Rob's Weekly Round Up

07 March 2025

Helo bawb,

Spring has officially sprung, and we have been very fortunate to have enjoyed some lovely weather this week – I hope all of you get a chance to get outdoors to enjoy the sunshine.

But before we all reach for the suncream and sunglasses, I wanted to share a few updates with you all.

Firstly, the final draft of the Council’s Corporate Plan – Vale 2030, was approved by Cabinet yesterday (Thursday) and will now be considered at meeting of Full Council on Monday evening.

Vale 2030 has been shaped after extensive consultation with residents and feedback from our recent Panel Performance Assessment (PPA).

As you may remember, the PPA took place in the Autumn when a group of external experts visited the Council to evaluate how we are doing in key areas. They offered opinions on the Council’s leadership and important pieces of work like the then draft Corporate Plan and Reshaping Programme, among other subjects.

One recommendation following the assessment was to develop a narrative to effectively communicate our positive vision for the future.

Another was to further share details of our changing approach both within the organisation and across the County. The panel encouraged us to build on existing strong partnerships and further develop our democratic arrangements with a particular emphasis on the effectiveness of scrutiny meetings.

To implement these recommendations, colleagues in the Resources Directorate are putting together a Signalling Change Plan, which will contain examples of how the organisation is evolving.

The Spring series of Management Development Sessions, later this month will be held to recognise previous successes and the new challenges we face. These will encourage everyone to embrace Brilliant Basics, with a focus on the customer, procurement and people management. They will also reflect on 10 years of the Well-Being Future Generations Act 2015 and consider future challenges.

All Chief Officers will also be meeting soon, as part of the Spring programme, to consider the ambitions of Vale 2030, the commitments within it and what we must do differently to realise them.

The Corporate Plan sets out what the Council aims to deliver over the next five years.

In response to feedback, it will now be called Vale 2030 reflecting the fact it is a plan for everyone in the Vale, not just our organisation.

In developing the new plan, we have reviewed and consulted on our vision, values and the objectives that the organisation will pursue in order to deliver wellbeing in the Vale of Glamorgan.

The Vale 2030 objectives involve two objectives around our Places and two around People and a final objective around our Performance. They are:

• Creating great places to live, work and visit
• Respecting and celebrating the environment
• Giving everyone a good start in life/great start
• Supporting and protecting those who need us
• Being the best Council we can be

Vale 2030 also highlights challenges around tackling poverty, the climate and nature emergencies and inequalities. It emphasises the importance of involving residents in decision-making, working in partnership, embedding the principles of placemaking and the opportunities that will be explored through the Reshaping programme.

The objectives as set out only serve to highlight what a vast array of services we deliver. I have said many times before – there is no other organisation that exists, that delivers such an extensive range of essential services to so many people. We are by definition; a complex organisation and our impact is significant.

Vale 2030 reflects that impact and how we want to continue to build positive impacts around our key objectives. The Senior Leadership Team (SLT) will be meeting towards the end of March in a dedicated session to plan all of these changes, and our future Reshaping roadmap.

Work has also started in collaboration with elected members to look at how scrutiny works, with further engagement sessions happening next week following on from the outcomes of this week’s Cabinet meeting.

I would like to thank everyone who has been involved across our organisation in working to develop our Vale 2030 plan. Diolch o galon am eich holl waith caled.

In other news, as the Holy Month of Ramadan is now underway, I would like to highlight some of the activities in our schools to mark this special month.

Llantwit Major School have repurposed a room for a range of creative activities as well as providing a peaceful space for pupils to reflect, socialise and exchange knowledge of traditions, culture and food celebrating Ramadan.

As the beginning of Ramadan fell on St David’s Day, there were also opportunities for the school community to share thoughts and feelings during Ramadan and make links to the celebration of St David’s Day too.

This wonderful work demonstrates our clear commitment to inclusivity here in the Vale and making education accessible for our learners, especially for the children who have joined our schools through the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) programme.

I would like to wish a Ramadan Mubarak to all who are observing this month.

Tomorrow is International Women’s Day, a global event celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women.

It is also an opportunity to recognise the trailblazing contributions of women across our own organisation.

Our Communications Team has been interviewing some inspiring individuals as part of a series of International Women’s Day staff profiles.

Victoria Davidson, who is the Council’s Monitoring Officer and Head of Legal and Democratic Services, has been talking about her career journey in law and working for the Vale. This covers working on criminal defence cases in private practice and moving into family law, before joining the Council and becoming part of the Senior Leadership team.

Speaking about the advice she would give to staff at the beginning of their careers, Victoria said: “It's about being genuine, being honest, being kind to yourself really. Being truthful to yourself and to recognise that you know you're going to have limits too.

"Everybody has their limits for certain things, and some days are going to feel good and then the next day you might wish you’d have done something differently.

"I suppose what I've learnt now in the years I've been practicing is to not dwell too much on what you might perceive as being mistakes - which often are actually learning experiences – you’ll know to do better, better your performance and better your interactions with people."

She added: "I think for women - and I think it's equally applicable to men too - but I think women do tend to carry this sort of imposter syndrome feeling with them. I think in a large organisation where there's sort of competing pressures of work, the key is to work collaboratively.

"Whether it's across your team service, across the directorate or, the whole of the council even - it is just do the best job you can and be the best version of yourself.”

Raising the profiles of our staff is just one way we are championing women across our organisation. As a Council, we are committed to fostering a workplace that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive. One where everyone is valued and celebrated.

Finally, it was also World Book Day this week and a chance to showcase some of the fantastic literary titles that are available at libraries across the Vale.

Some of our librarians came together to share their own recommendations ahead of World Book Day, including A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman, recommended by Christine from Barry Library, She and Her Cat by Makoto Shinkai and Naruki Nagakawa was recommended by Caitlin from Llantwit Major Library, They Both Die At The End by Adam Silvera was recommended by Stacey at Cowbridge Library and The King’s Mother by Annie Garthwaite was recommended by Katherine from Barry Library.

We are so lucky to have a wealth of resources – including hundreds of books – at our libraries, and if you get a chance this weekend, I’d encourage you all to pop into your local library branch. You never know what you might find!

As always, for those not in work, enjoy a restful and relaxing couple of days off.

Diolch o galon a mwynhwech y tywydd braf.

Rob