I hope everyone is well and that your budget council meetings have gone smoothly. I always remember feeling a sense of relief when that particular meeting was behind me – but that didn’t last long as the next meeting was upon us before we knew it. You know that feeling only too well!
Annual Conference 2024
It’s a busy time at ADSO HQ. After the Board meeting on 15th March, we will be announcing the venue for the conference in November 2024. I can say for certain that it will be in the Midlands. There is a change this year in that the event will be on Monday and Tuesday (25 & 26 November) rather than the usual Thursday and Friday. This is due to the availability of the preferred venue. The venue that I will be recommending to the Board is able to accommodate 250 delegates as opposed to 200 last year, so hopefully we will be able to satisfy demand. Another difference is that the cost will include overnight accommodation on the Monday night, so don’t get too alarmed when you see a higher delegate fee compared to last year. We will book the room for you as part of the inclusive cost. That’s one less thing for you to worry about. More details will be circulated after the Board meeting, including the delegate fee and when the early bird booking period will begin.
Taking ADSO Forward
ADSO is continually growing and we are a very successful professional body. The Board over many years has done a great job but we need to adapt and change if we are to continue to develop and provide you with the best possible services. With this in mind, we have agreed an ambitious strategic plan and are also pressing ahead with a Chief Executive type post to support the Board and basically run ADSO on a day to day basis. The job description and person specification will be considered at the March Board meeting. The exact title of the post, and remuneration, plus whether it will be full time/part time are yet to be determined. I am delighted that we have agreed to this new post as it’s something we have been working towards for a while now. I believe it will be a key step to help deliver our strategic plan and take ADSO to the next level. We will be publishing more details in the near future.
ADSO Membership
The membership renewal process for 2023/24 is more or less completed and it is pleasing to see that we have held more or less the same number of members as in recent years (around 1450). This as you know is against a backdrop of a reduced number of posts within authorities and continued budget pressures, so it’s a fantastic achievement. Thank you to all who have renewed your membership and for your continued support. If you haven’t yet renewed, please do so without delay.
Centre for Governance & Scrutiny (CfG&S) – Annual Survey
It’s that time of year again when the CfG&S is conducting its annual survey. The Centre wants to get as many responses as possible so please make every effort to complete it or pass it on to the relevant colleague in your authority.
This survey aims to help CfGS help you, by developing its understanding of current practice, highlighting approaches to work that yield positive results, and ensuring that it designs its ongoing support based on your needs.
The survey is open to both members and officers; CfGS is particularly keen to hear from members, so if you are an officer with responsibility for the scrutiny/democratic services functions in your council, please bring it to the attention of your councillors.
The survey closes for responses at noon on Monday 4th March. If you have any questions about the survey, please email info@cfgs.org.uk
Annual General Meeting, 8th February 2024 – draft minutes
For those of you who were not able to access our AGM earlier this month, we have made the draft minutes available on the website, along with the minutes of the General meeting held in November 2023. Our Board meeting minutes are also available online.
AGM minutes
Board meetings and minutes
Please note you will need to be logged in to view these documents.
John Austin, ADSO Chair