An week of inventive and involving work

Our unique festival

Last weekend saw the inventive Paddle Round the Pier seaside festival and it was a delight to visit on both days. 

One of the races at Paddle Round the Pier

Our wildflowers on Hove Lawns

As well as tasting the delights of an impromptu lunch with Karl from Moshimo, I also took advantage of our newest seafront loos as I walked towards town. It has been pointed out since that I took a loo selfie! 

My loo selfie

All I wanted to do was to capture and share with people the brightness and quality of the newest addition to our public conveniences. It was good to meet the proud temporary attendant Rob Short who works for Wettons. 

Rob Short at the new loos

And on Sunday our Cityclean paddling crew did a good job and raised over £500 for charity. Well done to them.

The cityclean team 

Paddling round the Pier

Reimaging the Royal Pavilion estate

On Monday I met with the Pavilion café’s David Sewell and the Friends of the café as we grouped to re-apply for funding to invest in the whole of the estate that is the Pavilion, Dome, Corn Exchange, Museum and gardens. We intend to be inventive and involving as we reimagine this uniquely beautiful and extraordinary heart and lungs of our city.

Friends of the Pavilion cafe with Janita Bagshaw and me

Local Government annual conference

Then on Tuesday it was off to sunny, sandy Bournemouth with Jason, leader of the council to join the local government family for its annual conference. At this time of recession it is important to take opportunities to learn and share and the conference gave us plenty of that. 

Simon Stevens, chief executive NHS

Members and chief executives from North and South and East and West of the country came together to be inventive and to involve one another in sharing how we can respond to the challenges of reducing resources, increasing demand and rising expectations. The conference was characterised by generosity, optimism, collaboration and creativity. The Innovation Zone was a safe space for sharing, the conference provided platforms for discussing problems and new initiatives especially focussing on the opportunities of digital and the importance of outcomes over traditional service arrangements. We picked up ideas such as solar rubbish bins.

Jason Kitcat and one of the solar rubbish bins

There was intelligence in the form of a Ipsos MORI survey (PDF 1.42MB) of latest perception. There was no end of information. And we had the opportunity to meet new and key players especially Simon Stevens the NHS Chief Executive from April. He led a full session and a private session on the leadership challenge and opportunities for collaboration with local government and the NHS.

Ben Page from IPSOS Mori

Along the way I met up with long standing friends in local government and made new ones. Listening to stories of inventiveness and involvement and taking heart for our challenges. What is absolutely clear is that we need to work differently, embrace more change and be ever clearer about our purpose, priorities and partnerships, to ensure the best outcomes for our place; the fabulous city of Brighton & Hove.

Our Big Difference winners

I am now back at base and delighted that today we have awarded the winners for the Big Difference Awards for exceptional work and they are Martin Reiley from Cityclean, who went out of his way to help a resident track down stolen items and the team who worked on our first same sex marriages in March. It was very interesting to hear from all the staff who were shortlisted and is never an easy decision to make. Everyone who gets on the shortlist is a winner in their own right. There will be more about the winners on the Wave next week.

The shortlisted staff for the Big Difference awards

As always enjoy the weekend. 
Penny

Collaboration, learning and equality

Hello everybody,

A wet bank holiday Monday was an opportunity to recover from the long day that had been election count Sunday. I am pleased to say that we delivered a free, fair and safe election and results in good time to the South East Returning Officer at Southampton. I am grateful to all of the staff who worked so hard on Thursday, Friday and Sunday.

On the seafront with Toni Manuel - Seafront Development Manager

Beach Clean-Up/Don’t be a tosser!

When it came to the beach clear up on Tuesday, organised by the Argus with the council and a good number of other companies and bodies, the bad weather did mean that there was not much serious littering on the beach to clear up. That said, 60 or 70 of us got going with our litter pickers and did good work, particularly picking up cigarette butts and other horrible detritus. The spirit was great and it was good to see councillors from all of the parties donning their gloves and working well together. I do think that we need a litter campaign that is more hard hitting than perhaps in the past and I am rather taken with the campaign I saw in Sydney in Australia which went something along the lines of “Don’t be a tosser”. I think Max and Nick who gave us our equipment and our safety briefing would agree that we’ve got to do more to encourage citizens and visitors to dispose of their litter in bins and not leave it on the beach and the promenade and our streets and parks.

Nick James - central driver with Max Murray beach - charge hand 

Learning Organisations

This week I have been involved in three learning exercises. Firstly, we received some really affirming and useful feedback from an informal equality review that was held last week. This is to help us prepare and mark our progress towards reaccreditation against the Equality Framework for local government. Secondly, we have been preparing our self-assessment and presentation for a Local Government Association corporate peer challenge which takes place next week. Here we are asking a panel of councillors and officers led by another local authority’s chief executive to provide critical friendship gauging the progress we are making as a local authority, both in terms of leading our city, achieving our priorities and rising to the challenge of reducing financial support from government. We very much hope that this peer challenge will add value to the modernisation journey that we’re on and will encourage us in our quest to become a high performing organisation which is living its values every day. The third learning event took place today, Friday, and saw me being part of a panel of senior colleagues providing challenge to the organisations that make up the local safeguarding children’s board and their self assessment of the progress they’re making in terms of their organisational safeguarding arrangements. This was a really open and reflective discussion with lots of good ideas and a consensus developing that we have to aim for a culture of safeguarding across all our organisations, and indeed the city as a whole. The right actions are being taken to assure ourselves that safeguarding is being taken seriously and is prioritised; yet there is no room for complacency and we concluded that multi-agency working and learning together as well as even better information sharing are all necessary. 

Graham Barlett, -Chair LSCB, Leighe Rogers - Director of Probation, and
Paul Furnell - Head of Public Prosecution at Sussex Police 

Maggie Baker, Cllr Sue Shanks and  Ellen Thulvihill

Working together

One of our key partners is the police and this week I have had a catch up with Nev Kemp, our Chief Superintendent in the city, as well as a regular meeting with the Police and Crime Commissioner, Katy Bourne, involving as well, Jason Kitcat, Leader of the Council. In both those conversations community safety, the importance of domestic abuse and the vital process that is underway for recruitment of a new Chief Constable were all discussed. I am pleased to say that we and other organisations in the city have played our part in that recruitment process, albeit in an informal consultative capacity. I look forward to a really sound appointment being made and working well with the new Chief Constable of Sussex Police.

 Walking on Sunshine

In the only sunshine this week Jason Kitcat council leader and I chose to conduct part of our “one to one” walking along the seafront, reviewing progress. In particular we noticed the new inviting recycling bins and reflected on the quality of craftsmanship of the work on the arches. We also noted that the seafront lifeguard service is now back in position on the beach, which was still gleaming from the beach clean and our conscientious, regular CityClean regime.

If women ruled the world

Last night I participated in a Brighton Fringe event as part of a panel discussing with a very large and lively audience this rather odd proposition. We started by watching a film, ‘30% - Women and Politics in SierraLeone’ and heard from its director, Anna Cady. The subject of the film was the challenging quest by three feisty women politicians to achieve 30% women members in the parliament. We went on to discuss the issue of women in power, noting along the way that in the UK that just over 20% of MP's in parliament are women and just 369 women have been elected to UK parliament since 1918. Joined by Andrea Cornwall, Head of School of Global Studies at the University of Sussex, Melissa Leach, Director of the Institute of Development Studies, Ifrah Hassan, Outreach Worker, Integrate Bristol and Muna Hassan at Intergrate Bristol and Caroline Lucas MP we discussed a wide ranging number of topics related to women in power and politics. Interestingly an early consensus was achieved that it would be better to aspire to equality rather than world dominance by women. The session was live streamed and you can watch it if you are interested. I think the themes of education, empowerment, role modelling, support from families and organisational cultures which support equality and the value of women were all themes that emerged.  It was encouraging that there were a number of transgender women in the audience who gave an interesting challenge to gender as a fixed notion and indeed the relationship of sexuality to gender. 

The panel at 'If women ruled the world' 

So on the themes of collaboration, learning and equality, I’ll sign off this week’s blog and hope that we perhaps see a little more sun this weekend.

All the best,

Penny

Care and collaboration

Last Sunday was a wonderfully warm day and I interrupted a walk with my elderly father to meet Kevin Watts, jet washer and graffiti remover who was cleaning one of our beach shelters. I was caring for my Dad and Kevin was caring for our wonderful city and keeping it bright and clean.

Kevin Watts

The theme of caring was very present when I visited the Child Development and Disability Service on Monday morning and met a range of health, education and social care staff and two of the parents whose children they work with. Reza Ataie and Debbie Collins both powerfully told their stories of coming to terms with children with profound disabilities and needing to turn to specialist services to support and help them provide a quality of life for their children and their families. 

Reza could not speak too highly of the care that his family is now receiving from their social work resource officer, Matthew Howson, from Downs View School and the services based at Seaside View, our Child Development and Disability Service. He spoke of ‘good services, friendly advice’ and gave this recommendation to others who need to turn for help: ask politely, know what you want, don’t take no for an answer. Turning to Matthew he told me: “this young chap has been instrumental in our family turning the corner”. What a fantastic testimony.  

Reza Ataie and Matthew Howson

Equally Debbie spoke so positively of Seaside View and the support which she received. In particular she mentioned the voluntary organisation Extra Time, who she described as brilliant. She said: “what made the difference was the overnight break away from home, where my daughter received amazing care. This has transformed our lives” Debbie told me.  

Debbie Collins

At the end of our morning we all heard about the disability review which is being launched to look at both improving services to families and also making value for money savings. The review is ambitious in its scope and everyone in the room was enthusiastic about making further improvements, engaging young people and families. The review gets underway in June and is expected to report in December of this year.  

From hearing and being inspired by this caring and collaboration I went straight over to Sussex County Cricket Club to participate in the signing of an agreement to work together between Brighton University and the cricket club. 

Sussex Sharks mascot and Pete the Panter, Brighton University's mascot

Mascots with vice chancellor of Brighton Univeristy, Julian Crampton
and SCCC chief executive, Zac Toumazi

Tuesday saw the inaugural meeting of the Greater Brighton Economic Board which has been formed to deliver the aspirations of our City Deal and economic development projects across the Greater Brighton area. The meeting was held against the backdrop of Brighton & Hove Albion football stadium.  Once again Brighton University was round the table, with leaders from Adur, Worthing, Lewes, Mid Sussex District and of course Brighton & Hove City Council.  Our leader, Jason Kitcat, chaired the meeting.  This ambitious board is going to oversee the delivery of millions of pounds of projects across the Greater Brighton area. It has a forward plan which will look at the visitor economy, the economic outlook, travel to work and travel to learn, training our people, learning from key cities, inward investment and other topics.

That night I returned to caring responsibilities and met my sons in London.  I thought you would enjoy the glorious views of South Bank from the Golden Jubilee bridge.

In case you weren’t aware this week is Carers Week and I was privileged to go and meet some carers and professionals at the carers event at Brighthelm centre on Wednesday. The new Mayor was also there. I heard from carers about their appreciation for the Carers Centre and carers services which support them to maintain loved ones at home, even when in very difficult circumstances.  For this event all sorts of professionals were taking an hour or two out of their busy working days to just go and listen to the stories of carers. Those I spoke to found it a moving and valuable learning experience to be the listeners. The carers I spoke to very much appreciated being listened to, being valued and having somewhere to turn to. 

New mayor Brian Fitch with a resident

On Wednesday evening Sajid Javid MP, Minister for Culture Media and Sports, came to visit Brighton Festival and the Pavilion and I was asked to come and be part of the walk around.

Andrew Comben, Sajid Javid with our guides

The Minister took a real interest in the Royal Pavilion and benefited from a very informative tour from one of the resident guides.  The journalist Polly Toynbee, who is chair of the Brighton Festival & Dome, Andrew Comben, its chief executive, and I were able to tell the Minister about our vision for a reunited Royal Pavilion, Dome and gardens providing the beating heart at the centre of our fabulous city. Once again the themes of collaboration and caring shone through this visit.  

As this is also European elections week, I am writing this while the ballot boxes are being returned to Hove Town Hall for safe storage. We will verify the number of votes cast on Friday morning before counting the votes on Sunday afternoon. This evening I visited some of our polling stations and was universally greeted by enthusiastic polling staff who reported that they had been kept quite busy through the day. The team at Hove Library were happy to be photographed and you see here Sue Coleman, presiding officer and Claire Penfold, polling clerk.  

Claire Penfold and Sue Coleman

Clare Wardle, electoral services manager

At St Philip’s church hall I met a mother with her young daughter. The mother was telling her daughter about the suffragettes  and how women had won the vote and the importance of using the opportunity to vote. I couldn’t agree more.

Finally then, just a word of thanks to those of you who responded to my call for suggestions on improving recycling. I can assure you that the service is already discussing your ideas and I am particularly grateful to one of our street cleaners who sent me a long and very constructive email which I really appreciated and have followed up on. 

All the best
Penny