Rob’s Weekly Round-up 22 April 2022

Dear colleagues,

I’d like to start today’s message with some news that is hot off the press. I am delighted to be able to share that the Council had two successes at the Social Care Wales Accolade awards yesterday.

The team at Rondel House was highly commended in the Supporting People Who Live With Dementia category. This highlights the amazing work that the Rondel team do, in partnership with the Care Collective, in supporting people living with dementia and their carers. Keri Llewellyn of the All Care agency won the Accolade in the We Care Wales category for her contribution to developing the sector and in providing social opportunities for people living in Vale care homes and those who may otherwise be isolated in their own homes.  Da iawn.  Very well done indeed.

I believe firmly in public servants getting the recognition they deserve for their efforts. This is why the Staff Awards this year will be bigger and better than ever. Returning after a 3-year hiatus, nominations will open on Monday for the 13 categories announced earlier this month. The categories have been refreshed to reflect our organisation’s values, the Corporate Plan and the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act, as well as to celebrate the dedication and commitment of staff, after an extremely challenging few years.  I am delighted that we have a sponsor for every single award. You’ll be able to nominate your colleagues or teams online using your laptop, or mobile, or by completing the nomination forms that will be available at all sites from early next week. 

I am always hugely proud and humbled to hear the work of our colleagues and cannot wait to read the submissions. I’d like to thank the staff committee behind the awards for their great work so far. Not least is their achievement in securing more sponsors than ever to ensure this great celebration will not come at any cost to the Council Tax payer or Council.

Just as powerful as recognition at award ceremonies is feedback direct from those who use our services. I received an email earlier this week praising the work of colleagues in our Neighbourhood Services team from a resident who had raised the issue of graffiti in Penarth.

“One of your operatives attended site today and he has done a first class job of removing all of the offending graffiti from the shelter. I took the time to thank him personally. It looks so much better now.”

I’d also like to thank those behind this personally and I am reliably informed the work was carried out by Mike Harney and Gary Gordon in our Cleansing team. Diolch yn fawr both.

Another of our Neighbourhood Services colleagues has been commended this week. Some of you may already have seen the feature on Russell Morgan in the South Wales Echo. Russell described his role, which includes preparing the beach at Barry Island each morning, as the best in the world. I am sure a few of us are certainly envious when the sun is shining.

Also in the media this week and receiving much deserved praise, were the team behind the Food Pod in Penarth who were featured on Newsnight on BBC 2. There is fantastic work underway in various teams to help support those affected by food poverty and those colleagues that were in front of the camera are at the very forefront of this.

I am also going to shout out again those at the Civic Offices and Alps buildings who have been packing and distributing food parcels in recent weeks - these are making a huge difference. In particular I’d like to mention Jo, Lloyd and Helen, in the Policy team again who this week asked me to pass on the Council’s thanks to Morrison’s supermarket for their help. This is something I was more than happy to do, but it would be remiss of me not to again thank once more our colleagues who are packing bags and organising deliveries on top of the day-to-day workload.

I’d like to end with one more thanks and that is to Rachel Protheroe in our Democratic Services team. Rachel has done fantastic work over the past year to modernise the way we conduct ceremonies in the Vale and market them as a service. This week the Council was granted its licence to carry out marriage and civil partnership ceremonies at a number of locations across the Vale, including the beach huts at Barry Island. I know this has been a real team effort, so diolch yn fawr iawn to all involved. If you’d like to know more, or know anyone who would, staff from the Registration team will be at the beach huts this weekend to answer questions and hopefully take a few bookings. Pob lwc.

Thanks as always for your work this week, and for those reading on Monday morning after the Easter break… welcome back.

Diolch yn fawr iawn am y tro.  Thanks for now.

Rob.