ADSO is hosting an opportunity to attend this interactive, virtual course ‘Becoming a DSO – an introduction’ held via Zoom. Specifically designed for those taking their first steps into the world of Democratic Services, this course is aimed at those in the first twelve weeks of starting.
This is a quick introduction, designed to give you some essentials and to give you the chance to ask questions and meet other new starters. It will be delivered as a single 3-hour workshop.
Audience
This course is aimed at newly appointed Democratic Services Officers who wish to develop their understanding of their role. It is for those who have never worked in this area before and who want a quick introduction to orient themselves.
How the course will be delivered
The course will be delivered virtually, and by the end of the workshop you will:
- Understand what a local Council is and how it is funded.
- Know the different types of local Council and what services they provide.
- Understand how decisions are made and your role in supporting this, both in and out of meetings
- Have a sense of how accountability works in local government, how Councils and Councillors are held to account and the role of scrutiny.
- Have considered how the political environment of your workplace affects your role and makes it unique.
The workshops will include plenary presentations, case studies and smaller group working, enabling delegates to learn with colleagues from across the country.
Trainers – Lennox Beattie and Ian Millichap
Lennox is an experienced Democratic Services practitioner having been the Executive and Regulatory Manager at Blackpool Council for the past 14 years. He has been responsible for support to the Executive and its governance for that period. Lennox is also involved in ADSO work through the qualifications, which includes both the certificate and diploma.
Ian has over 30 years’ experience of working in local government and has spent 15 years in senior roles. He has previously worked for London Borough of Southwark as head of the committee governance team. Ian has Clerked Full Council, Cabinet and all Major Committees and has experience of both Committee and Executive arrangements.
Date and time
Wednesday 17th April 2024, 9.30am-12.30pm
Cost
- ADSO Member rate – £55 + VAT per person to attend the course
- Non-ADSO Member rate – £80 + VAT per person to attend the course
How to book a place
Please book a place using the link below.
Terms and conditions for booking can be found here
Booking requirements
- A purchase order number is required for all bookings. Please make the PO out to ADSO.
- A hardcopy of the purchase order is required.
- Please provide us with your ADSO Membership number (if applicable)
- A few days after booking you will receive a calendar invite for the workshop(s). Please note that your email address will be visible to all participants unless you advise us otherwise.
Please send the above information to adsotraining@emcouncils.gov.uk.
ADSO is hosting the interactive, virtual course ‘Structures and Functions: The anatomy of Local Government’. The course will be delivered as two, three-hour workshops held virtually via Zoom. Delegates will be required to attend both of the virtual workshops.
Local government in England and Wales is complex and constantly evolving. The workshops will help learners to be more effective in their roles by:
- Explaining local government’s place in the UK’s constitutional arrangements
- Unpicking the different kinds of authorities and councils and what they do
- Exploring the geographies of local government and the drivers of change: Is bigger better?
Audience
This course is aimed at Democratic Services Officers who wish to develop their understanding of the different kinds of local authorities, what they do and how they fit into the wider government landscape of the UK. The target audience will be those who are relatively new to democratic service teams and those with a few years’ experience.
The content is also linked to the Council and Governance module of the ADSO Certificate so it will help learners with their research for this module.
How the course will be delivered
The course will be delivered virtually, to maximise the delegates learning experience the course has been broken into two virtual workshops. The workshops will include plenary presentations, case studies and smaller group working, enabling delegates to learn with delegates from across the country.
Trainers – Ian Curtis and Fabiola Fuschi
Ian is a solicitor who has worked in local government in the UK for more than thirty years. He is presently Head of Governance at Fylde Council in Lancashire, where he has worked seventeen years. Ian was council’s statutory Monitoring Officer for nine years and has acted as Deputy Returning Officer for local, national and European elections. Ian is a past chair of the North West branch of the Association of Council Secretaries and Solicitors.
Fabiola has been a Democratic Service Officer since 2014, across three authorities in Greater Manchester, currently with Rochdale Borough Council. Fabiola supports decision making and scrutiny committees as well as school admission appeals, independent review panels and Elections. Fabiola has previously completed the ADSO Certificate which she found pivotal in consolidating her knowledge and understanding of local government law and practice.
Fabiola has also achieved qualifications in training, and she is passionate about supporting colleagues using her knowledge and experience.
Date and time
Workshop One: Thursday 18th April 2024, 9.30am-12.30pm
Workshop Two: Thursday 25th April 2024, 9.30am-12.30pm
Delegates are required to attend both workshops. Please note that you only need to book to attend the workshop on 18th April to be able to attend both workshops.
Cost
- ADSO Member rate – £110 + VAT per person to attend the course
- Non-ADSO Member rate – £160 + VAT per person to attend the course
Please contact adsotraining@emcouncils.gov.uk if you wish to be allocated a learner place.
How to book a place
Please book a place using our online booking form, please note that you will only need to book to attend the first session to attend both. Terms and conditions for booking can be found here.
Booking requirements
- A purchase order number is required for all bookings. Please make the PO out to ADSO.
- A hardcopy of the purchase order is required.
- Please provide us with your ADSO Membership number (if applicable)
- A few days after booking you will receive a calendar invite for the workshop(s). Please note that your email address will be visible to all participants unless you advise us otherwise.
Please send the above information to adsotraining@emcouncils.gov.uk.
ADSO is hosting the interactive, virtual course ‘Structures and Functions: The anatomy of Local Government’. The course will be delivered as two, three-hour workshops held virtually via Zoom. Delegates will be required to attend both of the virtual workshops.
Local government in England and Wales is complex and constantly evolving. The workshops will help learners to be more effective in their roles by:
- Explaining local government’s place in the UK’s constitutional arrangements
- Unpicking the different kinds of authorities and councils and what they do
- Exploring the geographies of local government and the drivers of change: Is bigger better?
Audience
This course is aimed at Democratic Services Officers who wish to develop their understanding of the different kinds of local authorities, what they do and how they fit into the wider government landscape of the UK. The target audience will be those who are relatively new to democratic service teams and those with a few years’ experience.
The content is also linked to the Council and Governance module of the ADSO Certificate so it will help learners with their research for this module.
How the course will be delivered
The course will be delivered virtually, to maximise the delegates learning experience the course has been broken into two virtual workshops. The workshops will include plenary presentations, case studies and smaller group working, enabling delegates to learn with delegates from across the country.
Trainers – Ian Curtis and Fabiola Fuschi
Ian is a solicitor who has worked in local government in the UK for more than thirty years. He is presently Head of Governance at Fylde Council in Lancashire, where he has worked seventeen years. Ian was council’s statutory Monitoring Officer for nine years and has acted as Deputy Returning Officer for local, national and European elections. Ian is a past chair of the North West branch of the Association of Council Secretaries and Solicitors.
Fabiola has been a Democratic Service Officer since 2014, across three authorities in Greater Manchester, currently with Rochdale Borough Council. Fabiola supports decision making and scrutiny committees as well as school admission appeals, independent review panels and Elections. Fabiola has previously completed the ADSO Certificate which she found pivotal in consolidating her knowledge and understanding of local government law and practice.
Fabiola has also achieved qualifications in training, and she is passionate about supporting colleagues using her knowledge and experience.
Date and time
Workshop One: Thursday 18th April 2024, 9.30am-12.30pm
Workshop Two: Thursday 25th April 2024, 9.30am-12.30pm
Delegates are required to attend both workshops. Please note that you only need to book to attend the workshop on 18th April to be able to attend both workshops.
Cost
- ADSO Member rate – £110 + VAT per person to attend the course
- Non-ADSO Member rate – £160 + VAT per person to attend the course
Please contact adsotraining@emcouncils.gov.uk if you wish to be allocated a learner place.
How to book a place
Please book a place using our online booking form, please note that you will only need to book to attend the first session to attend both. Terms and conditions for booking can be found here.
Booking requirements
- A purchase order number is required for all bookings. Please make the PO out to ADSO.
- A hardcopy of the purchase order is required.
- Please provide us with your ADSO Membership number (if applicable)
- A few days after booking you will receive a calendar invite for the workshop(s). Please note that your email address will be visible to all participants unless you advise us otherwise.
Please send the above information to adsotraining@emcouncils.gov.uk.
Abuse and intimidation of our elected representatives is one of the biggest threats to our democracy in the UK. In the last seven years, two MPs – Jo Cox and Sir David Amess – were murdered as they met their constituents. Many elected representatives routinely receive abuse. Local Government Association data from 2022 showed that seven out of ten local councillors had experienced abuse and intimidation in the last year.
Building on extensive stakeholder engagement and research, Hannah Phillips of the Jo Cox Foundation will discuss the recently launched Jo Cox Civility Commission: Call to Action, report which offers practical and deliverable recommendations to tackle abuse in politics. Addressing the issue is complex and requires action across multiple different sectors including Parliament, local government, political parties and the police.
The webinar is particularly suitable for Democratic Services Officers. It will outline the nature of the problem of abuse towards elected representatives, explore the recommendations from the Jo Cox Civility Commission: Call to Action especially for local authorities, and discuss ideas for implementing these recommendations.
Please note that you will need to be able to login in to GoTo webinar in order to access the webinar. If you are logging in from your workplace, you will need to ensure that GoTo has not been blocked by your organisation. Otherwise, you can log on from your mobile.
Register for the webinar
The webinar is sponsored by Link Support Services (UK) Ltd led by David McGrath who is a Chartered Fellow of the Institute of Personnel Development and former councillor. This year Link celebrates its 30th year providing lively, interactive and bespoke training for elected members and officers. Link supports over 150 public sector bodies in England and Wales including Councils, Combined Authorities, Police and Crime Panels, Fire Authorities and other national organisations such as the Co-op. It’s Link’s 10th year sponsoring ADSO too and we offer over 35 courses for councillors and officers. Courses include: Chairing Skills, Casework and Advocacy skills, Effective Committee membership, Public Speaking, Civic Coaching, Scrutiny, Planning, Licensing, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Local Government Finance and many more.
Link has trained councillors in Personal Safety Skills for over 10 years. As a former front-line councillor in Birmingham (8 years) and community campaigner for over 30 years, David McGrath and his team provide highly practical personal safety training for members (training over 1500 councillors between 2021-23).
Link’s courses look at how members can anticipate, prevent and manage potential risks in a range of typical scenarios (e.g. ‘on the doorstep, in surgeries, in challenging meetings, online and more). This thought-provoking training can be delivered at any point in the municipal year (induction, pre-election, refresher), and can also assist officers to review and bolster their member support strategies.
Visit Link support Services or email Linkukltd@aol.com or call David on 01676 522775 for further details on any of the Link courses.
Register for the webinar
ADSO is hosting the highly popular course ‘Just a Minute’ which will be delivered as two, virtual three-hour workshops. Delegates will be required to attend both.
Audience
This course is aimed at Democratic Services Officers who are required to take minutes of meetings. The target audience will be those who are relatively new to democratic service teams and those with a few years’ experience.
How the course will be delivered
To maximise the delegates learning experience the course has been broken into two virtual workshops.
The workshops will include plenary presentations, case studies and smaller group working, enabling delegates to learn with delegates from across the country.
This workshop aims to provide you with the skills and knowledge to write a local government minute, including:
- An understanding of the law relating to local government minutes
- Tips and good practice for local government minute writing
- An awareness of the different minutes styles used for different types of meetings
- The opportunity to apply your knowledge in practical exercises and case studies with colleagues from other local authorities.
You will need to bring pen and paper, or laptop, or your own preferred minute writing medium!
Trainers
Michelle Beaumont is currently a Democratic Services Manager at the London Borough of Richmond and has worked in Democratic and Member Services at both the London boroughs of Richmond and Wandsworth and Spelthorne Borough Council since 2013. She has also been an active ADSO member holding several positions including joint Company Secretary (2020-21), Qualifications Manager (2021-present) and assessor (2018 – present). Michelle was recently appointed Training Officer for NACO having managed both the Richmond and Wandsworth Civic Office. Michelle also supports the elections for Richmond and Spelthorne as senior presiding officer and assistant count supervisor. Outside of work Michelle is a keen runner and runs a marathon every year for the Mayor’s charities.
Karen Widdowson is currently Democratic Services Manager and Deputy Monitoring Officer at Charnwood Borough Council. She is an experienced Democratic Services practitioner having worked in the profession for 20+ years across all key areas of Democratic Services including meetings and civic support, member development, scrutiny, citizenship and elections. Karen has worked for several types of local authority which has built up extensive knowledge and experience about local government decision making and different political arrangements. Karen is also an ADSO qualifications assessor and trainer, and an Independent Person for Sheffield and Barnsley Councils.
Date and time
Workshop One: Thursday 16th May 2024, 9.30am-12.30pm
Workshop Two: Thursday 23rd May 2024 9.30am-12.30pm
Delegates are required to attend both workshops. Please note that you only need to book on 16th May course date to be able to attend both workshops.
Cost
- ADSO Member rate – £110 + VAT per person to attend the course
- Non-ADSO Member rate – £160 + VAT per person to attend the course
How to book a place
To book a place please use the online booking form available on the following webpage:
ADSO – Just a Minute (emcouncils.gov.uk)
Terms and conditions for booking can be found here.
Booking requirements
- A purchase order number is required for all bookings made out to ADSO. Courses cannot be attended if a purchase order is not received.
- A hardcopy of the purchase order is required.
- Please provide us with your ADSO Membership number (if applicable)
- A few days after booking you will receive a calendar invite for the workshop(s). Please note that your email address will be visible to all participants unless you advise us otherwise.
Please send the above information to adsotraining@emcouncils.gov.uk.
ADSO is hosting the highly popular course ‘Just a Minute’ which will be delivered as two, virtual three-hour workshops. Delegates will be required to attend both.
Audience
This course is aimed at Democratic Services Officers who are required to take minutes of meetings. The target audience will be those who are relatively new to democratic service teams and those with a few years’ experience.
How the course will be delivered
To maximise the delegates learning experience the course has been broken into two virtual workshops.
The workshops will include plenary presentations, case studies and smaller group working, enabling delegates to learn with delegates from across the country.
This workshop aims to provide you with the skills and knowledge to write a local government minute, including:
- An understanding of the law relating to local government minutes
- Tips and good practice for local government minute writing
- An awareness of the different minutes styles used for different types of meetings
- The opportunity to apply your knowledge in practical exercises and case studies with colleagues from other local authorities.
You will need to bring pen and paper, or laptop, or your own preferred minute writing medium!
Trainers
Michelle Beaumont is currently a Democratic Services Manager at the London Borough of Richmond and has worked in Democratic and Member Services at both the London boroughs of Richmond and Wandsworth and Spelthorne Borough Council since 2013. She has also been an active ADSO member holding several positions including joint Company Secretary (2020-21), Qualifications Manager (2021-present) and assessor (2018 – present). Michelle was recently appointed Training Officer for NACO having managed both the Richmond and Wandsworth Civic Office. Michelle also supports the elections for Richmond and Spelthorne as senior presiding officer and assistant count supervisor. Outside of work Michelle is a keen runner and runs a marathon every year for the Mayor’s charities.
Karen Widdowson is currently Democratic Services Manager and Deputy Monitoring Officer at Charnwood Borough Council. She is an experienced Democratic Services practitioner having worked in the profession for 20+ years across all key areas of Democratic Services including meetings and civic support, member development, scrutiny, citizenship and elections. Karen has worked for several types of local authority which has built up extensive knowledge and experience about local government decision making and different political arrangements. Karen is also an ADSO qualifications assessor and trainer, and an Independent Person for Sheffield and Barnsley Councils.
Date and time
Workshop One: Thursday 16th May 2024, 9.30am-12.30pm
Workshop Two: Thursday 23rd May 2024 9.30am-12.30pm
Delegates are required to attend both workshops. Please note that you only need to book on 16th May course date to be able to attend both workshops.
Cost
- ADSO Member rate – £110 + VAT per person to attend the course
- Non-ADSO Member rate – £160 + VAT per person to attend the course
How to book a place
To book a place please use the online booking form available on the following webpage:
ADSO – Just a Minute (emcouncils.gov.uk)
Terms and conditions for booking can be found here.
Booking requirements
- A purchase order number is required for all bookings made out to ADSO. Courses cannot be attended if a purchase order is not received.
- A hardcopy of the purchase order is required.
- Please provide us with your ADSO Membership number (if applicable)
- A few days after booking you will receive a calendar invite for the workshop(s). Please note that your email address will be visible to all participants unless you advise us otherwise.
Please send the above information to adsotraining@emcouncils.gov.uk.
For more information, please contact Fiona Rae (frae@lambeth.gov.uk) or Maria Burton (mburton@westminster.gov.uk)
Register for webinar
This webinar aims to give you a better understanding of mental health, mental illness, the risk and protective factors and the training available for elected members.
Delivered by Ed Davie from the Centre for Mental Health, attendees will be given a taster session of the training he provides including evidence-based tips on improving mental health and background information on the training.
The webinar will be of particular interest to Democratic Services Officers who want to learn more about mental health themselves or are interested in commissioning this training for their members.
Ed is a mental health and local government expert and since 2021 has delivered his bespoke Mental Health for Councillors Training to about 700 elected members in nearly 50 local authorities with over 93% of trainees rating the training as ‘Excellent/Good’. A King’s College London evaluation found that it successfully improved understanding of mental health and how to improve it for elected members and their communities. A more in-depth evaluation by the National Institute for Health Research is currently underway and early findings are very positive.