Rob's Weekly Round-Up

28 January 2022

Dear colleagues,

I hope this message finds you well as we approach the weekend.

The new year continues to give us a sense of optimism with regard to the pandemic and from today Wales returns to alert level zero, the lowest level of restrictions.

The only rules now in place in Wales are that everyone over the age of 11 has to wear face coverings in indoor public places, the exception being hospitality venues, businesses need to undertake risk assessments, people must self-isolate when they test positive, and Covid passes are required for large events, cinemas and nightclubs.

Advice in Wales does differ from that in England, and one area of difference relates to the fact that in Wales, working from home continues to be encouraged.  As I said in my message last week staff can continue to work flexibly whether this be from home or the workplace, based on the needs of our customers, the business needs of their teams and what’s best for their own wellbeing. Ultimately what matters is what works, and I would encourage all colleagues to have conversations with their managers to ensure that the approach adopted is the appropriate one for your team.  The issue of wellbeing is one that we should not lose sight of. While restrictions may be lifting, this may not alleviate feelings of stress or anxiety brought on by the realities of living through the pandemic. I would encourage anyone who has not yet taken the time to watch the Wellbeing, Resilience and Reflection Webinar available via StaffNet+ to do so. It is more important than ever that we all find time to make sense of the last two years and take care of ourselves.

I’d also like to remind all managers to continue to liaise with their teams to ensure that the working arrangements in place keep our colleagues safe and well, as well as ensuring that our residents continue to receive excellent service.

 In my message last week, I wrote about the opening of the new Pencoedtre High School. It’s been great to see a flurry of media coverage this week highlighting what a great new facility we have for learners in Vale. I’d like to thank the headteacher and pupils who were so welcoming on our media day earlier this week and our Communications Team for helping make sure the work of colleagues across the organisation is getting the recognition it deserves.

Another service getting some well-deserved praise is our Housing team. Mike Ingram and Andrew Freegard have been featured in this month’s Welsh Housing Quarterly about Vale of Glamorgan’s return to the development of new council housing and their plans for the future. Building new social housing is at the heart of the Council’s strategy to build stronger communities in the Vale of Glamorgan. It is fantastic to see our work being held up as an example for others to follow.

You can find out more about the great work being done in that area in an internal news piece published on StaffNet this week which features an interview with Farida Aslam. Farida, along with Rob Thompson, leads our Community Investment Team. Their work is having a real impact on the lives of many tenants and they are keen to make connections with other teams across the organisation who may be able to help them do even more.

I’d also like to draw your attention to another item featured on StaffNet this week. The launch of the public consultation on our draft Public Participation Strategy. This is another pillar in our work to improve the way in which we work with communities in the Vale. We all have a stake in making it as easy as possible for residents to influence decisions made by the Council and if you have any views on how we can do so this is a great opportunity for you to share them.

I close this week by reiterating the advice which remains as relevant now as it has been throughout the pandemic. For those of us who will be attending the workplace more frequently, please remember the advice and guidance around face coverings, hand hygiene, maintaining safe distances and taking regular lateral flow tests.  These simple steps will hopefully help us to keep safe and our colleagues and families safe.

Thanks as always for your work this week.Whatever you do this weekend, have a good one.

Diolch yn fawr iawn.

Rob.