Dear colleagues,

I hope this message finds you all well. We are ending the week with some welcome news with the First Minister’s announcement today that there is increased evidence that omicron is weaker outdoors and so an easing of restrictions will start from next week. 

This is obviously good news and the significant drop in case numbers, albeit from a very high level over the past week suggests the latest Covid wave may have peaked. Despite this many of our services are still under immense pressure due to staffing issues and so while we all welcome the news I want to echo what I said last week and say a very sincere thank you to all of those who I know are going above and beyond to ensure we provide essential services to those that most need them.

That is a thank you that extends to those who have this week been working at pace to enable the public to collect lateral flow test kits from locations across the Vale. The is another crucial development in the regional response. Our libraries and C1V teams have been quick to adapt once again to working in a new way and providing yet another important service to our residents. Some of you may already have seen the new guidance for staff requiring LFT kits which was published yesterday. If not, please take the time to read this.

It feels as though I have been writing to you all about Covid-19 and its impact for a long time. The pandemic has lasted so far lasted for 22 months and seems likely to go on for much longer. This is why, as we approach the second anniversary of the start of the pandemic the Council is launching a Wellbeing, Resilience and Reflection Webinar to give everyone the chance to take a break and take stock of what they have been through. The webinar, hosted by Dr Coral Harper, will help support staff by teaching coping mechanisms and sharing the best of the wealth of guidance that is available online.

The Wellbeing, Resilience and Reflection Webinar is available to all staff until 31 May 2022. You can access it at any time that is convenient via StaffNet+. The webinar is just one of the initiatives that has been developed by our Wellbeing Champions and I’d like to thank them for all their efforts to support colleagues across the Council.

Engaging with the Champions is one of many ways you can help shape the work and direction of the Council. Another is through our public engagement work, which is always open for staff to respond. I’d like to thank those of you who responded to the Annual Delivery Plan and Budget 2022/23 consultations that have closed this week and at the same time draw your attention to the public consultation on the Vale Public Service Board’s Well-being Assessment which launched recently.

This is the second Well-being Assessment undertaken by the Vale PSB. The assessment, A View from the Vale of Glamorgan,  has drawn-on a range of national and local data, research and evidence alongside the findings of the ‘Let’s Talk’ engagement programme to consider the state of economic, social, environmental and cultural well-being across the Vale. It is a huge piece of work, led by our Policy and Business Transformation team, which offers a fascinating insight into life in the Vale. The team now need to know if their research tallies with people’s experiences of life in the Vale so please do take the time to review it and have your say.

Finally, I’d like to share some great work that has already received a lot of attention this week. You may have seen the success of our Shared Regulatory Services and Legal Services teams in prosecuting a pair of illegal dog breeders that has made national press headlines. A fantastic piece of work that ensures people involved in cruel and unregulated animal breeding have been brought to justice. Gwaith da pawb.

As always thanks all for your hard work this week.

Diolch yn fawr iawn.

Rob.