Last night Council agreed final budget proposals that will see £584m in revenue budget spent on delivering services to our residents over the coming year. Although the amount being spent is a record figure, there is also an ongoing requirement to deliver on our agreed savings and transformation programme outcomes as well. As such I’ll be reviewing our spending restrictions policy with the section 151 officer and will look to reissue them in the next couple of weeks. In the meantime, my thanks to all of you for your continuing support and, in particular, to Ben Smith and his team for seeing the budget across the finish line.
This week in Leadership Group, we looked at one of the key cross-council challenges we face in the next 12 months and beyond – homelessness. Steve Porter from housing and Helen Williams from child and family services took us through our response to the housing crisis and updated us on important work we’re doing to help young people leaving care into supported accommodation. My thanks to Steve, Helen, and Sarah Jordan from housing for their leadership in this area which is about trying to improve outcomes for some of our most vulnerable citizens while also hopefully making a positive impact on the associated budget.
In response to the staff survey Leadership Group has committed to getting out to see you more. So I was very pleased to visit the One Stop Information Shop at the National Waterfront Museum this week and speak to our staff teams and a number of partners who support this event. Thanks also to the Partnership and Involvement team for giving me a tour of the temporary Collaboration Station in the city centre. It is a great space to engage with the public, and I look forward to hearing more as it develops in the future.
Yesterday, I joined hundreds of businesses and visitors at this year’s It’s Your Swansea conference at the arena. Events like these are great for business networking and showcasing the best of Swansea’s talent to outsiders. They’re also a reminder of the vibrancy and innovation of companies operating on our doorstep, many of them backed by our business support teams.
This morning I’m joining a number of chief executives, leaders and independent facilitators, including the Wales Centre for Public Policy and Cardiff University, to look at the future sustainability of local government in Wales. We’re looking at some of the biggest questions we face, such as the appetite for reform in the face of challenges like financial constraints, the relentless rise in demand and climate change. I’ll keep you posted.
In the staff survey you said you wanted to be updated on staff achievements and on opportunities for learning and development. So I’m delighted to do a bit of both in congratulating 10 of our managers who’ve just achieved ILM Level 6 awards, the equivalent of a BA or BSc with honours. The reward for you are qualifications you can apply in your jobs. The benefit for the council is how your success supports our work to continuously transform what we do to improve services. There’s more on other actions being taken in response to the staff survey here.
Some great news about two of our apprentices, Isaac Fabb and Ashleigh Johnson, who were shortlisted for coveted Apprentice of the Year awards at the prestigious APSE Awards in Glasgow last night. Isaac scooped the overall 4th Year Apprentice of the Year award – the first time the council has gained an individual APSE apprentice award. Ashleigh was named a finalist in the 2nd Year Apprentice of the Year category. Congratulations to both.
It’s International Women’s Day tomorrow and this afternoon senior members of the council and invited guests will be unveiling a plaque to honour Swansea pioneering businesswoman and novelist Amy Dillwyn at the park we’ve named after her alongside Swansea Arena.
The following day is the UK’s annual Covid-19 Day of Reflection. To coincide with it, we’ve announced a permanent memorial will be created in Swansea to honour and remember our communities’ sacrifice and commitment. One of my abiding memories of that time was the way you stepped up. You were truly indispensable, your dedication was inspirational and you undoubtedly saved lives. Thank you.
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