Future funding, budgets and staff forums

It’s been a couple of weeks since my last blog, my apologies for this. It’s been a whirlwind of Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEP) meetings where we are putting together bids for the county of up to £25m to deliver more high value jobs and houses across the county. We’re also working on the detailed project plans to deliver the schemes approved in the first round of our growing places funding that was announced in the summer. These schemes include Chippenham station and a number of road schemes across the county. Busy times for the economic development team.

I was in London late last week with other unitary directors and chief execs sharing our learning around our LEP, the budget where we need to identify £30m of savings for ’15-16, our business plan objectives and the wider transformation programme. It was reassuring for me to hear that we are up there with the best in terms of what we are delivering in the county, although the budget task is very difficult.

The autumn staff forum events start next week and I encourage you all to attend these. They are an important event for us all to share with each other what we are facing, how we will collectively tackle those challenges and most importantly to answer the questions that you will have for us all.

Speak again soon. For daily updates, discussion, personal opinion, comment or just to connect or keep in touch you can follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/drcarltonbrand.

Carlton

A couple of opportunities ....

A flying blog today just to make you aware of a couple of opportunities for us all. Wiltshire Council’s Learning in Wiltshire brand continues to go from strength to strength with a new and exciting website which really raises the profile of our service to businesses and communities across Wiltshire. Individuals and businesses can now access a fantastic programme of training and development to help further career and job prospects.

Please like, follow and share our Facebook page with your friends, family, work colleagues and businesses www.learninginwiltshire.org.uk

Wiltshire Rewards has been running for a year. Staff have spent over £880,000 and saved just over £100,000. Staff can join the scheme at any time by visiting www.wiltshirerewards.co.uk. Savings can be made on everything from your weekly food shop, to DIY, to holidays and days out.

Finally, the staff survey closes tomorrow. It is very important that we all complete this so that we can learn what we need to improve in the organisation moving forward. There is more information about how we acted on the 2012 survey responses on the staff survey information page on HR Direct.

Speak again soon. For daily updates, discussion, personal opinion, comment or just to connect or keep in touch you can follow me on Twitter

Carlton

The importance of the staff survey

A very short blog today but with a very important message. 

I have just completed the on-line staff survey and I would like you to do the same please. It only takes five minutes (really) and it is vital that we get your feedback and comment on the organisation, what we’re doing, how we’re doing, what’s working and what isn’t. We do the staff survey every two years and it provides an important litmus test for what we’re all thinking and feeling and how we can continue to improve our work and organisation together.

As a management team we take the results very seriously and I will be very interested in comparing these results with the 2012 survey, to see where things have improved in the last two years, and where there are still improvements to be made. Working in the public sector is tough at the moment and we’ve had to take some difficult decisions around subjects such as the budget, working environment and how we deliver services. It’s therefore more important than ever that we get your feedback.

Here is the link to the survey 2014 staff survey.  There is more information about how we acted on the 2012 survey responses on the staff survey information page on HR Direct.

 For daily updates, discussion, personal opinion, comment or just to connect or keep in touch you can follow me on Twitter.

Speak again soon.

Carlton

Registering to vote and web casting council meetings

I’m glad it’s Friday already although the week has flown by. It’s been a tough one as I’m sure it has been for you too. Or of course that may be because I did a 10 mile time trial this morning on my bike before work – 23 minutes 27 seconds for the record. My legs ache now…

One of my roles is electoral registration officer (ERO) for Wiltshire. Under the new electoral registration system called Individual Electoral Registration or IER, if existing postal voters and proxy voters have not been confirmed onto the new December 2014 IER register, their postal or proxy vote has to be cancelled. We estimate that this will affect just over 3,000 postal voters across our county. In addition, proxy voters will only be able to retain their proxy appointment if their proxy is also registered individually in that revised register. So if I can make you aware of this, and remind you to ensure that you, your family and friends have all registered for IER. The General Election will be held on 7 May 2015, and it is therefore important electors ensure they are correctly registered before December this year. I don’t want anybody to lose their right to vote.

I attended a members training event yesterday. From next week’s full Council meeting we shall be web casting a live stream of the whole event which will then be available on the web for those who can’t make the live time. This is a positive step for promoting transparent local democracy and decision making as well as making public meetings more accessible to those who can’t attend in person. Members were advised on some of the issues facing anybody being filmed and recorded. I am really looking forward to seeing what happens and how this might change the content and nature of democratic debate in the chamber.

Speak again soon. For daily updates, discussion, personal opinion, comment or just to connect or keep in touch you can follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/drcarltonbrand.

Carlton

Discussing the future and the benefits of coaching

The weeks seem to be flying by as we accelerate towards Christmas. And we’ve already had a taste of the winter to come with an evening of flooding recently where a number of us were involved on several sites across the county. I’m hoping for the driest winter on record after a lovely summer!

Earlier this week we spent some time with the leader and her deputy discussing future strategic direction and policy for the organisation. Although we face many more years of financial austerity, and its natural to want to focus on this, it’s the wrong thing to concentrate on. We have to focus on what we do have to spend (broadly the same amount of money we had 5 years ago for the record) and how we maximise the value of that expenditure for the communities and people we represent or work for. It’s a time for thinking differently, taking some big risks around the social, political and economic policy areas in which most of us work and above all delivering for our communities and customers. We have some bold ideas around these areas which I find compelling and exciting.

Last week I spoke to a group of staff, who as well as their day jobs spend timing coaching and supporting other staff to develop. We now have over 60 qualified coaches / coaches in training and they are working with over 200 coachees from across the organisation. Individual learning and development is vital, especially during times of major change and these coaches, together with management more widely provide a strong and important part of our learning culture. If you’re curious, want to know more or become involved either as a coach or coachee please speak with Amanda Collyer. I am currently coaching or mentoring six members of staff from all levels in the organisation. It's rewarding two way learning for me.

I’m excited that tonight’s “Any Questions”, one of my favourite Radio 4 programmes, is coming from Calne. After the by-election results earlier this morning it should be a great political debate. And over the weekend I shall by rebuilding my bike with a few winter upgrades that I’ve planned…

Speak again soon. For daily updates, discussion, personal opinion, comment or just to connect or keep in touch you can follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/drcarltonbrand.

Carlton