I am writing this from Northern Ireland (NI) where I have just spent 2 half days with democratic services officers from local councils spreading the word about ADSO. We did this jointly with a company called PI Communications who televised the coverage of the Northern Ireland Assembly when it was in being. They are looking to extend their remit into local councils. I am pleased to say that both sessions were well received. I think the staff in NI see that they would really benefit from what ADSO can offer, so we will pursue the positive interest shown. The legislation might be different but they are facing exactly the same issues that we are in England and Wales. They were certainly impressed with what we had achieved in a relatively short time.
Last week I helped run a workshop at the Society of Local Council Clerks Governance (SLCC) Conference. The topic was member conduct (or should I say misconduct) in parish and town councils. Whilst problems such as bullying happen in a small minority of these councils, they can have serious consequences for the well-being and career prospects of the staff concerned. ADSO, SLCC and Lawyers in Local Government (LLG) have recently set up a task force to address the issues and come up with practical ways of supporting parish/town clerks plus Monitoring Officers when such instances occur. It’s early days but I am optimistic that we can change things for the better. I am chairing the joint group so if you have experienced or witnessed such problems yourself directly or indirectly, please let me know. This group will also do its best to ensure that all three organisations are involved in any implementation of the recommendations within the recent Committee on Standards in Public Life report.
There are still some sponsorship places available for the IIMC Symposium in June. I have therefore extended the deadline until 28 February. This is a great opportunity for you as ADSO members so please make the most of it.
Have a good week.