Chief Exec's Blog

This week I met up with the trade unions alongside our director of finance, Ben Smith, to give them an update on our budget. At the moment, the position looks encouraging, thanks to continuing prudent financial management by the Council  and following this week’s statement from Welsh Government about a planned 4.5% increase in funding for Welsh councils overall. Budget proposals will be going to Cabinet on January 9, after which you and our residents will have the chance to have a say before Full Council considers the final proposals in March. It’s a detailed process to get to this stage and I’d like to thank Ben and his team for leading the way so far, as well as to everyone who’s made a contribution.

Work is progressing on developing a new online app to make our service planning simpler and more efficient. Over the last six months we’ve been building the app on our Inphase system which is already used for managing our performance and risk and issues. Several services have been testing the app in the past few weeks and we’re aiming to complete the build during January. The plan is to then roll-out the new app to services in February in time for them to input their 2026/27 service plan using the new platform.

It will modernise our annual service planning and reduce duplication by linking service planning, performance and risk on a single system. It’ll also give us quicker and better information to monitor progress throughout the year. After Christmas we’ll be producing guidance and helpful videos to support users during the transition to the new app. My thanks to all the staff involved in developing the app, particularly Suzi Richards and Leanne John who’ve done great work in getting us to this point.

In readiness, the service planning process begins in January when Heads of Service will be working with their managers to undertake an in-depth review of what has happened in the past year to help establish their service objectives for 2026/27 and beyond.

On Monday I had a quarterly catch up with the local Audit Wales team, discussing our current position and the work programme we’ve agreed to follow. While Audit Wales is a regulatory body, it’s important we maintain positive working relationships so any reviews of council activities accurately reflect the position and areas for improvement are acted on. I also attended Wednesday’s Audit and Governance committee meeting which, similar to Audit Wales, is there to provide scrutiny and insights on our arrangements to ensure services are delivered efficiently and effectively. My thanks to our internal Audit team and all those who continue to support this important activity.

Along with our director of social services Dave Howes, and cabinet members I caught up with the Regional Partnership Board this week. These exist across Wales and bring together health boards, local authorities and third sector organisations so we can work together to meet the care and support needs of the people in our area. The board may appear high-level and strategic, but the decisions the it makes have a direct impact on the important work we do supporting vulnerable people who need health and social care with a  focus this time on the great work being done around dementia care.  In addition we continue to work closely with our partners in the health board to deal with winter pressures, bed blocking and rising numbers of flu cases needing hospital treatment. I want to thank our social care teams for their continuing commitment helping patients and their families experiencing difficult times.

On Monday the leader and I met with the Police and Crime Commissioner Emma Wools, for discussions of issues of common interest that helps our residents feel safe at home and in our communities. We saw some really encouraging trends on the continuing and significant decline in crime statistics in our area. One of the key factors in this is the ongoing partnership approach we’re taking to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour, an example of which was the positive effect on young people of City Chill events in the city centre and further events are planned over the winter period.

A big thank you to our Brangwyn Hall staff, cleaners, councillors and many other volunteers from around the council for their contribution to yet another hugely-successful Together at Christmas event. More than 700 people attended, enjoying a hearty festive meal, music, entertainment and much more besides. It’s a firm favourite in our annual calendar of events and the positive lift it gives to vulnerable people at this time of year is great to see.

Next week our digital services team will be saying farewell to Dave Smith, who is retiring after 31 years in local government. Dave has been a key member of the education and schools support team and I want to wish him well in his next chapter.

It’s always a pleasure to celebrate staff and council achievements in the blog, especially when it’s an endorsement of what we do by influential people and organisations. The final report of the Panel Performance Assessment certainly fits that bill. Last night’s Full Council meeting added its support to the panel’s recognition of the hard work you do every day delivering vital services to our residents. You can read more about the PPA final report here. But this in-depth study by experts in their field concluded that we are a well-run council of committed, engaged people with excellent officer-member relations and good prospects for continued improvement in the years ahead. It’s not an endorsement casually applied or one that everyone gets. I am proud of everything you all achieve day in day out  and I hope you are too. There are a few actions that we will be following up in the coming months so you will see more updates as these items progress.

The PPA adds to our reputation among our peers and today our city’s growing status as a great place to invest is also being celebrated at the landmark 71/72 Kingsway venue developed by our regeneration team. Top people from Amazon UK are visiting to officially open the headquarters of their latest tech start-up company, Veeqo. That a company as influential among its peers as Amazon can see our potential and want to invest in a council-led development is a huge vote of confidence in us and in our city’s reputation.

The Leader and I also attended the Wales Investment Summit in Newport on Monday, which was another opportunity to share our story with a range of other potential investors and influencers. All this is happening in the same week as Y Storfa opened to the public to great acclaim. The city centre is a corporate priority, and people can see we are leading the way in its revitalisation. My thanks to all our teams involved for their work delivering change for good.

Our Leadership Group of directors and heads of service met on Wednesday. We covered a range of topics, including news of Oracle updates such as the new manager and employee self-service systems. We also had a briefing about improvements to the appraisal management system which will make the process more user-friendly by next year’s round of reviews.

The leadership team had a presentation  about our education service’s draft Designing Destinations Strategy – our ambitious plan to enable every young person to design and develop the skills and experiences they need for the future they want for themselves. A key part of it is the Swansea Pledge, where businesses and organisations step up to offer work experience, mentorship and career events that inspire young people to make the most of their talents. Those who know me will be aware that it is an area I feel passionate about and fully support so it’s great to see such excellent progress being make and my thanks to Rhodri, David Bawden and Rachel Rimmer for their work in this area.

Well done to everyone involved in the Sandfields Active Travel and Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) project which has been named an Ystadau Cymru Award 2025 winner. Why not pop over from Guildhall or the Civic Centre and take a look yourself. It’s pretty impressive.

Congratulations to Andrew Dulley, our head of West Glamorgan Archive Service, who’s just notched up 30 years’ service with the council. His latest contribution has been to help organise the service’s transfer from Civic Centre to Y Storfa – no small feat. By all accounts the first week in its new home has been really busy, which is great to hear.

A big thank-you too to Paul Leyshon (pictured left) who is retiring this month after 43 years as a gardener, maintaining parks and open spaces in the Morriston area. I wish Paul and his family all the best in their next chapter.

Finally, well done to our teams who were out in the terrible weather earlier this week when we had a rare Met Office amber warning for rain. Much preparation had gone on beforehand to reduce its impact on our roads, helping to keep disruption to a minimum.

It’s not only the Chancellor Rachel Reeves who has been working on budgets this week. It’s been a busy week for us too, with Cabinet and CMT completing our initial budget review, taking into account the UK Government’s budget and the Welsh Government’s draft budget.

Overall, thanks to prudent financial management and solid in-year budget control across the Council, we are reasonably well-placed to weather the challenges we face.

Over the coming weeks we’ll be developing proposals for Cabinet and Council to consider in the New Year once we have a clearer idea of the funding we’ll receive from the Welsh Government. We’ll also be meeting with trade unions to outline our current position and assumptions, and there will be an opportunity for staff and the public to have their say before a final decision is made in March. My thanks to everyone who has helped us reach this important stage.

There’s a real sense of excitement as Y Storfa prepares to open its doors to the public on Monday. Staff are working hard on the finishing touches to the city centre hub that will be home to many of our customer-facing services. Apart from the Swansea Registry Office, the Civic Centre will close to the public later today.

Y Storfa is a new chapter in the history of the council, transforming the way we operate to offer our residents effective and efficient services. It will also be a boost to the city centre, helping to increase footfall and support retailers and other businesses for years to come. My thanks to all involved in this project – and there are a lot of you – and I wish you luck for Monday.

This week also sees the launch of our new Tension Monitoring Form, which gives staff a simple way to share concerns or observations that could point to rising tensions in our communities. Whether it’s rumours, hate incidents, or changes in public attitudes, spotting these early means we can work with partners to prevent problems and offer reassurance. If you notice anything, please use the form. Together, we can help keep Swansea a safe and welcoming place for everyone.

I’m delighted to share some fantastic news about our Falls Response Project, developed in partnership with Swansea Bay University Health Board. This initiative, led by Amy Jenkins from our adult services commissioning team and inspired by an original idea by one of our occupational therapists, Francesca Omand, has just won a prestigious health service improvement award.

By empowering carers to support people who have fallen at home, we’re reducing unnecessary ambulance callouts and hospital admissions, and making sure people get the right care at the right time. Congratulations to everyone involved. This is a brilliant example of council-inspired innovation making a real difference, so my thanks and well done to all involved.

We’re also proud of our ongoing commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant, which is all about supporting serving personnel, veterans, and their families. The Forces in Mind Trust’s latest report highlights the positive impact of the Covenant by organisations like ours in making sure veterans and their families are treated fairly and not disadvantaged in their day-to-day lives. My thanks go to our Armed Forces Champion, Cllr Wendy Lewis, Spencer Martin and all our other teams who help make a difference for our veterans every day.

Finally, it’s brilliant to hear that the Christmas Parade has been named the best council-organised outdoor event in Britain at the National Outdoor Events Association Awards 2025. It’s something we have always believed, but it’s great to have an official endorsement from an organisation as prestigious as the NOEA.

We all know that it’s only been possible to achieve this award-winning success by sheer hard work, dedication and skilful delivery by our teams. And to prove the point, last Sunday’s parade was again a fantastic show and many residents were quick to say well done on social media to all involved. I’d like to add my thanks and congratulations to theirs.

Y Storfa, the new city centre home for many of our frontline services is throwing open its doors to the public on December 1. This flagship project brings new life to a key location, supporting local businesses and making the city centre a more welcoming destination for everyone. I’m proud of what we have achieved together, and I want to thank the many staff from across the council – whether you’ve been involved in planning, moving, or preparing services – for getting this critically important project over the line.

Our public-facing services that’ll call Y Storfa home include the Central Library and the West Glamorgan Archives Service. Also there will be teams from the Contact Centre, Client Services, Revenues and Benefits, Employability, Housing Options, Housing Support and Lifelong Learning. It’s a great pre-Christmas gift to the people of Swansea which will be appreciated for years to come increasing footfall and viability for the wider city centre.

Congratulations to our adult social services teams for all their hard work ensuring that our region has hit ambitious Welsh Government’s ambitious targets for reducing the length of stay of patients in local hospitals. The issue is popularly known as ‘bed-blocking’ and hitting the targets is good news for patients who don’t have to wait too long to leave hospital when they’re well enough to go home. It’s also great for our local Health Board because it frees-up beds for those who do need them. Our health and care services will of course continue to be under extraordinary pressure during the winter. But I hugely appreciate your commitment, resilience and hard work. You should be very proud.

This year’s staff survey closed last Friday and I want to thank everyone who took the time to have their say and for the managers who helped facilitate team sessions in the workplace. Together with heads of service and directors we will be assessing what you’ve said, discussing the issues you’ve raised and taking action in response. I’ll keep you updated over the coming weeks and is a further step to try and improve our communication with staff across all parts of the council.

On Wednesday 78 members of staff were celebrating their success at Gower College Swansea’s annual Higher Education Graduation Ceremony. Their achievements are a personal career milestone, and I congratulate all them on a great set of results. By investing in learning and development, we are building a workforce with the skills, knowledge, and confidence to deliver excellent services for our communities. Higher Education qualifications empower our staff to innovate, lead, and adapt, ensuring we continue to thrive in a changing world.

Wednesday was #WorldChildrensDay which we marked with a fantastic event at the National Waterfront Museum celebrating the voices, rights and achievements of our communities’ children. It was a colourful and vibrant occasion and my thanks to our teams for making it such a success.

Well done to our staff at The Western Bay Adoption Service (WBAS) for an excellent Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW) inspection. Inspectors noted how our teams consistently put children’s needs first with thorough assessments, robust safeguarding, and a trauma-informed approach at every stage. This achievement reflects our team’s dedication and professionalism, and I thank them for their continued commitment.

Praise this week is also due to Phil Morcom of our market team who rescued an elderly couple’s shopping lost at Swansea Market. When they learned Phil had found it, the grateful couple described him as a ray of light in a dark world. I can’t say well done better than that.

Don’t forget today is your last chance to have a say in our public survey about the future of the many parks and open spaces that we look after every day. If you want to help shape what they’ll look like for future generations, please act now.

And finally, it’s that time of year when the festive season really kicks off with tonight’s opening of Waterfront Winterland, the weekend’s city centre Victorian Fayre and Sunday’s Christmas Parade. All of that and free bus travel in Swansea for the weekend too. A big thank you to the many staff who are making it memorable for tens of thousands of visitors and their families.

As many of you will know, next week we have a big event in Swansea to reflect on how far we’ve come to highlight the people, projects and partnerships shaping a greener future for our city and region – and to sharpen our focus on the work still ahead.

Taking place at the Swansea Building Society Arena, the Green Economy Conference 2025 on Thursday November 13 has been designed to recognise the many individuals, businesses, community groups and public sector bodies across South West Wales who are helping to lead the transition to a greener, more resilient economy.

What makes this event so significant is the strong emphasis on collaboration — across councils, communities, universities, businesses and not-for-profit partners. It showcases how South West Wales can lead in the green economy transition.

We will look at renewable energy, sustainable construction, decarbonisation, investment, and green jobs and skills. A particular highlight this year is a dedicated Local Food Day, organised jointly by ourselves with Bwyd Abertawe, Swansea University and the Food and Drink Wales Cywain Programme.

Through talks and tastings, we will celebrate how our local food producers, restaurants and retailers are helping to build a sustainable regional economy, reduce emissions and connect communities.

With an exhibition, workshops and panels focused on key priority areas, this conference will be a powerful opportunity for us all to show how we are turning ambition into action.

Here in Swansea, we have set clear and ambitious targets. At the council, we’re aiming towards the Welsh Government collective target of net zero by 2030, and – by working with others across the City and County – we are committed to meeting our obligations to be a net zero city by 2050.

Our recently published Local Area Energy Action Plan sets out how energy in Swansea will be transformed — reducing reliance on fossil fuel heating, increasing renewable generation, improving buildings, decarbonising transport and engaging communities.

In parallel, our climate change and nature recovery strategy sets out workstreams and governance to make sure that every service of the council plays its part — from procurement and housing to transport, waste and green infrastructure.

To lead by example, we have introduced an internal Climate Change Champion initiative. This empowers staff across every service area to be ambassadors for behaviour change, learning and embedding climate and nature-positive thinking into day-to-day decisions.

A great example of what staff can do is the team at the Gorseinon Library and District Housing Office, who have reduced their energy bills by 40% thanks to a series of initiatives. Their work is a vivid example of how services can be catalysts for change and it shows that budget savings can be made alongside reduced carbon emissions with some simple behaviour changes.

Backed by Cabinet Members and the Unions, the Climate Change Champion initiative is being officially launched at Guildhall on January 28.

If you or your team would also like to become Climate Change Champions here at the council to help spread the word internally about the importance of environmentally friendly work practices, then please contact Jane Richmond, our project manager for strategic climate change.

This could lead to dedicated support and mentorship for your team in developing and delivering a carbon reduction project in future. At least one person in each service area is being encouraged to sign-up.

Thanks to our highways team this week for their work on the flooding. Heavy rainfall resulted in significant disruption and many roads were cleared and reopened as quickly as possible thanks to sustained efforts throughout the night.

Their prompt action helped keep the city moving and reminds us how climate impacts — such as intense rainfall and flooding — are already very real for our infrastructure and services.

I’m also delighted that the fireworks display at St Helen’s on Wednesday evening was yet again an outstanding success, so my thanks to the events team and all staff involved.

Looking ahead, the annual Swansea Christmas Parade takes place on Sunday November 23 – and we have a new route this year starting from the Guildhall.

Staff based in Guildhall should note there will be limited car parking in the rotunda area on Monday and Tuesday next week (November 10 and November 11) due to essential tree maintenance work that’s needed ahead of the parade, so please plan ahead.

Work also starts this month on a new green courtyard in the heart of Swansea city centre to honour our late colleague Huw Mowbray, a much-loved and highly respected officer whose vision and dedication helped transform the city’s landscape.

Mowbray Yard, which is part of the external enhancements for the 71/72 Kingsway scheme, is set to feature trees, planting and new street furniture, and will form part of the new pedestrian link between The Kingsway and Oxford Street.

Designed as a welcoming and relaxing space, it will offer greenery and calm in the heart of the city centre.

Our libraries service continues to perform excellently under the annual Welsh Public Library Standards.

Attendance at library events has increased by five per cent year-on-year, with virtual visits and e-issues up 75% compared to 2022-23. The full detail will be reported in due course and well done to all staff involved.

Often my blogs have raised the importance of identifying training needs through the annual appraisal process that all staff should have opportunities to learn. As such, it was great that this week our leadership team of directors and heads of service held a dedicated development day focused on evidence-based decision making — exploring how evidence, behaviour and culture shape the choices we make as an organisation.

The aim was simple: to strengthen our ability to use evidence confidently, challenge assumptions, and create a culture where decisions are open, balanced and informed.

As we tackle complex challenges such as climate change, budget pressures and transformation, these skills are essential. Strong, evidence-based leadership will help us make better decisions for our communities and for Swansea’s future.

I know everyone is busy but it’s important that we all make time for learning and development – otherwise we can’t develop new skills or get up to date on changing legislation and good practice. We intend to hold a similar session with our wider senior management team in the New Year, so remember if you have any ideas on training for you or your team please raise them with your manager.

With our staff survey due to close in a week, I’d like to remind all staff to please take part. We’ve already had close to 1,000 individual responses and many team-based responses too, but there’s still time to have your say.

Please head here to fill in the survey so we can act on your feedback. This is a way you can have your voice heard and help to introduce positive changes at the council.

Finally, I will meet with Glynne Jones later today – the outgoing Director of the Wales Office, ahead of his retirement next month.

You may remember one of my personal objectives agreed with Members is promoting the reputation of the council and collaborating with key partners. As such, it’s vital we maintain strong relationships with civil service colleagues in both the Welsh Government and UK Government so that the council continues to make the case for our city, secures the investment we need, and ensures the voice of local public services is heard in national decision-making.

I’ll be taking some time off next week, so my next blog will be in two weeks’ time.