Welcome to this week’s newsletter. As I write this edition we are coming to the end of European Local Democracy Week 2023. There are a number of reasons that I have a strong and long-standing interest in this initiative.
Firstly it always coincides with my birthday, an annual reminder that it was clearly written in the stars that I would end up working in local democracy.
Secondly, I have always found it an easy and valuable way in which democracy nerds (like me) and practitioners can get an insight into local democracy in other countries. Its a great way to develop new perspectives and ideas to inform your practice.
Finally, whilst I was at Kirklees we endeavoured to use the week as an opportunity to raise the profile of local democracy both inside and outside of the council. Over the years I know that many councils have also taken this route and I have always seen value in finding out what they are doing out of genuine interest or with a view to pinching with pride.
As usual I have spent the last week searching social media (mainly Twitter, or X if you prefer) looking for what councils have been up to. To my surprise, and disappointment, I could only find four councils sharing what they were doing. So a shout out goes to Hart District Council, Tunbridge Wells Borough Council, Armagh City, Bainbridge and Craigavon Borough Council and Kirklees Council.
I fully accept that my “research” has its limitations and is unlikely to accurately represent what was going on up and down the country. If you have done some good stuff (and I missed it) please share it with ADSO colleagues.
That said it did make me think that there is a strong possibility that with the many challenges that local authorities are facing, local democracy week will inevitably slip down the priority list. I totally get this but at the same time it upsets me because I know there are great things that you and colleagues are doing on a daily basis that deserve to be shared and acknowledged.
In many respects democracy is our unique selling point, it’s what separates us from other organisations. For at least one week a year we deserve the opportunity to celebrate and shout about something we are all proud of. Never stop shouting and sharing (even when the going gets tough).
Democratic Services engagement with local Youth Councils
In the spirit of sharing good practice Charlotte Cameron, Senior Democratic Services Officer at Peterborough City Council has kindly captured her experience (see below) of working with her youth council:
As I started in my role, I was made aware that the Youth Councillors were invited to attend our scrutiny committee meetings but that in recent months there had been a lack of engagement. As an advocate for youth engagement in local democracy, I felt that it was important to work towards rebuilding this relationship to support them in their roles and to highlight the importance of democracy at a local level.
Last year, I attended a Youth Council meeting and gave a brief presentation on my local authority, the role of democratic services and the role of scrutiny. This was well received, and I was encouraged when more youth councillors started to attend the scrutiny meetings on a regular basis. I worked with their Youth Engagement Officer to increase their confidence and over time, they begun to ask detailed and probing questions that supported thought-provoking scrutiny sessions.
I continued to work with them and recently, I had the pleasure of returning to the Youth Council to give a more detailed presentation on the Council’s governance, decision making and scrutiny processes. This time around, it was important for me to emphasise the role of Democratic Services within those processes, highlight the various skills required to succeed in the role and demonstrate the influence of good governance on all council services.
It has been rewarding to see the interest in local democracy grow within these young people and in particular their interest in the role of Democratic Services. I would encourage Officers to look into what youth engagement your authority has and reach out to see if they would be interested in becoming more involved. It could be that you end up working with Officers and Members of the future.
We’re always keen to find out what you are up to and share with ADSO colleagues so please get in touch if you have anything that you would wish to share.
Advanced Committee Administration Programme January 2024
The 2024 Advanced Democratic and Committee Administration Programme is now open for bookings. The programme will be delivered by our very own John Austin and Peter Edwards (Former Head of Democratic Services, Surrey County Council). The programme will be delivered virtually 16 and 17th January 2024, 0930-1530 hours. The programme for 2024 has been reviewed and updated and is targeted at Democratic, Committee Administration and Member Service Officers with at least three years’ experience. The Programme has just 20 delegate places and has sold out in the last three year’s so early booking is advisable using this link .
The Programme fee is just £399 for SEE Council and ADSO Members (£450 for non-member organisations and individuals).
ADSO Webinar this Thursday
Our next webinar – ‘All of the power, none of the risk’: Designing accessible public meetings and information’ will take place on Thursday, 19 October 2023.
Our very own Katherine Harclerode from Rotherham MBC is the presenter, and will explore the benefits of designing public meetings and information for accessibility whilst proposing practical approaches and resources for governance professionals. Book here
Carl Whistlecraft, ADSO Non-Executive Director