End of Week Message from Rob

25 September 2026

Helo bawb, 

Some of the best opportunities we come across are the ones we don’t necessarily see coming.  

A conversation that opens up a new idea, a chance to learn something different, information that helps us see an issue in a new way, or simply someone taking the time to share their experience and help another person move forward.  

Being open to those moments can make a real difference – to us as individuals, to the people we work with and, ultimately, to the communities we serve. 

That’s why being open is such an important part of who we are and is one of our core four values as an organisation.

It’s about being honest and transparent, listening to different perspectives and sharing infomation, but it’s also about being open to opportunities – opportunities to learn, to develop, to try something new and, importantly, to help others do the same. 

That feels particularly relevant this week with the launch of our new Strive 4 Success programme. Youth Service colleagues held a series of workshops to help colleagues find out more about how they can support local young people to explore future careers, and it’s been great to hear that these have been so well attended so far. 

For many young people, stepping into a professional workplace can be their first real glimpse of what their future might look like. It can build confidence, spark an interest in a career they may never have considered and turn some of the uncertainty about what comes after school into a real sense of possibility. 

That is exactly what Strive 4 Success is about. The programme will connect young people with meaningful, longer-term work experience across Council services, giving them the chance to develop practical and employability skills, build professional networks and get a better understanding of the options available to them after Year 11. 

We’re also looking to make the Council a leading work experience hub, with services invited to host a young person for one or two days a week for at least 12 weeks. This longer-term approach means that young people can build relationships, develop their skills and get a genuine feel for working life, while colleagues have the opportunity to mentor and support someone at the beginning of their career journey. 

It’s a great example of being open to new talent and new ideas, while helping to create opportunities for the next generation. Da iawn to everyone who has already been involved, and I’d encourage teams to think about how they might play a part.  

That same commitment to being open to learning and development has been evident in our schools work this week, with Martine Booker-Southard and our Learning Links Team leading a collaboration between Liverpool City Council and the Vale of Glamorgan Council around anti-racist professional learning. 

Following two professional learning sessions, Martine has shared the updated Anti-Racism Policy for Schools – as a continuation of the work many of our schools have already undertaken through the annual Anti-Racist Action Research Project. 

The policy is designed to help schools strengthen their whole-school approach to preventing, recognising and responding to racism, with a clear principle that racism in education should be recognised and responded to as a safeguarding concern. 

The updated policy provides clearer responsibilities for everyone across the school community and places a stronger emphasis on prevention, professional learning, learner voice and whole-school culture.  

It’s another example of how being open to learning, reflection and different experiences can help us improve the services we provide. Having access to the right information is just as important, helping us understand the communities we serve and make informed decisions.  

That’s why I was also pleased to see the launch of our new Data and Insight Hub this week. 

The Hub brings together data, performance information and insight from across the Council in one central location. Rather than colleagues having to search across different locations for the information they need, the Hub provides access to population and demographic information, Council performance, local economic data, health outcomes, climate and nature data, and poverty and equalities information. 

It is about giving colleagues the information they need to make informed decisions – whether that’s planning services, monitoring performance, developing policies, preparing reports or putting together funding bids. It will also be a live resource, which continues to develop as new data becomes available. 

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to bringing the Insight Hub together. Gwaith gwych. I’d encourage everyone to have a look and make use of it – and, just as importantly, let the team know what other information would be useful to you. 

Finally, being Open isn’t only about information, learning and opportunities. It’s also about being open to one another, making time to connect and recognising that wellbeing matters. 

And with the Great British Bake Off back on our screens this week, it seems only right to finish with a mention of our own Early Help Bake Off! Last week’s Early Help wellbeing event brought colleagues together for cake, conversation and a chance to step away from the busy work day and reconnect. 

There were some fantastic entries, including Balqis Izaky’s Coffee Cake with Salted Caramel Buttercream, Eleanor Williams’ Banoffee Pie and Amy Brown’s rather memorable Spaghetti Bolognese Design Cake. There was even actual fish cakes – perhaps not quite what the judges were expecting, but certainly a memorable entry! 

More importantly, the event showed how valuable these opportunities are, as Early Help colleagues work every day to support others across the Early Help Advice Line, Vale Parenting Service, Team Around the Family, Unpaid Carers and our new Relationship and Resilience Service.  

Thank you, as always, for all your hard work this week – it is greatly appreciated by myself and the rest of SLT. 

If you’re not working, I hope you have the chance to relax, recharge and enjoy some well-earned time away from work. 

Diolch, 

Rob