Weekly Round Up with Liz

19 July 2024

Dear colleagues,

Rob Thomas has asked me to assume end-of-week message duties this Friday while he enjoys a well-earned break.

I was more than happy to accept that invitation as, having only recently joined the Council’s Strategic Leadership Team (SLT), it offers the chance to introduce myself to those that don’t know me already.

It also provides an opportunity to deliver the latest in a series of articles about the Reshaping Programme and new Corporate Plan, this time focusing on Strengthening Communities.

My name is Liz and I’m the new Director for Learning and Skills, having taken over from Paula Ham at the end of June.

I was previously Head of Additional Learning Needs and Wellbeing after joining the Council from a similar role with Welsh Government around a year ago.

It’s important to me that compassion and empathy are at the centre of everything we do as an organisation.

As people working for the Council, we are ultimately here to help, and I believe an understanding and appreciation of an individual’s needs, circumstances and potential difficulties is key to performing that task effectively.

It is also a central point of the new Corporate Plan as we look to empower people and build Strong Communities with a Bright Future.

The new Corporate Plan will set out how the Council will look from 2030 and staff will have the opportunity to share their views as it develops over the coming months.

The Reshaping Programme explains the changes that need to be made to get to that point and describes a way of reinventing and re-examining services to best deliver for Vale communities.

Last week Nickki Johns published a piece on Digital Innovation, which came after a message from Rob talking about the Council of the future and another with Rob and Tom Bowring summarising a staff question and answer session.

The new Corporate Plan will be developed in line with the Future Generations and Wellbeing Act, Welsh Government legislation designed to improve people’s lives in the short, mid and long-term.

It will also closely link with the Council’s five draft Wellbeing Objectives.

These indicate that the Council should concentrate on: Creating a great place to live and work; Respecting and celebrating the environment; Giving everyone a good start in life; Supporting and protecting those who need us; Being the best Council we can be.

Through all of the five objectives we will be tackling poverty and inequalities.

Rob, Tom and Lloyd Fisher will be holding another live online session at 1pm on Thursday (July 25) to discuss the Council’s Wellbeing Objectives.

That will include information on how staff can get involved in this work and I would encourage anyone interested to sign up and attend.

A couple more pieces on the Corporate Plan and Reshaping Programme will then follow in the next couple of weeks, concentrating on Economic Resilience and next steps.

But before that, I wanted to introduce the theme of Strengthening Communities, one of five that make up the Reshaping Programme, the others being: Digital Innovation, The Target Operating Model, Service Transformation and Economic Resilience.

It describes a partnership approach to service delivery in which the Council works alongside the voluntary sector, third party organisations and town and community councils to make a real difference at a local level.

We want to tackle issues like deprivation and food insecurity and make communities more resilient and self-reliant.

That can be achieved through collaboration, careful use of data and insights, by devolving services and decision making.

There are lots of good examples of this approach being successful within Learning and Skills, perhaps most notably at Cadoxton Primary School.

When Cadoxton Primary noticed some families found it hard to afford enough to eat, Headteacher Janet Hayward and her staff started a “pay as you feel” food shop in the community centre attached to the school.

The shop sold donations from the charity FareShare, which redistributes surplus supplies from the food industry, and local supermarkets.

It was so successful, a bigger space was needed so money was raised to buy and convert a shipping container into a shop on the school grounds, known as Cadog’s Corner.

Another shop then opened in the grounds of Oakfield Primary and Ysgol Gwaun y Nant, which are located next to each other.

When coronavirus hit the project had to be put on hold as the schools’ efforts then went into delivering food parcels to pupils’ families.

But in time the converted shipping container shop finally opened with help from a grant from the Waterloo Foundation.

It is open before and after school four days a week, staffed by volunteers.

Cadoxton Primary has also set up a community laundrette, which operates on a similar basis, and launched other innovative projects to teach pupils and the community about healthy eating and staying active.

This work has laid the foundation for The Pencoedtre Thriving Communities project, with broader support offered to schools in the Pencoedtre Learning Community, made up of Holton, Colcot and Jenner Park primary schools, as well as Cadoxton and Oakfield, and Pencoedtre High.

Council staff work in partnership with the schools and colleagues from the Public Services Board (PSB) - made up of the Council, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, South Wales Fire and Rescue Service, Natural Resources Wales and other partners - to improve the lives of residents in this location.

Services such as housing, benefits, money advice, community development, sports and play are delivered in conjunction with health colleagues to join up services and offer comprehensive all-round support.

This is a perfect illustration of the success that can be achieved by Council services working in partnership with a range of other organisations in a particular area.

Speaking of the PSB, one of its other projects involves collaborating with community organisations and members of the public to help make the Vale an even better place to grow older.

As part of the Age Friendly Network, it wants the Vale to be a positive place for older people to live and work.

The Age Friendly Vale Network is asking for feedback on the Age Friendly Vale Action Plan (2025 – 2028) so has launched a survey which runs until Sunday, August 11.

In October 2023, the Vale of Glamorgan became the fourth Local Authority area in Wales to be awarded Age Friendly Status by the World Health Organisation.

This recognises the serious commitment of partners and older people in working together to ensure the Vale is a place where people of all ages are supported to live and age well, especially those aged 50 and over.

Developing an Age Friendly Action Plan is the next step for the Age Friendly Vale Network, made up of PSB representatives, third sector organisations, community groups, and older people.

The draft Plan sets out the areas of focus for the next three years in line with the Age Friendly Charter which focuses on eight key areas: transport, housing, health services, respect and social inclusion.

Paper copies of the survey are available in community venues including Barry, Penarth and Cowbridge libraries.

The network is also running a series of Community Feedback Sessions across the county to provide residents with an opportunity to share their thoughts face to face.

These are as follows:

• Murchfield Community Centre between 2pm and 4pm on Friday, July 19.

• Rhoose Community Library and Activity Centre between 10am and 12 noon on Tuesday, July 23.

• Cowbridge Library between 2pm and 4pm on Wednesday, July 24.

• Belle Vue Community Café between 12.30pm and 2.30pm on Thursday, July 25.

• Dinas Powys Community Library between 10.30am and 2.30pm on Tuesday, July 30.

Alternatively, the survey can be completed online or by calling 01446 700111.

Recently, residents of Crawshay Court were invited to Dow Corning Nature Reserve to enjoy the space and improve their digital skills.

That came after Value in the Vale lead Lianne Young and Community Investment Officer Mark Ellis helped establish a volunteer group at the housing complex.

Funded by Cardiff and Vale University Health Board and Welsh Government, Value in the Vale offers residents the opportunity to develop skills and gives people the chance to earn rewards for giving up their time to help with community projects. It is delivered by Vale Homes, the Council’s housing tenant service.

Upon arrival, Reserve Manager Catherine spoke with the group about the location and how it proves to be the perfect environment for many insects, birds and mammals including butterflies, slow worms, hedgehogs and bullfinches.

Each resident was gifted a pedometer and loaned an Ipad, tablet, camera, phone lens attachments and binoculars with which to explore their new surroundings.

Afterwards the group headed back to the lodge to further research and talk about what they had seen.

Next the residents will present a slideshow sharing what they saw on the day.

Sticking with digital, ICT and Data Support Manager Sean Granville recently celebrated a major success after gaining a first-class degree in Data Science.

Sean completed the course on a day release basis with support from the Learning and Skills Department.

One of the projects used in his dissertation focused on creating data reports on pupil attendance, an area that has the potential to be of significant benefit to the Council.

This also chimes with the Digital Innovation element of the Reshaping Programme which was explained by Nickki recently.

Well done Sean – congratulations on your achievement.

There are a range of development opportunities open to staff, many of which offer flexible arrangement. More information is available on Staffnet.

Next, a sad goodbye as this week is Ve Van de Voorde’s last at the Council.

After 23 years, the Youth Development Officer is leaving for a new position with South Wales Police.

Ve has been an integral part of the Youth Service for the last 23 years, starting her journey with a primary focus on participation.

Over time that role has expanded significantly, and her contributions have been invaluable across a wide range of activities and programmes.

Ve played a crucial role in ensuring young people's voices were heard and included in decision-making processes, whether through local government, encouraging pupil voice across Vale schools, or Wales wide initiatives.

She dedicated time to the Duke of Edinburgh Award program, mentoring countless young people and helping them achieve their awards.

Her guidance was pivotal in encouraging leadership and understanding that "resilience" sometimes means surviving a weekend camping trip in the rain!

Ve was actively involved in organising and overseeing twinning initiatives. She helped young people engage in cultural exchange programs, broadening their horizons and promoting international understanding and friendship.

This extended to supporting the work of the Town Twinning committee and being a regular member of these professional visits.

Ve's work in detached youth work brought the Youth Service directly into the communities, engaging with young people in their own environments.

Her efforts helped reach those who might not have otherwise engaged with the Youth Service, providing support and building trust within the community.

Ve played a key role in overseeing wellbeing support, ensuring that the mental and emotional health of young people was prioritised.

Her initiatives included workshops, one-to-one support, and creating safe spaces for young people to express themselves.

Ve is renowned for her keen eye for detail and a commitment to quality assurance.

She consistently ensured that all programs and activities met high standards and played a leading role in taking the Youth Service through its Quality Mark and recent Estyn inspection.

Ve's presence and dedication have left a lasting impact on both young people and her colleagues through her ability to connect, inspire, and provide unwavering support.

Ve will be greatly missed by all young people and staff, the Learning and Skills Directorate and Council as a whole.

Thanks for your efforts, Ve and good luck in your next role.

Finally, I wanted to wish everyone a relaxing and enjoyable couple of days off.

Thanks very much for your efforts this week – SLT and I really appreciate them.

Have a great weekend,

Liz