Managing Director End of Week message 30 October 2020

Dear Colleagues,

I hope this message finds you well and you have been able to take advantage of the half term break and have some much-needed time off work. 

I’d like to begin this week’s message with a shout out to our recycling and waste crews, and in particular those working on the rollout of separated recycling collections in Barry. I am aware that in the first full week alone, contamination rates within the recycling collected has dropped by 60% and this is excellent news as more and more of our waste can be recycled. I know the introduction of a new or changed service can bring with it many challenges. From the feedback I have seen, this change has gone very well so far and that is down to all of your hard work in preparing for and adapting to a new way of working as well as building on the lessons learnt from the roll out previously in the Rural Vale of Glamorgan.   My colleagues in the Council’s Strategic Leadership Team and I are very proud of the way in which this service has performed over the years, particularly when we have consistently exceeded the statutory targets set by Welsh Government. I am sure that in the coming weeks residents will once again show their appreciation for the work you do because it is a vital frontline service on which we all rely. Thank you all. 

I would also like to offer my congratulations to Sophie O’Donovan, who has just completed her Diploma in Local Government Law and Practice and been awarded a distinction by the Law Society. Sophie completed the final elements of the Diploma during the pandemic whilst also looking after her two young children and working full time as a lawyer for Children’s Services. Well done Sophie, that is an excellent achievement in such challenging circumstances. 

This week the Leader issued a statement regarding upcoming events. Halloween, Bonfire Night and Remembrance Sunday all fall within the firebreak period.

Although the gatherings that normally accompany these occasions are not permitted this year, there are a number of other ways in which they can be marked. We are supporting the South Wales Fire and Rescue Service’s campaign which encourages families to mark these events safely at home.  I know these events will not be the same as in previous years and that it is tempting to take a break from following the rules. Please don’t. The short term sacrifices we are all making at the moment will be worth it in the longer term. I will provide more information about the Council’s plans for Rememberance Day in my message next week.

As an Authority I’m proud that we are also supporting the Welsh Government’s Live Fear Free / Byw Heb Ofn campaign to raise awareness of the support that’s available 24/7 to those at risk of abuse. For more information, please visit gov.wales/livefearfree for confidential advice. 

I was very pleased to read an email this week sent to Paula Ham from the headteacher at Ysgol y Ddraig in Llantwit Major. Ty Golding wrote to Paula to express his thanks and gratitude for the support of a member of staff – Keeva McDermott. Keeva is an inclusion manager within Learning and Skills and Keeva and her team have offered invaluable advice and guidance to schools and families in throughout the pandemic,  focussing on issues such as attendance, home education and children missing in education. 

Ty wrote, ‘Put simply she has provided a level of support, insight and action the likes of which we have not encountered before. For what it's worth, she is excellent!’.  Well done to Keeva and the team - keep up the great work.

The Youth Service have also received praise and appreciation from a young person recently. Tara Reddy and Rhys Jones manage an effective and essential service for young people across the LA with highly trained, professional staff ensuring they get the very best support possible-

“I just wanted to say a massive THANK YOU, you honestly have no idea how much you’ve helped me and in turn my family. Without yours and your teams support I would not have achieved everything I have academically which is a massive for my personal development. As you may know I had a very extreme year last year and with the support you have given me with courses, advice, financial support and attentiveness has allowed me to achieve more than I ever imagined despite some learning barriers. 

I hope that this team can continue to help more service users as it has me. 

Thank you again, although it does not feel enough.”

Y Daith our Pupil Referral Unit has also received some really positive feedback from the Central South Consortium and Estyn (the inspectorate) for the online learning offer that has been developed since the pandemic arrived.  Mat Sweden is the Teacher In Charge at Y Daith and he and his team have worked hard to ensure some of our most vulnerable pupils have been able to access teaching and learning experiences during this challenging period.

In a similar way, Whitmore High School is also leading the way in developing a blended learning approach for pupils. The school has developed a very strong consistent blended learning model that is followed by all departments, with the ability to offer ‘real time’ feedback to pupils and constant engagement between teachers and pupils.

The school has been able to demonstrate a clear increase in pupil engagement with distanced and virtual learning. The procedures and practices are being shared across the region, with school staff due to present their approach to the Central South Consortium next week. The information is also being shared with Welsh Government.

Well done Whitmore High School for leading the way!

Finally, I’d like to end this message with an update on the current situation with regards to Covid cases in the Vale of Glamorgan. The figures for this week show a significant increase in cases in the Vale of Glamorgan. Currently 92 in every 100,000 residents has a confirmed case of Coronavirus with testing showing a 9.2% positivity rating over the last 7 days. In some other areas of Wales, the increase is even more alarming. Although the First Minister warned that we wouldn’t see a reduction in positive cases during the first week of the firebreak period, the fact that cases are increasing shows how vitally important it is for us to all stick to the rules and play our part to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Collectively, we will make a difference. Please play your part.

The Leader and I have met with Ministers and our counterparts from other local authorities in Wales during this week to discuss the next steps following the firebreak period. We have made our representations about what we think is important for the Vale of Glamorgan moving forward. We expect an update from the First Minister on Monday. I will, as always, keep you updated as the situation progresses, although as many of you may have already heard, he has already announced today that when the Firebreak ends, we are unlikely to return to specific local measures, but rather other national measures. 

For now, I hope you all have a restful weekend. Please stay safe and take care.

Diolch yn fawr.

Rob