Safe and secure

The sun shone this morning reminding me that all week we’ve had a dull, cold February without much sun and so here's a picture of this morning’s brightness.

A glimpse of sunshine

Visiting the Brighton Centre

The last time I recall seeing the sun was at the weekend and particularly on Friday afternoon when I visited the Brighton Centre and met with Ian Hardy and Howard Barden. We reviewed how we are working together on plans for the seafront, including exciting waterfront developments that will eventually see a new conference centre and arena down at Black Rock. It was a delight to meet members of the management team to look around the building and to see a conference gathering momentum while I was there.  Keeping the business flourishing through this time of planning and change is at the forefront of Howard and Ian’s minds and keeping the building safe and secure is one of the constant challenges to the whole team, and they do it very well.  

Howard, Carrie, Colin, me, Rebecca, Michael, Ian

Being vigilant

Keeping our buildings, staff and citizens safe and secure has been a theme of this week and I have reminded everybody to be vigilant, recognising the heightened security threat level announced by the government recently, particularly in respect of police and our Jewish community. But the message of being safe and secure and remaining vigilant is equally one for all of us; so simple things such as always wearing our council ID, not allowing people to tailgate when we come through secure entrances and following our intuition if we have concerns, are all important things to do.

All talk and no vote

Running a fair and open election process is also on my mind and this week I met with my deputy returning officers to particularly focus on the workforce plan for the elections.  We have also started a campaign to raise awareness of the importance of registering to vote 'All talk and no vote'. I am really keen that the hard won vote is something that should be exercised by all eligible citizens and, of course, registration is essential to allow that to happen. So far the campaign does seems to be having an impact and citizens are busy adding their names to the electoral register.

One of our adverts on the side of a bus

Meeting our unions

On Tuesday I met with the branch secretaries for GMB (Mark) and Unison (Alex), at their request, to review the state of our industrial relations. From my perspective it’s important that we keep open channels for communication and maintain a respectful relationship that allows us to discuss and agree over differences. Despite a number of individual issues at the moment, ours was an open and good natured meeting. It’s important to me that we have a well led organisation with good industrial relations characterised by openness and respect and, ultimately, a commitment to working together.

Me with Mark and Alex

Redefining how we work

Over the coming months and years, how the council, communities and citizens work together will need to be redefined.  We will have to learn how to enable volunteers to have more autonomy in supporting their communities. One of many examples of this is happening already is in Hollingdean where some active citizens want to be able to open the Children’s Centre as a community building at weekends. I met with Valerie Foucher and Yvonne Rivers to review how this work is going with Steve Barton, head of service, Sam Warren, city neighbourhood co-ordinator and Richard Tuset, head of policy and communities. The news was encouraging and we had a really stimulating discussion about a collaborative agreement with citizens being at the heart of new ways of working. 

Richard, Sam, Steve, Valerie and Yvonne

Restoring Saltdean Lido

Another example of collaborative working was the meeting with the community interest company for Saltdean Lido fronted by its chair, Rebecca Crook, and Bridget Fishleigh. Local citizens have formed a Community Interest Company (CIC) and successfully bid to restore and run the magnificent Saltdean Lido. It’s clear that the council was not in a position to ensure such an outcome for Saltdean Lido without collaborative working. The CIC has taken on the challenge of securing a safe future for a wonderful building and a fabulous leisure offer for an important part of our city, namely Saltdean. We wish them well. 

Rebecca and Bridget

From the Lido archives

Providing employment

Many of us want to see Able and Willing become a flourishing business for many years to come. It provides employment for learning disabled adults and makes and sells important promotional and embroidered products. It is clear that this will need some continued support from us but it also needs a business plan that can support commercial independence. We held a meeting this week with two members of the business community who want to assist with advice and support. We agreed that they should join our monthly meeting and help it become a Support and Challenge board with the aim of Able and Willing becoming a viable business. I am grateful to them for volunteering to bring their expertise and commitment. We see this business as playing an important part in our strategy for people with a learning disability and achieving their aspirations to be able to live, work and play independently.

Geoff White, Able and Willing business manager

Being safe and secure means adapting to circumstances, taking new opportunities, seeing and mitigating new threats. Look out for yourselves and one another and I hope we see a bit of that sun that peaked out this morning over the weekend.

Best wishes
Penny