We are all rightly proud of our reputation for supporting innovation in Swansea, particularly when it helps support our communities and jobs. We often hear about the major projects, which is great, but this week the Leader and I took the opportunity to visit a smaller project run by Indycube. They have set up Post-Bocs in the city centre, a new business supported by Shared Prosperity Funding through our regeneration team. The Post-Bocs team’s business is creating podcasts and videos that turn a spotlight on other brilliant small businesses in the city centre and elsewhere. Their effort is also having real impact, promoting the unique Swansea brand with over 50 videos already produced. My thanks to Elliott Williams and Clare James in the regeneration team for their work on this.
In addition, this week two major businesses and developers were in Swansea talking to us about opportunities, and they told us they are attracted because they like what we do and the difference they’ve seen. It’s a very encouraging endorsement, and I’ll update you as these discussions progress.
Appraisal season is coming, and this week CMT discussed their performance objectives, including budgets, delivery of priority actions, and how we ensure we are all compliant with our council rules and policies. These headline objectives will be cascaded from directors, heads of service to all our staff in the coming financial year. The performance appraisal is a crucial part of our collective responsibility to deliver our services, so staff know what’s expected of them and managers are held accountable for supporting their delivery. I will therefore be sharing more on this in the coming weeks and months.
This week CMT also took a look at our 2nd quarter strategic risk report. It’s important an organisation as large and complex as ours constantly monitors the risks we face and takes actions to control them – and it’s a legal duty anyway. It also helps ensure we prevent issues from developing that will impact critical services like safeguarding, financial management and our staff. I’m satisfied to say that, at the moment, our risks are being managed appropriately, although there are still some improvements we will be looking at over the next few months. My thanks to the team in Communications, Corporate Planning and Performance for their work in helping us manage the risk process and, in particular, thanks to Leanne John for getting our new Inphase risk system over the line.
One of our six corporate objectives is about climate change and nature recovery, and in the coming weeks you have the chance to become a staff climate change champion through this free training opportunity. In our staff survey you said you wanted more opportunities for networking, sharing information on other people’s projects and cross-departmental collaboration and this training opportunity will help you do all that too.
Also mentioned frequently in the staff survey was the importance of recognising long service. This week I want to say thank you to five members of staff who have each clocked-up at least 40 years’ service. They are Laura Davey (43 years) and Steve Sawyer (40 years) from housing who have both spent many years working on the frontline, supporting our tenants and their neighbourhoods. Also, congratulations to Caron Trubey, Kathryn Thomas and Stephanie Rees from the benefits team who will have each clocked up 40 years’ service by next month. The support the benefits team provides to families and individuals facing financial problems often makes a world of difference.
It’s also Rob Jones’ last day before retirement after 40 years with our Revenue and Benefits section. Good luck to you on your next endeavours. Nigel Williams, our Head of Building and Waste, also retires today after 19 years with the Council and will be replaced in the interim by Rachel Jowitt, who I am sure will meet many of you over the coming weeks.
My thanks also this week to the teams working this weekend on the very popular Croeso Festival and HMS Cambria’s Freedom of the City march. Please get along if you can as both events will be very colourful.
Finally, don’t forget that if you know anyone who wants to be one of six new apprentices in corporate building services, the closing date for applications is on Sunday. I’m pleased to say that when it comes to apprenticeships, we are an employer of choice in Swansea.
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