Robs Weekly Round-Up

18 November 2022

Dear colleagues,

Yesterday the Chancellor of the Exchequer delivered his Autumn Statement to Parliament. While there was not a lot of detail on where these would be made, it appears on the face of it that there will be real-term cuts to public spending.

We will not know with any certainty what this means for our budget until next month when the settlement figures that councils in Wales will receive from the Welsh Government are confirmed. However, it is now very likely that the next financial year will bring savings challenges on a scale we have not previously encountered.

While SLT colleagues and I work to find the best way to navigate this I want to offer some reassurance to staff on two issues.

Firstly, I know that the rising cost of energy, fuel and food, is a worry not just for our residents but for many colleagues as well. Everyone will be looking at their household expenses and even for those not immediately forced to cut their spending, the constant discussion and media coverage of the cost of living crisis will impact on people’s emotional and mental wellbeing.

As an employer we pride ourselves on the support we offer to our staff. There is already a great deal of support available via our Cost of Living hub and Care First and we will be expanding this over the winter. Alongside this our wellbeing champions network coordinates activities across the Council. Away from work our Warm Welcome campaign offers a range of free activities that are open to all. Our trade union partners are also supporting their members in many ways.

Secondly, there are many commentators who are presenting the latest challenge to our sector as the beginning of the end for councils. In my mind, nothing could be further from the truth. Public services are needed now more than ever.

As communities brace themselves for hard times they do so knowing that our services will be there when they need them. Our staff will be working tirelessly to support those that need us the most. The support we offer to citizens of the Vale through our services and initiatives like the Warm Welcome programme can make a significant difference. Quite simply, there has been no more important time for public services or to be a public servant. One of our values is ‘Proud’ and as we meet current challenges head on, everyone should be proud by playing their part in delivering essential public services to our residents and communities.

Most importantly the situation we are currently in will not last forever. There is no doubt it will be hard but I also have no doubt that we will emerge from this, as we have so many other challenges, as a stronger and more resilient council. One at the heart of the communities we serve.

The values that will guide us to this are always evident in our work and this week, as always I have plenty of recent news to choose from to illustrate this.

On behalf of our Public Service Board (PSB) partners, we are currently leading consultation on the second Well-being Plan for the Vale which will be published in May 2023.

The PSB brings together public and third sector organisations from across the Vale of Glamorgan to work in partnership for a better future. The new Well-being Plan sets out three new Well-being Objectives and priority areas that the Board will be focusing on over the coming years. These are a more resilient and greener Vale, a more active and healthier Vale, and a more equitable and connected Vale.

The PSB would like to hear from as many people as possible to ascertain whether the right priorities have been identified in the Plan to improve local well-being. As staff you can share your views by visiting the dedicated project page and completing our survey.

Supporting those who need us will always be central to our work. In line with this earlier this week the Council re-signed the Armed Forces Covenant following a ceremony at Cardiff Castle. The Covenant is a voluntary pledge that demonstrates commitment to support those who serve and have served and ensure that they are treated with fairness and respect.

Looking ahead to next week there will be work across the organisation for Carers Rights Day on 24 November. It is a day which helps to ensure that unpaid carers are aware of their rights, are aware of where and how to access support and to raise awareness of the needs of carers. Colleagues from our HR team will holding a drop in session for unpaid carers in the Manual Handling Training Room at the Business Service Centre (Hood Road, CF625QN) from 10am to 2pm. Anyone is welcome to attend.

Finally, I am sure many of you are looking forward to the World Cup kicking off this weekend. It is an historic tournament for Wales and I know many staff will want to follow their team's progress closely. To help people to work flexibly around games and manage requests for annual leave our colleagues in HR have produced some guidelines for employees and managers. C'mon Cymru!

As always, thanks to you all for your efforts this week in ensuring that we continue to deliver vital services to our communities.  

Diolch yn fawr.