Robs Weekly Round Up

21 June 2024

Dear Colleagues,

I wanted to start this Friday’s update by drawing your attention to an important message I sent out earlier in the week.

Over the coming weeks, myself and Senior Leadership Team (SLT) colleagues will present our strategy to guide this organisation to 2030 and beyond.

This work has two clear components, the new Corporate Plan and the new Reshaping Programme. 

The Corporate Plan is our vision for the Council we want to be in six years’ time and the Reshaping Programme will introduce new ways of working that will help get us there.  

Reshaping is not a new concept, it is a way of re-examining and reinventing our services that we have adopted since 2015.

But with the massive financial challenges now facing the Council, we need to move more quickly and radically so transformation will be approached in a new way.

This will contribute to the way we make the necessary savings required while continuing to meet the needs of our communities.

There are five themes to our new approach to Reshaping:  

• Target Operating Model 
• Service Transformation  
• Strengthening Communities  
• Digital Innovation 
• Economic Resilience 

Over the next six weeks, SLT colleagues and I will be introducing these to all staff and giving you a say in how we deliver our new Corporate Plan in line with them.  

To start, Tom Bowring and I are hosting a Q&A session on Thursday 27 June.

This really is vitally important work so I’d encourage as many staff as possible to attend.

Speaking of protecting our communities, the Greenlinks Service is looking for more drivers.

Greenlinks is a Council-run transport operation that offers accessible low-cost travel for rural communities, supporting some of our most vulnerable residents.

Managed by the Transport Team, the service relies on volunteers to drive passengers, many of whom can't drive themselves and would otherwise be relying on family members or paying large fees for taxis.

Applications are being invited for more drivers so the service can assist as many people as possible.

The role is a great opportunity for someone with a driving licence and some free time who wants to give back to the community or an individual wanting to gain work experience.

All drivers are offered free training and flexible shift patterns.

On the subject of helping the vulnerable, last week was Carers Week, an annual event to raise awareness and show recognition for those within our communities that look after others, often without financial support.

The Vale Unpaid Carers Hub, which is linked to the charity Tu Vida and funded by the Council through the Cardiff and Vale Regional Partnership Board, visited a range of locations, including Barry and Cowbridge libraries and Llandough Hospital.

The aim was to highlight the challenges unpaid carers face and recognise the contribution they make to families and communities throughout the UK.

It was also an opportunity for those that may not consider themselves as carers to identify as such and access much-needed assistance.

More information is available on both the Council and Vale Unpaid Carers Hub websites.

Next, I wanted to pass on some extremely complimentary feedback I received about the Barry Island Cleansing Team.

One person got in touch to say how impressed they were with the way that group of staff operates, calling them “courteous, friendly people who take pride in their work.”

Another individual, who has been visiting Barry for the last eight years, also recently wrote to the Leader to praise staff for how clean and tidy the Island is kept calling them “a credit to the Council’.

I would also like to echo those sentiments. Well done to all involved – you are doing an excellent job both in keeping the Island clean and tidy and in the way you interact with customers.

These efforts are clearly being noticed by visitors as they are by myself and the rest of SLT.

I’d also like to give a shout out to the Contact 1 Vale call centre team who, despite a series of challenges, including a change of workspace, have helped the Council achieve a record sign-up for our green waste collection service.

Innovations such as this are at the heart of the approach I outlined at the start of this message.

We need to think differently about how services will be delivered in the future, with income generation a key part of the Reshaping Programme.

There is also further success to mention, with the Sustainable Communities for Learning Team picking up the Client of the Year prize at the 2024 Construction Excellent in Wales Awards.

These annual accolades are recognised across the Welsh built environment as the biggest and brightest celebration of best practice in Wales.

It was awarded to the team for their combined work and ethos in delivering a range of school improvement projects across the Vale.

Huge congratulations to Kelly Williams, Natasha Burton, Alison Maher and all the team for this honour. It is richly deserved.

Another member of staff from Learning and Skills was also recognised this week, with Natalie North from The Big Fresh Catering Company picking up a Silver Award in the Eat Them to Defeat Them Caterers’ Challenge.

The challenge was to make vegetables the centrepiece of a tasty lunch and encourage children to eat more of them.

Natalie, who works at Ysgol Gwaun y Nant scooped one of 15 silver awards handed out across the UK and claim a £100 prize.

Well done Natalie. To perform so well in a nationwide competition is an excellent achievement and one you should be very proud of.  

I often talk about how talented, committed and valued our staff are – because it’s the truth.

This organisation’s employees are the driving force behind its success and SLT are firmly committed to supporting individual’s growth, satisfaction and wellbeing.

Linked to that is the launch of the My Vale Rewards Hub, which is a breakdown of the various perks and benefits associated with working for the Council.

These include professional development programs, wellness initiatives, exclusive discounts and recognition schemes.

The hub is continually being updated so please take a look to see what’s available.

Before I finish, I wanted to mention that as well as talking about the new Corporate Plan next week, Tom, our Director of Corporate Resources, will also feature alongside Head of Human Resources, Tracy Dickinson, and representatives from Stonewall and Pride Cymru for an Empower. Unite event.

Held over Teams between noon and 1pm next Wednesday, that will focus on exploring how workplaces can empower individuals, including those from the LGBTQ+ community, and create more inclusive environments.

The event aims to foster open dialogue, share best practices, and inspire change.

Finally, I must mention the fact that Gaynor Jones is leaving the Council next week after 34 years of service.

Operational Manager for Commissioning and Finance in Social Services, Gaynor first began working for the Vale in 1990 as a Clerical Assistant and held roles within administration and commissioning before leaving for Caerphilly Council in 2004.

She rejoined the Vale in 2010 and worked in contract management, finance and business support before taking up her current position in 2017. 

Gaynor has been an integral part of Social Services’ Senior Management Team, helping to provide excellent commissioning and financial support across the Directorate.

Lance Carver, Director of Social Services, said: “I think Gaynor’s greatest achievement was supporting our providers through the pandemic. She made sure they had guidance, met with them and sorted their payments. They hold her in very high esteem.”

Under Gaynor’s leadership, the Council won a 2022 Wales Care Award in the Covid Heroes section for being the Best Local Authority for Supporting Care Homes.

Gaynor has also helped the council win Social Care Wales Accolades for Citizen-led services.

I’d like to thank Gaynor for those years of service and wish her well for the future. I know she will be very much missed by her colleagues.  Diolch yn fawr iawn Gaynor.

Thank you all very much for your efforts this week.

They are always very much appreciated.

Have a relaxing and restful couple of days.

Diolch yn fawr iawn.