Archives for July 2021

Colleagues, I’ve taken the decision to retire from my role as Chief Executive Officer at the end of this Council term.  That’ll be at or around my 61^st birthday on 20^th April, 2022.

This hasn’t been an easy decision for me to make but it’s the right one in the current circumstances.  I was appointed on an interim basis prior to the last Council elections more than five years ago and I’m grateful to Council for making my employment permanent shortly thereafter. There’s an attraction for me in each new administration being able to appoint its head of paid service for their term in office.  For me it’s an attribute of a truly member-led authority. So the process we’ll follow will mirror my appointment and as part of the forthcoming senior management review I’ll be recommending to Council that they appoint an interim CEO early in the New Year and that person can then shadow me until my departure several months later. Then after the election the new administration can make its own selection.  I’m confident we have the talent within the organisation to achieve this.  Once a new administration is formed they’ll then need to advertise externally for the position of Chief Executive in accordance with the requirements of good and proper governance.

I guess the danger in announcing your departure early is that people either think or treat you like you’ve already left. But just to reassure you there’s no way I’ll be taking a back seat, I intend to lead our organisation until the day I leave. I hope the interim appointment will find shadowing me as useful as I did shadowing Jack Straw during his final months.

Linked to this, the Senior Management review will need to proceed as planned as we need to formalise some existing arrangements and adapt to the challenges of recovery.  Some of the longer-term changes can wait until a new permanent CEO is appointed but in the meantime we must:

• Ensure our management structures in social care and education are robust as we’re already having to adjust to the impacts of the pandemic and legislative changes
• Ensure the process of organisational transformation is enabled by an appropriate management structure given the pressures and opportunities presented by remote working during the pandemic
• Ensure we’re prepared for the introduction of Corporate Joint Committees and that we demonstrate real civic leadership for the region
• Undertake a review of pay and grading at senior level as the current system is outdated and no longer fit for purpose. 

I’ll be bringing forward recommendations to Council that will ensure the organisation remains well-placed to meet these challenges that are already with us, whilst allowing any new administration the ability to adapt the broader management structure needed for longer-term recovery in the future.

In the meantime, I remain committed to helping drive us all forward on the road to recovery and supporting this remarkable city to realise its potential.  I’ll reserve any other comments until the time of my departure when I hope to be able to pay proper tribute to the many people I’ve had the privilege and honour to work with over the last 35 years.

This year’s staff survey is going live today and gives all our employees the opportunity to give their views following a tumultuous 16 months. The pandemic has brought massive challenges for us all, at home and in work. The survey is a chance to reflect on that and to look at how we want to work in the future, given that many of us are still working from home.

The survey is available on Staffnet via this link, and via the Council’s external website here in English and here in Welsh. And during August hard copies will be available at our satellite offices and depots, especially for those who don’t have IT access in work. On the back of the pandemic and all the changes we’ve had to make, it’s more important than ever that we get the views of staff so please take the time to respond.

I assure you that CMT will act upon what you tell us. This really is the chance for you to shape what happens in the future.

Working with government

Yesterday we hosted a visit from the Economy Minister, Vaughan Gething to see progress on the Swansea Central scheme and tour the new arena and bridge.  It was a huge success and I was very proud to see the progress that our teams have made. Later on Thursday Geoff Bacon and I attended a Teams meeting with the Wales Office to discuss the UK Government’s Plan for Wales. It sets out the Government’s policy priorities for Wales as part of its wider ambitions to level up across the UK. It will increases the presence and visibility of the UK Government in Wales. We shared our proposals for a public sector hub at the Swansea Central Phase 2 site and for me the commitment to devolve would be a tangible demonstration of the UK Government’s commitment to regional investment to help us deliver the proposals our officers have been working hard on.  Thanks to Geoff and our teams in the Place directorate for the development of schemes that the UK Government will need to consider in their priorities for investment.

CMT this week focussed heavily on our education service and discussed the future of the 21^st Century Schools programme as well as a termly report from the director on our schools.  As the academic year ends we should all express our gratitude to all the staff in the directorate and in our schools for the way they have coped in the most challenging of years.  I hope our teaching staff enjoy a well-deserved break and we look forward to helping them organise the return in September when hopefully there will be complete clarity on the arrangements for managing in the pandemic. 

Earlier in the week we shared the proposals for our new approach to regional school improvement with the political leaders in the region; Swansea, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire.  We’re very close to finalising arrangements and the model that will replace ERW is a real improvement on the previous collaboration.  It’s been a complicated path to tread but guided by our education and legal teams we’ll be in a better position to provide the specific support for schools.  Thanks to all involved and also to the head teachers who’ve given us their input in designing a more streamlined and focussed service.

Covid-19

The First Minister announced on Wednesday the measures that will now be in place following the latest review of the Covid-19 situation.  The cautious steps being recommended are informed by the scientific evidence and all going well we may be at alert level zero by 7^th August.  But I’m not yet fully clear on what the new set of rules will mean for our staff, particularly in Housing and Public Health.  Further discussions with Welsh Government and the WLGA will be needed to ensure a coherent and consistent approach is taken by councils in Wales.

Farewell

Three of our education psychology team are leaving – Jose Cifuentes, Alison Griffiths and Linda Fulford. A special mention to Jose. As we work towards becoming a Human Rights City I can think of no better example of how a community can embrace and welcome a person who fled tyranny and dictatorship in his home country and restarted his life thousands of miles away.  He, along with all our education psychology team, have made a huge impact on the lives of our young people which often goes unnoticed by the population.  If you needed evidence of how making our city a place of sanctuary gets repaid dozens of times over then look no further than Jose and his family who’ve all made important contributions to the council, to ethnic youth support and to community cohesion. I hope he has a long and happy retirement and I want to thank all three of them for their service to the people of Swansea.

Not everything came to a standstill during lockdown and our new Digital Arena is a great example of our achievements during the past 16 months.

I had a tour of the site this week as work continues at pace to deliver this transformational project for the city.  A huge amount of progress has been made despite the pandemic and recent shortages in building materials that face the whole of the construction industry.  The causes of this shortage are not entirely clear but many attribute them to the impact of the pandemic compounded by the challenges in managing Brexit.  Whatever the cause, there’s a real shortage of core building materials including bricks, plasterboard and timber to name but a few.  There are also workforce challenges facing the industry and this combination of factors could impact on all of our other regeneration projects including schools and house building so we’ve escalated it as a corporate risk to ensure we take appropriate actions.  It’s also bringing challenges for our City Deal partners across the region and beyond.

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Nevertheless we’re on target for practical completion later this year thanks to the work of our team led by Huw Mowbray and Lee Richards as well as our contractors, Buckingham.  I also had the opportunity to cross the new bridge over Oystermouth Road for the first time and it really is an incredible structure which now connects the city centre to the marina and the beach beyond. 

Covid-19

We’re awaiting announcements from Welsh Government next week following the review of the current restrictions.  It’s an unenviable task for politicians as pressure to release from lockdown is ramping up nationally whilst concerns remain over the potential for a third wave.  The general thrust of policy at the UK level is that we must learn to live with the virus but we’ll inevitably have concerns about the pressures on the health and social care system.  Welsh ministers have been consulting senior politicians and officers in local government and this opportunity is welcomed by us all. 

One impact of the increase in infection rates is that our TTP service will face renewed pressure.  We’ll need to manage a surge in cases by calling back staff that previously undertook TTP work.  In the coming days line managers will be asked to release staff who are not currently fully utilised in essential roles to allow them to refresh their TTP skills and undertake contact tracing either instead of their usual duties or by way of additional hours. Refresher training in all procedures and the current advice will be provided to all staff returning to these roles with duties largely unchanged from last year.

CMT were reassured this week that our adult services continue to be effectively discharged despite the massive challenges staff face on a daily basis. Helen St John and Amy Hawkins took us through the latest performance data and our thanks go to all the teams working so hard to keep our citizens safe and supported.

Congratulations

We’ve been shortlisted for two prizes in the highly prestigious MJ Achievement Awards. Our housing team and corporate building services teams have been nominated for the Best Social Housing Initiative for the innovative schemes at Colliers Way and Parc-yr-Helig. Our More Homes team has also been shortlisted for the Best Council Service Team for its work delivering the More Home Strategy. My thanks to all involved.

Farewell

One of the most familiar faces at Swansea Market, John Burns, is retiring after 31 years as manager at our award-winning city centre location. Thank you for your service, John and we wish you well in your retirement.

The images of burning cars and homes being attacked in Mayhill will live long in the memory of those families who had to endure such a frightening experience.

Those scenes were not a reflection of the many families who live there, and thankfully those responsible are being brought to justice.

Disturbances like this are very rare, especially in Swansea, but that doesn’t mean everything is now fine and we can just carry on as we are.

Since May 20^th we’ve been working with the community to put in place some immediate improvements.  I’m very grateful to our local area co-ordinators, highways team, social services and schools among many others who’ve responded brilliantly in supporting the community.

But that initial response must only be the start. We are determined to put in place a long-lasting plan that addresses issues and supports families in the area.

We’ve had discussions with police, Welsh Government and Police and Crime Commissioner and agreed to hold an independent joint review.

In short, the aim is to learn whether this incident could have been prevented and the lessons to be learned from it. It will consider a number of areas including underlying issues, the response on the night, information sharing between partners and how we supported those affected by the incident.

This is not about apportioning blame, but there’ll be lessons for us and partners to act upon so that we can improve the lives of families living there and ensure this kind of incident doesn’t happen anywhere else.

An independent expert will be appointed as Chair of a three-person panel to examine the issues and I expect work to start shortly and last at least three months.

I know officers across the council have been pulling together information for this review and I’m grateful for your efforts. The panel will also hear from those living in Mayhill as their feedback will be vital in improving our understanding of the issues.

I’m sure the panel’s recommendations and the way we support Mayhill and other communities in the future will impact many, if not all, of our services in some way.

During the pandemic we showed every day we were here for Swansea and I’m sure we’ll respond once again to new challenges.

Congratulations

Many of our staff have been recognised at the West Glamorgan Safeguarding Board recognition ceremony highlighting outstanding work to safeguard vulnerable adults and children. Among the winners from Swansea was senior social worker Lisa Daniels.  

Others recognised included Carol Jones, Debra Blake and Nicole Overton. Other nominees who were all praised by judges included Cathy Adams, Mark Driscoll, Bennu Philips, Susanne McCarthy, Lynsey Hughes, Michelle Evans, Kelly Shannon, Rebecca Bushrod, Angela Howell, Kerry Upson, Bethan Jones, Bethan Lee, Lisa Govier, Helen Cook, Carolanne Gwynn, Katie Holmes and Helena Gammond. 

School leavers!

We’re saying goodbye to some outstanding head teachers as they either retire or move on to new pastures. Alan Tootill has led Penyrheol Comprehensive for the last 19 years having served as deputy at the school before that. David Lewis has been in post at St Illtyd’s RC Primary School for more than 25 years and has more than 40 years in education. Alison Bastian has been head at Burlais since it was formed in 2012 and previously led Newton and Cwmbwrla primaries. Christine Hewitt was appointed head teacher at Tre-Uchaf Primary School in 2008 having previously been deputy at St Thomas. Kath Richards, who has taught for 37 years, became head of Brynhyfryd Infants School and later the amalgamated Brynhyfryd Primary School. Helen Houston-Phillips has been at Ynystawe Primary for 21 years and head teacher for the past nine. Anna Bolt took the headship at Glyncollen in January 2011 and will be taking up a position with Estyn in September. Mark Dennis has led Blaenymaes for the last four years but is moving to a new headship in Sandfields Primary School NPT. And Jennifer Ford has already moved on from Pentrehafod to lead Treorchy Comprehensive School.

Thank you for your outstanding service to education and best wishes to you all for the future.

Goodbye

It’s goodbye and thanks also to Haydn Nelson, Principal Officer for Supported Care Planning in Child and Family Services, who is retiring this week.  He’s spent a lifetime of service supporting vulnerable people and children in particular, the last 10 years of which has been with us.