A look back at the first iteration of Infuse

September 2023 saw the end of the first iteration of Infuse – Innovative Future Services, concluding three years of investment in building the skills, capacity and confidence of public servants in innovation across the Cardiff Capital Region.

The programme supported local authority, public and third sector workers to collaboratively tackle some of the biggest issues faced by the region.  As part of their time on the programme, they explored the mindsets and organisational conditions required for innovation and applied new tools and methods to test innovative ideas to tackle challenges relating to two themes: Accelerating Decarbonisation and Supportive Communities.

Since the programme launched, four cohorts have participated in the programme. Among the Infuse Alumni are six Vale of Glamorgan Council employees.

Recognising the value of collaboration, innovation, and upskilling the workforce, the Council was delighted to see Mererid Velios, Alec Shand, Arabella Calder, Gaynor Jones, Penny Fuller and Steve Davies enrol on the programme.

Mererid enrolled on cohort two, exploring the challenge of meaningful engagement, with a specific focus on whether more innovative engagement methods help to increase engagement with groups that don’t normally engage. A challenge that lended itself well to the consultation work that Mererid undertook as part of the Barry Wayfinding Project, and consequently featured as a case study in a recent Future Generations Newsletter. You can find out more about Mererid’s Infuse experiment here.

After enrolling on cohort three, Steve collaborated with other social care professionals from the region to tackle challenges around attracting, recruiting, and retaining great people in social care and health, something that the Council is passionate about. You can watch him talk about his Infuse experience here.

To round-up a successful three years, front-line public servant and senior leaders joined for the ‘Mindsets and Methods for Innovation in Public Services’ event, a celebration of Infuse achievements and a platform to inspire innovation across the region.

Alongside talks from key note speakers and discussion about learnings, the event also saw the launch of the Infuse Innovation Handbook, a document that captures the shared learning and inspiration from the programme.

As an employer, the Council believes that working together, sharing knowledge, and building relationships are key to personal and professional growth. The recent launch of the new Learning Café makes it easier than ever before for employees to do just that.

The Learning Café is designed to be inclusive and engaging, with a wide range of topics and activities to suit everyone's interests. Whether you are interested in personal development, professional growth, or simply want to connect with like-minded individuals, the Learning Café has something for everyone.

Whilst undertaking the launch of the Learning Café, colleagues in OD and learning have also overseen the development of ‘Learning Hub 1’, a new dynamic space aimed at fostering collaboration, learning and innovation on the 3^rd floor of the Civic Offices.

Colleagues who are working on a collaborative project that would benefit from using the space can organise this through OD and learning.

Last week, colleagues who have participated in Infuse, New Local Next Generation Coaching, Solace Conference, and Academi Wales Winter and Summer Schools, joined Senior Leadership colleagues to share insight into their experiences.

The discussion sparked conversation about how the Council should continue to encourage participation in development opportunities and develop our internal offering to support the needs of our colleagues. While the OD and Learning team continue the conversation, you can stay up to date with learning opportunities by signing up to tailored email updates from the Learning Café.