We’re launching our new Senior Democratic Services Officer Programme in September at the ADSO Conference 2025. As part of this new programme, we are developing a series of masterclasses and seminars. We’ve designed these sessions to support you with a range of topics and issues you may face as your career develops and you take on more responsibility.
Who is it for?
Our Senior DSO Programme is for officers who:
- Have at least 3 years’ experience in a DSO role
- Are experienced in the fundamentals of the DSO role
- Will be taking on, or be being given, more complex tasks and responsibilities
- Are exploring their next career development steps
What’s on offer
We are offering masterclasses, seminars and other professional development opportunities.
Our Masterclasses are about specific tasks, areas of work or roles you might face as you become more senior. Seminars will offer the opportunity for you to explore new, emerging or complex topics, where sharing views and exchanging ideas and experiences are important. Both will be short sessions of 60 to 90 minutes and led by a facilitator or expert.
Masterclasses
Each masterclass will be limited to 15 people.
Cost: £100 plus VAT per person
To kick the series off, we are offering a masterclass on Proportionality and Committee places.
Proportionality and Committee places
Thursday 3 July from 2pm to 3.30pm
Online via Zoom
Lead facilitator: Fiona Rae, Overview and Scrutiny Manager, London Borough of Barnet
As part of an essential area of governance law, decisions made by committees with incorrect calculations of political group sizes can be challenged in the courts, especially when the sizes of political groups change after local elections or by-elections.
This masterclass will cover:
- the law on proportionality and committee places
- how to do the calculations
- how to deal with political groups of the same size
- what to do in No Overall Control councils
- how to treat independent or non-grouped Councillors.
The session will be run by DSOs from Barnet Council.
Book your place:
Proportionality and Committee Places Masterclass – for Senior DSOs