On Friday 21 April the ADSO London Branch held its Annual Seminar at the offices of London Councils in Southwark. The event was well attended with around 60 delegates, speakers, sponsors and Committee Members present. The day was very successful with a lot of thoughtful contributions from all parties. The day began with an … Continued
Blog post for the Lawyers in Local Government weekly newsletter by ADSO Chair, John Austin. So the Prime Minister has decided on a general election in June. How many of us saw that coming? Being recently retired and hoping never to work on another election again (thus currently not answering my phone!) my sympathies … Continued
The London Branch Spring Seminar 2017 is almost upon us. The seminar will focus on the top of “The Delivery Of Transparent And Accountable Governance For London” and will feature. Professor Colin Copus and his colleague Rachel Wall from DeMontfort University, speaking about the work and interim findings of the Councillor Commission. Carl Whistlecraft, … Continued
Submission from Association of Democratic Services Officers (ADSO) to the Communities and Local Government (CLG) Committee inquiry into overview and scrutiny in local government ADSO is a professional organisation established in 2009 to support those working in the democratic and governance roles within local authorities in England. We provide a range of benefits to our members, … Continued
I am pleased to advise that ADSO sponsored the annual Notwestminster event this year, for the second time. You may be familiar with the event, but they are arranged by Kirklees and provide an opportunity for those working in the sector, citizens and interested organisations and individuals to consider improvements to local democracy. Over 2 … Continued
The House of Commons Communities & Local Government Select Committee has launched a new inquiry looking at the effectiveness of local authority scrutiny, and it wants as many people as possible to share their experiences. ADSO has agreed to work with the Committee in collecting and giving evidence. In an article last month the committee chair, … Continued
ADSO is currently looking for a number of additional Assessors to carry out assessments for new learners on the updated ADSO Certificate. This is an exciting opportunity to get involved with ADSO and develop your skills. Assessors need to have a good knowledge of the Democratic Services sector and associated legislation and procedures, ADSO will … Continued
The government’s Brexit strategy will come under scrutiny when an official policy document setting out its plans is published later. The White Paper, which was promised after pressure from MPs, comes after the Commons voted to allow the PM to begin the Brexit process. MPs backed the European Union Bill by 498 votes to 114 … Continued
Minister for Constitution, Chris Skidmore set out his vision for a democracy that works for everyone at the Annual Elections Conference of the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives (SOLACE). https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/strengthening-our-democracy-annual-elections-conference-keynote-speech
We have sent in a repsonse to the DCLG on their recent consultation paper relating to video conferencing certain local authority meetings. While we welcome th prinicipal there are a number of areas that need further clarification. We would like to thank all members who gave their views. Details of the consultation can be found here: … Continued