I'm writing a day earlier than usual as I'm taking a day off tomorrow for half term with the boys. I've been getting my fishing tackle ready recently for the warmer weather so who knows - tomorrow might be the day!
On Tuesday the council set its budget for 2011-12. It was a marathon debate, lasting nearly seven hours (council actually lasted over twelve hours with all the other items on the agenda). I'm pleased to say that the business plan and budget were both approved without amendment. I want to encourage all staff to read the business plan. It's very readable and gives a very clear direction of travel for the organisation and how it will fulfil its vision and objectives over the the next four years. We're certainly in for a lot of change, but I think this is a good thing and means that we will be ready for everthing that we have to deal with. No 'head in the sand' or 'wait until it arrives' for us. We're ready.
My thoughts on the business plan and budget were reinforced on Wednesday. I spent the day in Birmingham chairing a round table event with other Directors of Resources and Business Transformation Directors. I don't do a lot of this so it was good to meet up with people who face similar challenges to our own and to be able to discuss and explore how we're all approaching common themes. For me it was a good acid test for how well our plans, programmes and actions on the ground stand up to other high performing organisations. I concluded that they stood up well, although there is always room for learning and improvement. Which is what we'll be doing...
Today I spent part of the morning in Salisbury at Bourne Hill. I met with the revenues and benefits teams, some planners and staff from registration. It was good to see them operating in the new building with their new ICT kit. I'm jealous that I'm not based there. The contrast with the East Wing was striking when I got back and went over to payroll. It served to remind me how important the refurbishment of County Hall is and how important it is to deliver that programme on time.
Thanks for reading and talk again next week.
Carlton
Friday, 25 February 2011
Thursday, 17 February 2011
Thursday 17 February
A very short blog today as I’m out on holiday tomorrow for the day. I wanted to thank all those of you who have completed the staff survey so far. In DOR, we have had a return of 74% which is very impressive. This is split as follows:
· Finance 49%
· SST 68%
· HR & OD 100%
· ICT and Business Transformation 75%
· Legal & Democratic 60%
The closing date is tomorrow and I want to encourage those that haven’t yet taken part to please do so. This is your opportunity to give us feedback on all sorts of aspects of our organisation. We can then use this feedback to learn and continuously improve the way we lead and manage the business over the coming year.
Thanks for reading and speak again next week.
Carlton
· Finance 49%
· SST 68%
· HR & OD 100%
· ICT and Business Transformation 75%
· Legal & Democratic 60%
The closing date is tomorrow and I want to encourage those that haven’t yet taken part to please do so. This is your opportunity to give us feedback on all sorts of aspects of our organisation. We can then use this feedback to learn and continuously improve the way we lead and manage the business over the coming year.
Thanks for reading and speak again next week.
Carlton
Friday, 11 February 2011
Friday 11 February 2011
Yesterday we had the first formal part of the budget process relating to the 2011-12 budget. Scrutiny reviewed the draft Business Plan and Financial Plan including the budget proposals for the next financial year. Key proposals in the budget are to reduce service budgets by an average of 12% next year. In Resources we have gone beyond this and our effective budget could be reduced by 15% if members approve the package on February 22 at Council. This will have an impact on the number of staff we employ, so I thought that I would use my blog this week to reiterate the message that Andrew gave yesterday about the timing and process that we will use to consult with staff on these proposals.
The 90 day formal consultation for the redundancies needed to deliver these savings will start week commencing 28 February 2011.
During this week collective consultation meetings with staff identified as being at risk of redundancy will take place.
The trade unions have been made aware of these arrangements and are being consulted at a department level in advance of these meetings taking place.
Managers responsible for managing this redundancy process and consultation will be briefed on the process next week. Letters inviting staff affected to collective consultation meetings will be given to managers at that briefing. If you are one of those members of staff who has been identified as “at risk” of redundancy you will receive a letter by the end of next week.
The letter will outline the reason your post, and therefore you, have been identified as “at risk” of redundancy. In advance of this, it may be useful to run through how the selection pool of “at risk” positions will be determined: -
· The redundancy policy includes a two stage approach to redundancy - voluntary and compulsory. This gives us the opportunity to seek a voluntary solution to redundancy. Volunteers will be sought from a selection pool of staff placed at risk of redundancy that is wider than those whose posts are deleted from structures.
· The posts that will be placed in the selection pool will include those that are;
o Deleted from new structures, or reduced to a lower number within those structures, or;
o Posts that have substantially changed as a result of other elements of the restructure – for example the addition or deletion of duties, or;
o Posts within the affected service area which are a grade above or below any post which is likely to be removed or substantially changed.
· These posts are included because if the post holder's volunteer for redundancy these posts may provide suitable alternative employment for an employee whose post has been deleted.
Those staff identified as being at risk of redundancy will be invited to attend a collective consultation meeting during week commencing 28 February. Details of the meeting will be included in the letter which will be handed out next week. At the meeting structure charts will be available. You will only be able to attend this meeting if you have been invited, or if you are the department union representative.
For those staff at risk of redundancy they will have the opportunity to attend an individual consultation meeting with their service director, or head of service. Any feedback they may have, including alternative suggestions to deliver equivalent savings, can be given at those meetings.
If you want to make comments, or make alternative suggestions about the proposed changes to structures - feedback will need to be provided by no later than 18 March 2011, to enable any changes to the structure charts to be made and consulted upon meaningfully within the consultation process timelines.
Whilst this news may cause concern, I am not anticipating significant numbers of redundancies. The vacancy management policy that has been in place since June 2010 means that a number of vacancies have been held and can now be deleted to deliver some of the savings needed.
You will be aware of the numbers of redundancies taking place in other large local authorities, which in many cases are in excess of 1,000, and in some cases 2,000. We are not in the same position - careful planning and the ability to deliver savings in other areas means we are better placed to meet the financial pressures we face. This means the number of redundancies that may be needed will be significantly lower than those planned in other local authorities.
Carlton
The 90 day formal consultation for the redundancies needed to deliver these savings will start week commencing 28 February 2011.
During this week collective consultation meetings with staff identified as being at risk of redundancy will take place.
The trade unions have been made aware of these arrangements and are being consulted at a department level in advance of these meetings taking place.
Managers responsible for managing this redundancy process and consultation will be briefed on the process next week. Letters inviting staff affected to collective consultation meetings will be given to managers at that briefing. If you are one of those members of staff who has been identified as “at risk” of redundancy you will receive a letter by the end of next week.
The letter will outline the reason your post, and therefore you, have been identified as “at risk” of redundancy. In advance of this, it may be useful to run through how the selection pool of “at risk” positions will be determined: -
· The redundancy policy includes a two stage approach to redundancy - voluntary and compulsory. This gives us the opportunity to seek a voluntary solution to redundancy. Volunteers will be sought from a selection pool of staff placed at risk of redundancy that is wider than those whose posts are deleted from structures.
· The posts that will be placed in the selection pool will include those that are;
o Deleted from new structures, or reduced to a lower number within those structures, or;
o Posts that have substantially changed as a result of other elements of the restructure – for example the addition or deletion of duties, or;
o Posts within the affected service area which are a grade above or below any post which is likely to be removed or substantially changed.
· These posts are included because if the post holder's volunteer for redundancy these posts may provide suitable alternative employment for an employee whose post has been deleted.
Those staff identified as being at risk of redundancy will be invited to attend a collective consultation meeting during week commencing 28 February. Details of the meeting will be included in the letter which will be handed out next week. At the meeting structure charts will be available. You will only be able to attend this meeting if you have been invited, or if you are the department union representative.
For those staff at risk of redundancy they will have the opportunity to attend an individual consultation meeting with their service director, or head of service. Any feedback they may have, including alternative suggestions to deliver equivalent savings, can be given at those meetings.
If you want to make comments, or make alternative suggestions about the proposed changes to structures - feedback will need to be provided by no later than 18 March 2011, to enable any changes to the structure charts to be made and consulted upon meaningfully within the consultation process timelines.
Whilst this news may cause concern, I am not anticipating significant numbers of redundancies. The vacancy management policy that has been in place since June 2010 means that a number of vacancies have been held and can now be deleted to deliver some of the savings needed.
You will be aware of the numbers of redundancies taking place in other large local authorities, which in many cases are in excess of 1,000, and in some cases 2,000. We are not in the same position - careful planning and the ability to deliver savings in other areas means we are better placed to meet the financial pressures we face. This means the number of redundancies that may be needed will be significantly lower than those planned in other local authorities.
Carlton
Friday, 4 February 2011
Friday 4 January 2011
Morning all – February already which means the cricket season is nearly here. I wish. Shame about our ODI performance down under though. I spent Christmas sledging my Auntie who lives down under, I guess it’s her turn now.
I’ve just completed the staff survey on line. You may well ask why we are bothering to survey staff in the middle of budget cuts and at a time when we are asking for volunteers to take redundancy? I believe that this is absolutely the right time to survey staff. We need to understand what’s going well, what’s not and how we can work together as a team to improve the latter. I shan’t be waving my magic wand when we get the results in a few weeks, but I do promise that we will work together to address the issues arising. Could you all please take the survey today – it’s on our intranet. While you’re there, take a look at HR Direct also – it’s a great, cutting edge web-based service that stands up to anything I’ve seen elsewhere.
On Tuesday, I had the privilege of visiting South Tyneside Council. I spent the day with their Corporate Leadership Team discussing new and innovative approaches to the issues we face jointly; better procurement and being more commercially minded, using Systems Thinking to improve service performance whilst reducing cost and some of the wider issues around management and leadership during tough times. It was great to spend time with like-minded and passionate colleagues who are trying to make a real difference to their community. Just like Wiltshire.
Finally for this week, here’s something for all you team leaders, supervisors, and managers to consider. Ten ways to reinvigorate your team on a wet and windy February morning:
1. Listen to them
2. Be honest and transparent
3. Tell good-news stories
4. Engage staff in decision making
5. Set ambitious targets...
6. ... but make sure they’re achievable
7. Give rewards for a job well done...
8. ... and hold bad performers to account
9. Take the team to the pub
10. Think glass half full
Thanks for reading and speak again next week.
Carlton
I’ve just completed the staff survey on line. You may well ask why we are bothering to survey staff in the middle of budget cuts and at a time when we are asking for volunteers to take redundancy? I believe that this is absolutely the right time to survey staff. We need to understand what’s going well, what’s not and how we can work together as a team to improve the latter. I shan’t be waving my magic wand when we get the results in a few weeks, but I do promise that we will work together to address the issues arising. Could you all please take the survey today – it’s on our intranet. While you’re there, take a look at HR Direct also – it’s a great, cutting edge web-based service that stands up to anything I’ve seen elsewhere.
On Tuesday, I had the privilege of visiting South Tyneside Council. I spent the day with their Corporate Leadership Team discussing new and innovative approaches to the issues we face jointly; better procurement and being more commercially minded, using Systems Thinking to improve service performance whilst reducing cost and some of the wider issues around management and leadership during tough times. It was great to spend time with like-minded and passionate colleagues who are trying to make a real difference to their community. Just like Wiltshire.
Finally for this week, here’s something for all you team leaders, supervisors, and managers to consider. Ten ways to reinvigorate your team on a wet and windy February morning:
1. Listen to them
2. Be honest and transparent
3. Tell good-news stories
4. Engage staff in decision making
5. Set ambitious targets...
6. ... but make sure they’re achievable
7. Give rewards for a job well done...
8. ... and hold bad performers to account
9. Take the team to the pub
10. Think glass half full
Thanks for reading and speak again next week.
Carlton
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