Democratic Services Officers

We are recruiting on behalf of our client in the Sandwell area for two Democratic Services Officers. This is a full time hybrid role with two days in the office. These are temporary contracts for 6 months until the end of August.

Job Summary

To provide an efficient administrative and procedural support service to Council Committees and other associated meetings and to undertake other work associated with the specific meetings serviced, as required. A Democratic Services Officer (DSO) plays a key role in supporting the democratic processes within local government and other public sector bodies. Their main responsibility is ensuring that decision-making processes are transparent, lawful, and effectively managed.

Duties and responsibilities

Committee and Meeting Support

• Organizing and servicing council meetings, committees, and subcommittees.
• Preparing agendas, reports, and minutes.
• Advising elected members (councillors) on procedural and governance matters.
• Ensuring meetings comply with legal and constitutional requirements.

Governance and Compliance

• Providing guidance on local government law and procedures.
• Ensuring the council operates within its constitution and statutory framework.
• Supporting ethical governance, including handling complaints about councillors.

Member Support

• Assisting elected members with training and development.
• Helping councillors understand policies, procedures, and decision-making processes.

Public Engagement and Transparency

• Managing public access to council meetings and decision-making processes.
• Handling Freedom of Information (FOI) requests and governance-related inquiries.
• Supporting public consultations and elections, where required.

Administrative and Policy Support

• Coordinating policy development and democratic procedures.
• Ensuring timely publication of council documents.

Requirements

• Successful candidate will have a solid understanding of local government and the legislative framework around local authority decision making and experience in all aspects of the democratic services role.
• Experience of interacting with elected members and officers at all levels of the council alongside considerable hands-on committee.
• Administration experience.
• Experience in supporting and/or leading scrutiny bodies is essential, and you will support elected members in identifying areas for improvement, driving policy changes

If you are a resilient and a flexible team player, with initiative, excellent organisational and communication skills, you may be the right candidate for this role.