Friday 13 September 2013
Friday 13 September 2013
I mentioned last week that we had a familiarisation visit planned for the peer review team, who will be with us week commencing 23 September, to assess how we’re doing things and to advise where we can do things better. The team arrived early on Tuesday morning at County Hall for a tour of the building to see the open plan working environment, the library and the atrium. The building definitely has that wow factor and is quite unlike other local authority buildings. I was pleased that the fencing and hoardings had by pure coincidence been taken down from the front of the old County Hall building, revealing the refurbishment and renovation works – which I have to say from the outside the building looks great and I’m looking forward to seeing the inside very soon.
We took the team on a coach tour to showcase the county; its geography, communities and challenges. We visited the Monkton Park offices to discuss and demonstrate how we are sharing buildings and resources with the police and the integration of Chippenham Police Station in these offices. This arrangement is still unique nationally and generated a lot of interest from the reviewers. We also visited the new business incubation units at Ludgershall where a number of start up businesses met the team to hear how we are actively supporting ex army personnel to make the transition into the civilian workplace and retain their skills in Wiltshire. Brigadier Piers Hankinson of 43 Brigade at Tidworth Barracks hosted lunch for the team and representatives from the Wiltshire 100 businesses. He provided a good overview of the military in the county and the challenges and opportunities that this brings. By 2020 we will have the largest army settlement in the country based in Wiltshire and this will mean a programme of integration and providing the infrastructure to support this growth around Salisbury Plain.
In the afternoon we visited Salisbury to highlight the regeneration work taking place in the Market Place; which although the work is not complete, what has been done looks fantastic and there is huge potential for this space to be used to boost the local economy and deliver events and entertainment making it a better offer for visitors to the city. We have a good working relationship with the city council and this was evident to the reviewers. Our journey back to Trowbridge went past the Stonehenge and the new visitor centre, which is still under construction. Visitor numbers to the stones has increased by almost 30 per cent following last year’s Olympic Torch events; the iconic shots of Michael Johnson running with the Torch around the monument, being broadcast worldwide have clearly had an impact!
I would just like to say a huge thank you to all those involved with the familiarisation visit. The review team was impressed and found the day extremely useful providing a perspective on the county, its geography and challenges. I’m looking forward to their visit in two weeks as it’s good to have an external opinion on our work and what more we can do to work with our partners and communities.
On Tuesday evening, following the day with the peer review team, I attended Chippenham area board, not as leader of the council, but as the local member representing the views of the local people that I represent. The well publicised matter of a skatepark for the town was on the agenda. This matter has been discussed and debated for many years and has generated a lot of interest and polarised views. The issue has been where to locate the park; I have supported and promoted Monkton Park; a large, open community space, as an obvious location. I am pleased to say that following a good discussion, the decision was made that the area board would support a skatepark located in Monkton Park, as part of the planning process.
As a local member, I also attended a planning meeting this week to discuss plans for solar panels to be located on land in my local ward. Solar energy is highly topical and again there are mixed views on this. The challenge is balancing this with the impact on local communities. In my view we need to consider modern methods to generate energy and solar farms are my preferred option and one that has less impact on the local landscape and communities. But, we must make sure that they are sited in areas that do not have a negative impact on our beautiful countryside. As a local council we have to promote energy efficiency and support local initiatives, wherever possible. I think we have the balance right on this matter but it will get tougher as the expectation for generating natural energy grows.
And finally, I chaired the first Health and Well Being board at Salisbury Hospital yesterday. The Board is made up of representatives from the new Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), which replaces the old PCT, NHS Wiltshire and England, the council, Police and Crime Commissioner, Healthwatch (the patients voice) and the local hospitals. This new Board recognises the benefits of working closely together and we discussed and agreed a joint strategy that promotes health and well being; based on public feedback and opinion. It’s focus will be to help people live healthier and more independently for longer, look at early intervention to prevent ill health, safeguard those who are most vulnerable and ensure that children get the best start in life, eat well, get enough exercise and have positive emotional well being. This is a great start and we agreed to publish our plan and priorities in a user friendly, easy to read version.
Next week I’m looking forward to recognising the exceptional work of those delivering adults care services and welcoming everyone to the Adult Care Awards ceremony in the atrium at County Hall. More about the winners next week. And, we will also be hosting a ministerial visit; Minister of State for Policing and Criminal Justice Damian Green is visiting Monkton Park in Chippenham on Wednesday 18 September to see firsthand how we are working with Wiltshire Police in a shared building.
Have a great weekend,
Jane
Friday 6 September 2013
Friday 6 September 2013
Making decisions is part and parcel of leading a big organisation and each decision debated and made has an impact on the lives of people in Wiltshire. This week has been no exception, and has been a week of agreeing some big decisions that will steer our focus and how we do things for the next four years.
At full council on Tuesday, councillors agreed our business plan and priorities for the next four years. These priorities will help us to deliver the vision; to create stronger and more resilient communities, which is a shared vision with all our partners. Our aim is to make Wiltshire an even better place to live, work and visit and to continue to protect those who are most vulnerable in our communities. We also need to do all we can to keep boosting the local economy – creating more jobs and helping local businesses to grow and securing new business investment as we are not out of the recession yet. And, we need to continue to encourage and help communities to come together and support them to do more for themselves. The stronger our communities the more able they are to resolve local issues and help those who are most vulnerable and in need of some help.
The business plan sets out our commitment to deliver 12 key actions in the next four years. These are:
1. To invest additional money between 2014 – 17 to reduce the historic backlog in highways maintenance
2. To stimulate economic growth and create additional jobs in partnership with the local enterprise partnership
3. To further enhance the role of area boards by developing innovative community led approaches to designing and delivering services
4. To provide opportunities for every child and young person to improve their attainment and skills so they can achieve their full potential
5. To continue to improve our safeguarding services to protect the most vulnerable in our communities
6. To invest in refurbishing our council housing and encourage the development of new affordable homes, including supported living in rural areas
7. To build on the work of the military civilian integration partnership and maximise on the benefits arising from the army basing plan
8. To delegate cost neutral packages of land, services and assets to town and parish councils
9. To create a campus opportunity in each community area
10. To integrate public health at the heart of all public services
11. To ensure we do things differently to enable us to realign £120 million over the next four years to deliver our priorities
12. To develop the knowledge, skills, behaviours and leadership of our workforce, managers and councillors
We know the next four years we be challenging. The funding we receive from central government will reduce by £22 million and with the predicted increase in service demand, combined with inflation costs, we will face financial pressures of around £100 million. As a result, the plan outlines how we will work innovatively to find the £22 million savings and to realign around £100m so that we can deliver our priorities and the 12 actions I have highlighted. I have asked that we produce the business plan in an easy to read and understand version, including a succinct and clear summary that sets out what we will prioritise and deliver in the next four years that will be available for all our staff, members, local communities, stakeholders and a version for young people.
Some of you may have read or heard the media publicity this week following the decision of the staffing policy committee, which met on Wednesday, to bring the pay of senior managers in line with our policy to pay at the median level. The media headlines of pay rises for individual senior managers of £20,000 are both inaccurate and misleading. This is not the case and I would like to set out the accurate position regarding this matter. The current position is that senior managers are being paid below the median level, which is a breach of our agreed policy. This is not the case with all staff in the organisation.
The committee had a lengthy discussion and agreed to adhere to our current policy to pay at the median level. Any consideration by the committee to adjust this policy and potentially agree to pay at the lower level on the pay scale, would have had an extremely negative impact on the majority of staff employed by the organisation. I am pleased that the committee agreed to adhere to our current policy and to listen to the advice of the external body of professional advisors which reviewed our pay levels. It is important we have the right salary scale in order to be able to recruit and retain high calibre staff with the right skills, aptitude and expertise to deliver the business plan.
I have always advocated that our priority is to try and maintain the delivery of our frontline services, and I have been clear that if this means a reduction in the number of senior managers at the top of the organisation then so be it. Since 2009, the senior management structure has reduced from 33 senior managers at a cost of around £3.5 million, to 21 senior managers, which has delivered a significant saving of almost £1.2 million. We are now proposing to further reduce this number to align responsibilities to the priorities and actions set out in the new business plan. Consultation on these proposals starts next week and, if approved, this will save up to £500,000, in addition to the £1.2 million already saved. I recognise we need strong, experienced people who can lead and manage and deliver the priorities that will make Wiltshire an even better place and that sometimes tough decisions need to be made so that we can deliver our vision.
Next week we welcome the peer review team which will be visiting on Tuesday to familiarise themselves with Wiltshire. Their day will include a tour of County Hall, Monkton Park and visit to the newly established business incubation units at Ludgershall, lunch at Tidworth barracks to hear about the Army rebasing plans and then a visit to Salisbury to see the developments in the city. The actual peer review starts on 23 September and I look forward to an external appraisal of how we do things and where we can continue to make improvements.
Looks as though our Indian summer has left us for this weekend but fingers crossed for its return next week.
Jane
At full council on Tuesday, councillors agreed our business plan and priorities for the next four years. These priorities will help us to deliver the vision; to create stronger and more resilient communities, which is a shared vision with all our partners. Our aim is to make Wiltshire an even better place to live, work and visit and to continue to protect those who are most vulnerable in our communities. We also need to do all we can to keep boosting the local economy – creating more jobs and helping local businesses to grow and securing new business investment as we are not out of the recession yet. And, we need to continue to encourage and help communities to come together and support them to do more for themselves. The stronger our communities the more able they are to resolve local issues and help those who are most vulnerable and in need of some help.
The business plan sets out our commitment to deliver 12 key actions in the next four years. These are:
1. To invest additional money between 2014 – 17 to reduce the historic backlog in highways maintenance
2. To stimulate economic growth and create additional jobs in partnership with the local enterprise partnership
3. To further enhance the role of area boards by developing innovative community led approaches to designing and delivering services
4. To provide opportunities for every child and young person to improve their attainment and skills so they can achieve their full potential
5. To continue to improve our safeguarding services to protect the most vulnerable in our communities
6. To invest in refurbishing our council housing and encourage the development of new affordable homes, including supported living in rural areas
7. To build on the work of the military civilian integration partnership and maximise on the benefits arising from the army basing plan
8. To delegate cost neutral packages of land, services and assets to town and parish councils
9. To create a campus opportunity in each community area
10. To integrate public health at the heart of all public services
11. To ensure we do things differently to enable us to realign £120 million over the next four years to deliver our priorities
12. To develop the knowledge, skills, behaviours and leadership of our workforce, managers and councillors
We know the next four years we be challenging. The funding we receive from central government will reduce by £22 million and with the predicted increase in service demand, combined with inflation costs, we will face financial pressures of around £100 million. As a result, the plan outlines how we will work innovatively to find the £22 million savings and to realign around £100m so that we can deliver our priorities and the 12 actions I have highlighted. I have asked that we produce the business plan in an easy to read and understand version, including a succinct and clear summary that sets out what we will prioritise and deliver in the next four years that will be available for all our staff, members, local communities, stakeholders and a version for young people.
Some of you may have read or heard the media publicity this week following the decision of the staffing policy committee, which met on Wednesday, to bring the pay of senior managers in line with our policy to pay at the median level. The media headlines of pay rises for individual senior managers of £20,000 are both inaccurate and misleading. This is not the case and I would like to set out the accurate position regarding this matter. The current position is that senior managers are being paid below the median level, which is a breach of our agreed policy. This is not the case with all staff in the organisation.
The committee had a lengthy discussion and agreed to adhere to our current policy to pay at the median level. Any consideration by the committee to adjust this policy and potentially agree to pay at the lower level on the pay scale, would have had an extremely negative impact on the majority of staff employed by the organisation. I am pleased that the committee agreed to adhere to our current policy and to listen to the advice of the external body of professional advisors which reviewed our pay levels. It is important we have the right salary scale in order to be able to recruit and retain high calibre staff with the right skills, aptitude and expertise to deliver the business plan.
I have always advocated that our priority is to try and maintain the delivery of our frontline services, and I have been clear that if this means a reduction in the number of senior managers at the top of the organisation then so be it. Since 2009, the senior management structure has reduced from 33 senior managers at a cost of around £3.5 million, to 21 senior managers, which has delivered a significant saving of almost £1.2 million. We are now proposing to further reduce this number to align responsibilities to the priorities and actions set out in the new business plan. Consultation on these proposals starts next week and, if approved, this will save up to £500,000, in addition to the £1.2 million already saved. I recognise we need strong, experienced people who can lead and manage and deliver the priorities that will make Wiltshire an even better place and that sometimes tough decisions need to be made so that we can deliver our vision.
Next week we welcome the peer review team which will be visiting on Tuesday to familiarise themselves with Wiltshire. Their day will include a tour of County Hall, Monkton Park and visit to the newly established business incubation units at Ludgershall, lunch at Tidworth barracks to hear about the Army rebasing plans and then a visit to Salisbury to see the developments in the city. The actual peer review starts on 23 September and I look forward to an external appraisal of how we do things and where we can continue to make improvements.
Looks as though our Indian summer has left us for this weekend but fingers crossed for its return next week.
Jane
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