RIPA policy

7.0   Role of the Senior Responsible Officer and the RIPA Monitoring Officer

7.1   Who is the Senior Responsible Officer?

The Director of Governance is the Council's Senior Responsible Officer.

7.2   Duties of the Senior Responsible Officer

The Senior Responsible Officer will be responsible for the following:

• The integrity of the processes in place within this Council dealing with the authorising of directed surveillance, the use of covert human intelligence sources and the accessing of communications data
• Compliance with all relevant statutory provisions and associated guidance
• Engagement with the Commissioners and Inspectors when they conduct their inspections
• Where necessary, overseeing the implementation of any post-inspection action plans recommended or approved by a Commissioner
• Ensuring that all authorising officers are of an appropriate standard in the light of any recommendations in the inspection reports prepared by the Office of the Surveillance Commissioner

7.3   Who is the RIPA Administrative Officer?

The Shared Services Lead - Legal is the Council's RIPA Administrative Officer

7.4   Duties of the RIPA Administrative Officer

The RIPA Administrative Officer will be responsible for the following:

• Maintaining the Central Record of authorisations and collating the original applications/authorisations, reviews, renewals and cancellations
• Oversight of submitted RIPA documentation
• Organising and maintaining a RIPA training programme
• Raising RIPA awareness within the Council

7.5   Role of Governance Committee

Twice yearly the Senior Responsible Officer shall report to the Council's Governance Committee on the Council's use of its RIPA powers. Governance Committee should also review the Council's Policy document at least once every two years or sooner if a change of legislation requires it.More regular reports will be taken to Governance Committee on the use of RIPA powers if either the Governance Committee or the Senior Responsible Officer considers this to be desirable. In no circumstances will Governance Committee - or any elected member for that matter - make a decision on any specific authorisations - such decisions can only be made by the Authorising Officers specified in paragraph 3.12 of this policy.