What if governance could be something altogether more powerful — a living system that holds people, power, accountability and consequence together?

That’s the question at the heart of Deirdre LaBassiere’s work, and the foundation of her landmark Governance with SOUL™ framework. In this session, she brings it directly to DIN — with the honesty, depth and challenge that her audiences have come to expect.

Here are the questions we’ll be discussing

• What is SOUL governance — and why does it matter? What does it mean to treat governance not as a compliance function but as a living system built on Stewardship, Orientation, Understanding and Legacy?

• Are your board and leadership team governing — or just managing? What is the real difference, and how do you know which one your organisation is actually doing?

• Where does technical rigour end and human judgement begin? How do the best boards hold both in tension — and what happens when they don’t?

• What does accountability with dignity look like? How do you create cultures where people are genuinely held to account, without losing trust, humanity or purpose?

• Is your governance fit for the challenges ahead? In an era of rising regulatory scrutiny, stretched resources and complex stakeholder demands, what does future-ready governance actually require?

What you’ll take away:

• A clear, practical understanding of the Governance with SOUL™ framework and how to apply it in your organisation

• A sharper sense of where your governance may have gaps — and what to prioritise first

• New ways of thinking about the relationship between board effectiveness, organisational culture and accountability

• Honest reflection on what it means to lead with both rigour and humanity at the top table

• Connections with peers across the sector grappling with the same governance pressures

Who should attend?

This session is for anyone with a stake in how their organisation is governed and led:

• Board Chairs and non-executive directors who want governance that genuinely drives performance and culture

• Chief Executives and Executive Directors navigating the demands of regulators, funders and communities simultaneously

• Company Secretaries and Governance leads responsible for maintaining standards and board effectiveness

• Heads of Compliance, Risk and Assurance looking for frameworks that go beyond the technical

• Anyone in the sector who suspects their governance could be doing more — and wants to do something about it

This isn’t a session about theory. It’s about what governance looks like when it’s working at its best — and what it costs when it isn’t. Come ready to be challenged, to reflect honestly, and to leave with something concrete you can take back to your organisation.

About Deirdre LaBassiere LL.B(Hons) FTLS

Deirdre LaBassiere is an award-winning governance authority, keynote speaker and founder of the Governance with SOUL™ framework — a model that integrates technical governance excellence with Stewardship, Orientation, Understanding and Legacy. Based in Birmingham, she is a senior governance, compliance, risk and assurance professional with deep roots in social housing and complex not-for-profit organisations, with senior roles spanning the Bournville Village Trust, Housing 21, Parasol Homes, Local Space Housing Association and Storm Housing Group.

Founder and Director of DLB Consultancy Ltd, Deirdre also facilitates the Corporate Governance module on the UK’s only certified Non-Executive Director programme and has spoken at the National Housing Federation Conference, the Law Society of England and Wales, and speaks at and curates the prestigious annual Sir Adrian Cadbury Lecture. She serves as Chair of the Legacy Centre of Excellence — Europe’s largest independent Black-owned arts and business centre, is a board member of Nehemiah Housing Association — and is a Fellow and former Chair of The Lunar Society.

Deirdre is widely regarded as someone who brings moral clarity, lived experience and genuine humanity to governance work. As one colleague put it: “She does not treat governance as a technical exercise — but as a living system. People do not simply listen to Deirdre; they reflect, recalibrate, and change.”