Infuse: The Journey Continues

If you’ve read our recent Staffnet+ article, you’ll know that colleagues from across the Council are taking part in the Infuse programme.

Colleagues are now nine weeks into the programme and have recently taken part in an in-person event at the Principality Stadium.

The event was part of the ‘Learn Phase’ and centred around the theme ‘What Do We Mean by Data?’, breaking down complex topics such as ethnography and geospatial data.

The group have already completed the first two stages ‘Bootcamp’ and ‘Explore’, which involved meeting fellow associates and working together to explore key challenges.

The ‘Learn Phase’ tackles many different topics and allows attendees to explore further opportunities to collaborate.

As part of this phase, participants will also be attending an upcoming event on 26 April, participating in activities centred around ‘Implementing Infuse’, the ‘Infuse Legacy’ and ‘Future Networks’.

The next and penultimate stage of the Infuse process is the ‘Test Phase’ where members will reflect on learning, prior to the final stage where they will finish by celebrating the Infuse journey and sharing their learning with fellow associates.

After the Infuse Bootcamp, we caught up with Nicola Sumner-Smith, one of the Vale’s Infuse Champions said: “The INFUSE programme has been an intensive but enriching experience. The programme was a varied mix of lectures, workshops, discussions, group work, and one-to-ones, and it covered a vast range of topics and tools but all within the two topic themes of Communities and Decarbonisation, and all of which have direct links to everyone’s role within the Council, so it doesn’t matter if those themes don’t seem relevant at first.

Overall the programme has been intellectually challenging, professionally stimulating and personally rewarding. The time investment should not be underestimated, but I also consider the time spent in the programme will be a good investment for me and the Council overall.”

Cohort Three includes five from the Vale of Glamorgan Council – Alec Shand, Arabella Calder, Gaynor Jones, Penny Fuller and Steve Davies. The five joined staff from other Councils across South Wales including Blaenau Gwent, Monmouthshire, and Cardiff as well as staff from Welsh Government, Public Health Wales & Natural Resources Wales.