate Anti-Fraud and Anti-Corruption Policy Statement and Strategy
- Business Bureau- Elected Member governance group
- SPOC for Police Scotland fraud and corruption matters
- Council’s Business Continuity Strategy
- Proper Officer of the Council
- Elected Member induction and training

As the President of SOLAR I held the lead role for the organisation in terms of strategy, governance, direction and I was the main contact for the Scottish Government, SOLACE, ADES (Directors of Education), COSLA, and all other relevant stakeholders.

I represented SOLAR at high level strategic meetings with the above mentioned stakeholders, particularly during the start of Covid, and pursued the appropriate approach and stance for the benefit of our members, public sector organisations and local government as a whole.

As an Office Bearer (As President and in previous roles of Vice President and Communications Officer) I was part of the SOLAR Executive (Strategic decision making Committee of SOLAR).
During my time as Office Bearer I led or had significant input into:
- Designing, delivering and implementing a new Communications Strategy for SOLAR (first time in SOLAR’s history)
- Public relations including raising SOLAR’s profile locally and internationally
- - Representing SOLAR at national forums (E.g. Justice Committee of the Scottish Parliament https://www.scottishparliament.tv/meeting/justice-committee-february-28-2017 [1:36:00 onwards]) and Managing communications with the Media and Government.
- Maintenance and improvement of the new SOLAR Website (Overhauled the old website to a more modern and accessible site) http://www.solarscotland.org.uk/
- Creating and implementing innovative ways of communication (within and outwith the organisation) which included social media and networking platform for members.
- Led the development of the new modern Logo and Branding

As the Legal Services Manager, I deputised for the Head of Corporate Governance and I specifically led the Legal Services Team. I was also the Data Protection Officer for the organisation. The role involved working closely with Board Members and Senior Management.
Whilst in post I carried out a wholesale Legal Services Review which delivered a much improved legal services infrastructure, mitigating external costs and building corporate legal resilience.
General responsibilities included:
- Legal Adviser within internal decision-making forums (Board, Strategic Leadership Team, Committees, Corporate Assurance Board, Operational Assurance Board).
- Working with the Standards Officer to ensure code of conduct compliance
- Directorate & Corporate Risk Registers, Annual Operating Plans and Priorities
- Contributing and advising on media statements
- Annual Governance Statement
- Directly reporting to and supporting Senior Management (Chief Officer and Directors)
- Developing training for Client Departments & Legal Staff
- Contributing in a multidisciplinary approach to SFRS projects
- Legal Services budget management
- Ensuring continuous improvement on legal risk management
- Advising on arm’s length organisations and and Affiliated Organisations
- COVID19 -Tactical Action Group– Provide ongoing legal advice and direction to this Senior Management emergency decision making group
- Representing SFRS in legal related external forums, including Scottish Government Boards and Fire Lawyers Network (UK sub group of Lawyers in Local Government- LLG)
- Fatal Accident Inquiries

As the Principal Solicitor for the Court Team I managed and led the Court Team. I was part of the Legal Management Team which had overall responsibility for Licensing and Elections.

Responsibilities included:
- Procuring & case managing our external Solicitors
- Staff recruitment, supervision & management
- Development of the Legal Team, infrastructure & staff
- Reporting to & supporting Senior Management including CMT
- Representing the Council in Courts & Tribunals
- Developing training for Client Departments & Legal Staff
- Liaising with Managers of Client Departments
- Budget managing
- Deputising for the Legal and Democratic Services Manager
- Deputy Monitoring Officer
- Council Authorised Signature
- Council Proper Officer
- Advising Elected Members on Code of Conduct, Standing Orders, Compliance
- Elections - Delegated the Adjudication Officer role by the Returning Officer
- Project Manager of the Legal Services Team Project (Wholesale restructuring of Legal Services)