Staff forums and Euro elections ...

I’m looking forward to meeting and presenting at the Trowbridge staff forums today. About 800 of you have signed up and Jane, Carolyn, Maggie and I will run through and celebrate some of the achievements of the past six months and talk about the future – the outcomes we seek for the county, our priorities and some of the challenges we face too. The format this spring is a little different too so please feedback what you think. And please ask lots of questions...

The Euro election preparation is moving toward its climax next week. We have received, opened, scanned and checked over 30,000 postal votes and training for polling station presiding officers and clerks is well underway. This morning I shall be meeting the election team to review the Trowbridge verification centre layout (similar sessions in Malmesbury, Devizes and Salisbury) to ensure that we are all prepared. The count will be on the Sunday in Christie Miller, Melksham. Exciting stuff for us election junkies.

Earlier in the week I met with Balfour Beatty and Wiltshire Council highways management to work together on our collaborative organisation development. This is so important to get right to address some of the issues that we have faced over the last few months. We made good progress.

  

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

Looking forward to meeting staff at the forums starting today

Today sees the first of our six spring staff forums; we’re in Salisbury today (2 sessions), Chippenham tomorrow (2 sessions) and Trowbridge on Friday 16th for the final sessions. We have over 1,000 staff booked so far so if I could encourage you to book a place to attend one of these event please. It’s important that we update each other on the significant changes happening in the county and our organisation and they are always a valuable way of receiving your feedback on what is happening in the business at the moment and into the future. We are using a slightly different format for these events as we try and keep them fresh and relevant to as many people as possible.


The European election is in full swing. We started opening postal votes this week (we have over 50,000 registered to receive postal votes which must be one of the highest amounts in the country). Plans are in place for election day on May 22, the verification on May 23 (where we count the number of ballot papers in each box to determine the number cast and the overall turn out), the formal count is on Sunday May 25 where we will submit the local Wiltshire votes cast for each party to the South West Regional Returning Officer who will add our numbers to the other areas in the south west and declare an overall result. I just want to thank the many hundreds of staff whom have volunteered to support the election throughout the county over the three days of what is a bank holiday weekend. I do appreciate it.     
 
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

From Easter eggs to appraisals

Yesterday I spent most of the day at Trowbridge Rugby Club (what a fantastic facility and venue) for the STAR awards for our under 11 looked after children. As well as lunch for the children and their families, we had a samba band, Easter egg hunt (I enjoyed hiding so much chocolate), Easter parade and the all important awards for achievement over the last year presented by one of our local Olympic gold medal winners. There were over 100 children present and judging by the looks on their faces they had a great time. I love these events as they remind me why public service in the county is so important.

Earlier this week I had my annual performance appraisal with the leader and deputy leader. This is always a good opportunity to discuss achievement of objectives over the past year, assess behaviour against our agreed framework and then look forward to the next year and agree objectives and measures to meet our business plan objectives moving forward. I always value the clarity and feedback that comes from this process. I would encourage you all, if you haven’t scheduled your annual appraisal yet to do so with your line managers. It’s an important and vital part of the management process for every single member of staff.

And here’s a final thought for those of you who are managers. According to this month’s Professional Manager, older bosses are throwing out the rulebook and basing their decisions on rationality not regulation. Veteran managers are 27% less compliant by the time they reach 50 compared to their late twenties – but 12% more rational. People stop and think for themselves more as they get older.
 
Speak again soon. I’m taking a week off next week so speak again after the Easter break. 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 packed agenda for today's leadership team meeting

Today is the first corporate leadership team meeting of the summer with lots on our agenda. The three corporate directors will meet together first for a catch up and to discuss a number of issues. We will then be joined by colleagues to review and agree the corporate work programme for the next year or so before moving on to discuss the status of the Corsham campus, the programme to open the facility in the summer and any other associated service issues we need to agree to ensure a smooth transition to the new community working model. This will be an exciting new way of working in the county with lots of learning to inform subsequent campuses as they are designed, built and opened.

We will then join cabinet members where we will review our adult care personalisation performance and future plans, future area board development proposals, our current leisure contract and future development options and also funding for one of our voluntary sector partners. We will also discuss with cabinet operational issues from last week and the week to come to ensure we’re on top of any issues emerging across the county. So a mix of vision, strategy, operations and tactics – the four ingredients to running any business enterprise.

This afternoon we move on to discussing a number of key people policy changes: standby call out; drugs and alcohol testing; management savings; job family approach; and members travel. All of these will need to be delivered in the coming year to ensure we are managing effectively and efficiently.
 
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

Budget Day

It’s budget day today and as I get quite excited by such things I thought I’d share the highlights with you. Some good news surprises (additional money for flood defences and pot holes which will put a smile on the faces of my highways teams) and some confirmation on the continued squeeze we face in local government. This confirms my view that our transformation programme focused on how we deliver services differently across the county is a continued priority for us.  

Here are some immediate thoughts from the Chancellor's speech regarding possible impact for Wiltshire.

• Office of Budget Responsibility forecast for growth up from 2.4% to 2.7% in 2014-15, with similar rises in later years - so greater taxation than was forecast (+ £16bn assumed). Assumed higher employment and lower national debt as a result, with no structural deficit forecast in 2018-19 if we stick to current plans (i.e. no borrowing that year forecast to fund national public sector spend).

• New £1 coin to be introduced in 3 years - will mean we need to plan for in terms of cash machines, etc.

• Entering a critical phase of recovery and will not let public spending increase, despite an election "austerity grinds on..." There will thus be cuts after 2015, with a new charter for budget responsibility this Autumn.

• Public Service Pension reforms continue - no new news. But taxation of pension changes, e.g. doubling of Pension Lump Sum tax free sum.

• Pay constraints in public sector continuing - no specific % figure mentioned but maybe in details published later.

• Cap on Welfare spending 2015-16 published today £119bn and will rise with inflation to £127bn by 2018-19.

• 15% Stamp duty changes to +£500k where owned by companies but bought for houses.

• LIBOR fines will continue to be directed to MoD casualties and extended to rescue services (e.g. lifeboat service) and others such as the Scouts, St John's Ambulance, etc.

• VAT fuel removed for emergency vehicles - potential advantage for Police.

• Magna Carta 800 year anniversary grant awarded to the Trust.

• £0.5bn available for small house building firms. Help to buy equity loan scheme to be extended to 2020.

• This Autumn will set out more detail on capital spend for next 10 years.

• £140m more available for damaged flood defences. We will have to establish what is coming to Wiltshire and if this is actually on top of last week's announcement or merely confirmation.

• £200m for LA to bid to for potholes - we will watch scheme requirements and ensure we bid.

• 20% tax relief for regional theatre.

• Carbon Reduction Tax capped at £18 from 2018.

• Fuel duty tax frozen for September 2014 confirmed as not going ahead. Will mean apart from commercial value changes in price at pump no other increase in assumed rise in our fuel prices needed.

• Whiskey and cider duty frozen, beer cut by 1p a pint. No direct impact on Wiltshire Council, more to make me smile and keep me going.

• Income Tax free level raised to £10,500. Higher rate level to rise slightly to £41,865

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