Robs Weekly Round-up

03 February 2023

Dear colleagues,

It has been another busy week for Team Vale and one where our colleagues have been doing great work to support both our residents and each other.

I started the week by hosting, alongside the Leader, one of our new Long Service Awards presentations. It was great to catch up with some familiar faces and meet some of our most dedicated colleagues. The awards are for those who have worked in local government for either 25 or 40 years. There were some fantastic stories shared and I am really looking forward to our second session on Monday. We’ll be congratulating all of those who’ve received their awards in a piece on StaffNet+ next week so watch this space for more information.

Recognising the value of public service is hugely important to us as an organisation and to me personally and so it was great to hold such a positive event and celebrate all the work that makes such a difference to our residents and communities.  

Earlier this week I was forwarded an email from Sandra Saif, Lead Vulnerable Groups Casework Officer, thanking a host of colleagues for their work to present Llantwit Major School and St Athan Primary School with the Armed Forces Friendly Schools Bronze Award last week at RAF St Athan.

I’ll share some of Sandra’s words where she thanks “everyone who attended the Award Ceremony, and all those behind the scenes that helped to organise this amazing celebration.”  To headteachers Cedric Burden and Louise Haynes, Sandra offered “congratulations again on achieving this award in recognition of the amazing work you do for the children, their families, and your armed forces community, and for allowing us all to share in this wonderful celebration.” And perhaps most importantly Sandra offered “a special thank you to the amazing children for sharing their stories, who are all truly inspiring, and fantastic ambassadors!”

Gwaith da pawb. I look forward to hearing more about the work of SSCE Cymru in the Vale and of the progress of both schools in achieving the silver and gold awards too.

Elsewhere this week colleagues in our Housing team have been finalising plans that will offer high quality temporary accommodation to many families who have fled the war in Ukraine. Plans for 90 units of high quality temporary accommodation have been shared today. The innovative modular units, similar to those constructed in Barry in 2021, will resemble a typical residential housing estate but will not be permanent structures and so can be moved to another location in the future, as the need arises.

The Eagleswell development is another great example of the innovative solutions our colleagues put in place to support the most vulnerable. Welsh Government has declared Wales a ‘Nation of Sanctuary’, emphasising its desire to help improve the lives of refugees and asylum seekers. The Council is committed to that aim and has a moral obligation as well as legal obligation to provide humanitarian aid and accommodation to those fleeing the conflict in Ukraine. Our scheme will be one of the first in Wales and I am immensely proud that Team Vale is leading the way and offering refuge to those whose lives have been torn apart by the war.

On the topic of innovation, I’d like to give a shout out to Alec Shand, Arabella Calder, Gaynor Jones, Penny Fuller and Steve Davies, who are part of the latest cohort of the INFUSE programme. The programme gives public servants the opportunity to learn about and apply new tools and approaches to help tackle the challenges of the future. I have no doubt the five will bring great ideas back into the organisation and help us further accelerate the pace of change.

An area of our work where we are constantly applying new thinking is Project Zero. This week’s clothes swap event, hosted by the Project Zero team, was a great success. Over 300 items of clothing were exchanged and there was a real buzz throughout the day long event. Thanks to all that made this such a great event.

Our new Project Zero engagement hub has also launched this week. The hub will give both residents and staff an online space to learn more about work underway in the Vale to tackle climate change and share their ideas. Why not check it out…

This week also saw the Council show its support for Time to Talk Day. In 2019 we signed the Time to Change Employer Pledge, a commitment to you all to change how we think and act about mental health at every level of this organisation. The introduction of Care First and our Wellbeing Champions are two developments that show how far we have come in recent years. Everyone should feel able to talk about their mental health and I would urge you all to take the time to read about this year’s campaign if you haven’t yet had the chance.

As you read this our Get Back On Track team will be hosting their weekly Winter Warmer at Palmerston Adult Education Centre. Their doors are open from 1pm until 4pm every Friday and staff are very welcome to drop in for a free hot drink and wind down before the weekend.

Next week will see the Council supporting both National Apprenticeship Week and Race Equality First week. You’ll see information across StaffNet+ and our website and social media channels.

Race Equality Week unites thousands of organisations and employees in action to seriously address race inequality in the workplace. This year, we’ll be encouraging everyone to take part in the 5-Day Challenge. We’ll keep you notified with a fresh new challenge each day on Staffnet+. You'll be asked to take time each day to self-reflect and commit to action for race equality.

For National Apprenticeship Week we’ll be looking at how apprentice roles can help provide #SkillsForLife, showcasing some of the opportunities on offer in the Council, and sharing the stories of apprentices in the Vale. 

Finally, I’d like to share with you a special offer made available to our staff by the Hensol Distillery. Vale staff can take advantage of a 2 for 1 rate when visiting the distillery. If anyone wants to use this offer, simply visit their website and use the discount code ‘2FOR1' at the checkout.

Thanks as always for your efforts this week and have a good weekend. Diolch yn fawr iawn a mwynhewch y penwythnos.

Rob.