Rob's Weekly Round-Up

11 February 2022

Dear colleagues, 

I hope this email finds you well at the end of another busy week.

Last week, I used my message to draw attention to the plans to mark Race Equality Week within the organisation. As part of this, on Wednesday I took part in a Safe Space session with our Diverse network. This was a first for me and the session was both powerful and thought provoking. SLT colleagues and I had some very insightful discussions with representatives of the network, who joined us in person in the Council chamber and virtually via Teams. Words of course are only the starting point and while I do believe we are already doing great work to make the Vale of Glamorgan an inclusive Council there is always more that can be done and I have committed to the group that further action will follow. 

I’d like to publicly reiterate my thanks to all of those who made the session so beneficial. Alongside GLAM, the Diverse network is providing a very powerful voice for their colleagues. These groups will soon be working with a new disability matters staff network to ensure the views of even more colleagues can be heard. More details of the new group’s aims, its first meeting, and most importantly how you can get involved will be shared on StaffNet soon.  

In another call back to last week, you may recall I highlighted the work of colleagues in our Finance team in administering the Winter Fuel Support Scheme. I’ve since had chance to catch up with Paul Russell our Operational Manager for Exchequer Services. Paul talked me through the sheer scale of the work of their team. Working closely with other teams within Finance, Exchequer Services delivered over £42m of non-domestic rates business grants in 2020/21 and a further £1.6m in recent weeks. This work has provided financial support to businesses employing thousands of Vale residents. As well as the £600,000 of Winter Fuel Support, self-isolation payments totalling £760,000 have been paid to more than 3000 local residents. 

Every penny of this will have gone to supporting people during the pandemic and made a very real difference to their lives. When we talk about our work to support the most vulnerable people in our communities, the behind the scenes work of teams like Exchequer Services may not be what immediately springs to mind, but its impact is just as great. I know the team have shown a huge commitment to deliver these new initiatives, and like so many of us found ways to do it while also managing their previous workload. Diolch yn fawr pawb. Your work has not gone unnoticed. 

I was also pleased to be contacted recently by Rachael Slee, the Council’s Facilities Manager.  Rachael was quite rightly eager to give a shout out to our Cleaning and Security staff who she called some of ‘the unsung heroes of our organisation’.  I know that all the staff within the Cleaning & Security teams have worked extremely hard to ensure that all staff and visitors to our buildings have had a safe workplace. They have undertaken extra hours to ensure that the risk of infection has been kept as low as possible, as well picking up new skills such as using the bio-misting machines in known breakout areas.  They have also been swift to react in an emergency and have slotted into roles that they may not do in ‘normal’ times.  

Few Councils have kept buildings, offices and reception areas open throughout the pandemic, but we have been one of the few that have. Thanks and appreciation must go to our Cleaning and Security teams – their efforts have ensured that the buildings have been able to remain open, safe and clean and their tireless work has also not gone unnoticed.  Diolch yn fawr Rachael for contacting me and diolch yn fawr to all our cleaning and security staff.  

For anyone out enjoying the Vale this weekend - especially if you are exploring on two wheels - look out for the new cycle repair stations around the Vale. They have been very well received by residents, having been installed this week thanks to a partnership between our Neighbourhood Services and Transport team and Public Health Wales. The stations will play a big part in helping us achieve our active travel ambitions for the Vale by making it even easier for people to cycle with confidence. In the week that our new Project Zero banners are being rolled out to recognise projects that will help us reach net zero by 2030 it is great to be able to share this very practical support for those helping us tackle climate change. You can find a full list of locations on our website. 

On the specific issue of Covid-19, many of you will have already seen, and I am sure welcomed, the advance announcement by Welsh Government today that, as long as current trends continue, the requirement to wear a face covering in many public places will be lifted from 28 February. As to what this means for our workplaces, I’d like to assure you that our Health, Safety and Wellbeing team are currently reviewing the new guidance and we will update staff as soon as possible. Until then please continue to follow the guidance on StaffNet+. 

In the coming weeks, I will also update you on the work underway to plan the future of how we use our offices as part of the Eich Lle – Your Space project. I am looking forward to a discussion at SLT after half-term to look at the options the project team have been working on based on the information that's been provided by colleagues from across the Council. Thanks as always for your efforts this week and enjoy the weekend, whatever you do.

Diolch yn fawr iawn i chi i gyd.

Rob.