Summer's finally here

Hello,

Now that the schools have broken up for the summer holidays, combined with the mini heat wave we saw last week, I think we can say that summer has arrived in the UK and that it’s that time of the year to enjoy some much needed annual leave.

I know just how busy it has been recently especially with everything that’s been happening post-referendum - and, dare I say it – but there does now appear to be a bit of relative calm in the national political arena. Well, perhaps calm is not quite the right word, but it does seem to have quietened down a little.

We now have a new Prime Minister and cabinet and a new minister for local government and I’m sure over the coming weeks and months we’ll gain more insight into what the future might start to look like post-Brexit; particularly for local government. Whatever happens, I know we’ll be ready in Wiltshire.

We’re used to challenges and change and to responding in a flexible way to meet the needs and demands of the people of Wiltshire. Working with cabinet and the corporate leadership team members we are looking ahead and shaping what we think will change, or need to change, over the next few years. Whilst this is partly driven by money, it’s also about the demand for services, particularly the support for those who are most vulnerable. But, it’s also about creating a strong, robust economy and making sure that we are doing all we can to help all our local communities become event stronger so that they can do more to improve their place and lives.

In the next few days the Rio Olympic Games will start and the publicity surrounding the Games reminded me of London 2012. I don’t know about you but I can’t believe it’s been four years since the Olympic torch came through Wiltshire. That was an extraordinary year and our local communities showed just what can be achieved when they come together. Since 2012, I have read and heard national reports that state that the promised legacy from the Games has failed and not come to fruition, as promoted. In fact the word legacy is seen as negative by many – but, that’s certainly not the case in this county. Since 2012, our communities have been even more engaged and active and the participation in sport and activity throughout the county has soared. This year’s Big Pledge - Road to Rio campaign has seen more than 18,000 people take part - many of these are young people and schools - all competing to travel the furthest to Rio by running, walking, rowing and/or cycling – and by all accounts we gone much further than Rio – I’ve been told that we’ve done enough kilometres to reach the moon! How incredible is that? Long may our communities continue to come together and showcase just how unique and wonderful they are, and long may we continue to work together to make them even stronger and ready for challenges and changes ahead.

The next six months will be busy and I’m looking forward to planning ahead; working on what will be another challenging budget and focusing on the big programmes of work that will make a difference in Wiltshire. I see the next few years as the time for innovation and ideas, and looking at new and better ways of doing things – we need to adapt and change and look to the future.

I hope you all enjoy the summer and a holiday from work and I would just like to say a huge heartfelt thank you for all you do – it is really appreciated. Whatever your plans are, enjoy spending some time with your loved ones, and fingers crossed that the sun continues to shine.

I’m off to enjoy some quality time with my grandchildren and then a trip to Israel – more about that in my next blog…

Jane

Looking to the future following the referendum result

Hello,

I’ve been involved in politics for many years and I’ve always found it interesting, but I could never have predicted the events of the last few weeks…

It’s not often that I feel sorry for political reporters but with the situation changing so frequently they must be struggling to keep up on the current news.

There has been an almost tangible sense from people - no matter which way they voted - of feeling unsettled about the uncharted territory we now find ourselves in. This is of course a natural reaction, as its clear there will be some big long-term changes ahead of us. We are keeping a watchful eye on proceedings in Westminster; particularly who will be elected as the next Prime Minister who will have to drive forward the process to exit the EU. And, we have yet to fully understand the impact this will have on local authorities and the public sector as a whole.

Our focus in Wiltshire Council remains the same; to provide high quality services and support for our local communities – this won’t change, in or out of the EU.

With what’s happening it was particularly timely that this week I attended the Local Government Association Annual Conference in Bournemouth – and you can guess what the hot topic was.

The conference is an opportunity for council leaders and senior officers to get together and discuss what’s ahead. What is evident – and it’s almost becoming a cliché – is that the next few years (and more likely beyond) local government will continue to face challenges both financial and from increasing service demands; particularly relating to adult social care. This means we have to continue to look at new and even more radical ways to deliver the services that are most needed.

I was pleased to be involved in discussions on topics that are very close to my heart. I spoke about devolution, which is a way of working that we are familiar with in Wiltshire. I was able to draw upon our first hand experiences of working closely with parish, town and city councils to talk about some of the challenges we have faced, but more importantly, the opportunities it has created. As the financial challenges continue into the future we will be looking for local communities to take on more responsibility to help ensure that the services that matter in local areas are sustainable for the future.

I also chaired a panel discussion which prompted serious thought and challenge. The Falklands Veteran Simon Weston was one of three speakers and he spoke with passion and force about how military personnel and their families are treated and viewed by society and potential employers. He challenged us to look at how support and advice is provided and how we maximise the potential of these people to add value in our communities. The theme was the importance of the relationship between communities and the military and the value of the Military Covenant that was established to provide support to armed forces personnel particularly when they leave the military and make the transition into civilian life. Whilst I’m proud of Wiltshire’s historic, and future, ties to the military and the strong relationship we have with our military partners, there is more that we can and will do. I would ask all our services and teams to continue to look at the covenant and to check that we are doing all we can for not only serving soldiers and their families but also the many veterans that live in the county. We must make sure that the thousands of soldiers and their families who will be based here in the coming years receive a real Wiltshire welcome and are supported so that they can settle in Wiltshire and become part of the local community.

After a rather tumultuous couple of weeks it was a real tonic to meet up with colleagues across the country and talk about the future. Of course, we’re no strangers to uncharted territories ourselves and when we became a unitary council just over seven years ago we too faced an uncertain future as we took a step into the unknown. We met that challenge head on and I am being asked to support other authorities who now recognise that combined local authorities make sense.

Wiltshire thrives on positivity and new ideas. We are passionate about what we do and that’s what makes us resilient in the face of any challenge. So whilst the horizon isn’t quite as clear as it once was, we must never lose sight of our vision and direction and with our resilience and drive, I know we’ll be just fine.

Jane