Online or Classroom

Every course purposefully designed

How to be a Data Protection Officer

The Data Protection Officer does not just advise on the law. The skill set needed to perform this role well is wide ranging and recognised as being far more than just the person who advises on Data Protection Impact Assessments and handles the SAR's.

In this practical course we will look at the skills needed to be able to effectively support our organisations to develop a data protection by design and default approach to working with the personal data that forms the backbone of what we do.

On this workshop, led by a practicing Data Protection Officer, you will study the importance of this role, the practical key skills required and how to make it work. This workshop is suitable for DPOs and aspiring DPO's in both the public and private sector. It is not about the law. It will analyse the role and duties of the DPO in a hands on, practical way to support you and your organisation to get the best out of your role and improve your organisations approach to data protection.

Key Topics

  • Relationships with senior management and how to get them on side
  • How to get involved in key decisions
  • How to secure appropriate resources
  • Handling conflicts of interest
  • Developing a communication strategy
  • Developing leadership and conflict resolution skills
  • Being an agent for change
  • Developing a systematic/programme approach to compliance
  • Dealing with the Information Commissioner
  • Learning Objectives:
  • Understand the importance of their role
  • Discuss and identify the practical key skills required to be a successful DPO
  • Understand the context of delivering a Data Protection Programme
  • Discuss the challenges in their role and the solutions

Dates & Cost

Online

£449 plus VAT

Classroom

£499 plus VAT

Timings: 10am to 4pm

 
Date: 21 May 2025
Location: Online
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Date: 14 Jul 2025
Location: Online
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Date: 17 Sep 2025
Location: Online
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Date: 17 Nov 2025
Location: Online
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Course tutors

All our associates are experienced information governance professionals who have been training and advising in this field for many years.

  • Philip Jones

    Course Tutor


    Philip has 40 years of information management experience in the public and private sectors both as a practitioner and at a senior management level. He was Head of Information Governance at Staffordshire Council. Philip holds a masters degree in information management and an MBA. He is a senior associate for Act Now and Chair of the Exam Panel.

  • Scott Sammons

    Course Tutor


    Scott is an information governance specialist with over 15 years of experience. He has delivered a number international projects for Act Now Training and is a senior tutor on the Advanced Certificate in GDPR Practice. His previous roles include European Data Protection Lead for a bank and GDPR Implementation lead for a council. He is a former Chair of the IRMS.

  • Susan Wolf

    Course Tutor


    Susan holds a judicial position as a Fee Paid Member of the Upper Tribunal (Information Rights). She spent ten years teaching the LLM in Information Rights Law at Northumbria University and developed their Postgraduate Certificate in Data Protection Law and Information Governance. Susan is one of the senior curriculum developers for Act Now Training.

  • Lynn Wyeth

    Course Tutor


    Lynn is the Head of Information Governance for a large local authority and has over 20 years of experience as a practitioner. She holds a post graduate diploma in Information Rights, the CISMP certificate and is an accredited HSCIPP privacy practitioner. She is the author of two books and is currently undertaking a PhD. Her experience is across GDPR, FOI and RIPA.

  • Iain Harrison

    Course Tutor


    Iain is currently an Information Governance Risk Manager for a large local authority and has over 20 years of experience. He has been delivering training for Act Now for over 7 years in GDPR and FOI for public, private and charitable organisations. His extensive experience in planning and implementation of Information Rights legislation allows him to bring training sessions to life.

  • Kirsty Squires

    Course Tutor


    Kirsty is currently a DPO for a number of local authorities and has over 15 years of experience in Data Governance. She has led the IG Project Team on transformation projects to deliver local government restructure in Northamptonshire, dealing with issues including information sharing, data protection by design and leading on training and policy development.

  • Naomi Matthews

    Course Tutor


    Naomi is a local authority lawyer and holds a judicial position as a Fee Paid Member of the Upper Tribunal (Information Rights). She has extensive experience in all areas of information compliance and RIPA. Her training has been commended by RIPA inspectors and her advice has helped many local authorities understand the law and practicalities of covert surveillance.

  • Suzanne Ballabás

    Course Tutor


    Suzanne Ballabás, is a privacy professional with over ten years of practical experience in implementing privacy practices across various international organisations, in addition to acting as a compliance officer for multiple regulated entities within the UAE’s financial districts of DIFC and ADGM.

  • Olu Odeniyi

    Course Tutor


    Olu Odeniyi is a Cyber Security, Information Security and Digital Transformation Trusted Advisor who has 30 years' experience helping organisations maximise gain from technology solutions, including optimisation of business operations and processes. During this time, Olu held several key senior leadership, strategic and operational positions, in the public and private sectors.

  • Robert Bateman

    Course Tutor


    Robert Bateman is a trainer and writer specialising in privacy, data protection, security, and AI. He is a respected voice on privacy and has been writing, researching, and leading conversations in the field since 2017.

  • Craig Geddes

    Course Tutor


    Craig is a qualified archivist and records manager, with 28 years experience working across the range of information governance activities. He has worked for several Scottish local authorities as Archivist, Records Manager, and Senior Information and Improvement Officer.

What our clients say about us

    This was a really informative course, presented in a light hearted and informal style.
    Kirsty definitely knows her subject matter about being a PO in the real world!
    I would recommend this course to anyone thinking of becoming a DPO. GS, Mersey Care NHS Foundation