Passion and commitment for doing a good job

I have never believed that August is a quiet month and my diary this week has confirmed it is indeed very busy. In amongst one to ones, meetings with HR, trade unions, probation colleagues, the Mayor, internal comms and the Leader, I have found time for two important and contrasting service visits.

Seafront services
On Tuesday afternoon I visited our Seafront services office after having taken a tour on some of the important sites on the seafront. At Madeira Terraces, I saw the investigative work underway to test the feasibility and cost of restoring these structures. The work to address just two arches in the terraces is expensive and complicated enough and it will be the Autumn before we learn the full scale of what needs to be done. I am pleased we have had a seafront scrutiny exercise underway to calmly consider the best way of ensuring a vibrant sustainable seafront for the future and I look forward to reading the report considering its recommendations.
I was hosted on my visit by Toni Manuel, the seafront development manager and her manager Ian Shurrock. At the office it was good to meet again with Graham and David, both experienced seafront officers.

Seafront officers Graham Buckley and David Wheeler

While I was talking with them, Ashley Guest, one of our seafront co-ordinators who was off duty, arrived in his swimming gear to have a swim in the fairly rough (but not prohibited) sea.



Toni Manuel and Ashley Guest

Our discussions also included other members of the team and we all gathered on the beach to pose for a photo and enjoy the exploits of Ashley and other off duty staff who were demonstrating their considerable swimming strengths.

Mark, Shaun, David, Sean, Toni, Chris, and Penny

This team undertakes a huge and challenging job on behalf of us all, and the weather on Tuesday which was bright, sunny and very windy with big waves, provided the exact conditions for lifeguards to be paying careful attention. Later in the afternoon I walked along Hove seafront and met Edward Sansom on King Alfred beach and he told me that his day had been challenging. He had to tell a number of families about the dangers of going in the sea despite the presence of a red flag which should have warned them. He was also challenged by a resident who wanted to take her dog on a non-dog friendly beach. These sorts of exchanges are an everyday sort of occurrence and I was struck by the good nature and enthusiasm of all of the seafront services team that I met. They demonstrate collaboration and respect as they undertake their customer services duties.



Edward Sansom on King Alfred beach

This morning I learnt that Chaz from seafront services dealt with a dead body on the beach as he came into work at 6am this morning. This really underlines the demands faced by our colleagues in seafront services. As well as life guarding the beach, Toni’s team manages the rentals of our properties on the seafront, the maintenance of the infrastructure and, with the police and housing services, the serious issues arising from rough sleepers which congregate along the seafront.

Hove Town Hall Customer Services Centre
This morning I made a visit to another of our customer service teams at Hove Town Hall.

Trish Andrew and Helena McNeilly (Customer Service advisers)

Here I met people with an equal passion and commitment to doing a good job. Trish and Helena, greet customers as they come into Hove Town Hall and navigate them to be seen as soon as possible. Christine Milla and Carol Dorey, team leader both shared with me their thoughts about quality of services and their determination to provide a good and efficient customer services experience. We agreed that some targeted training for front line staff in responding to challenging customers would be useful and I know that Carol will take this forward.

Carol Dorey (Customer Services team leader) and Grant Shaw (Parking Services manager)

I then met with Grant Shaw, parking services manager and some of his staff - both in the back office and dealing with customers. In particular I met Alice Gowland, Daryl Marks and Jenny Rollings.




Alice Gowland, Darryl Marks, and Jenny Rollings (Parking Customer Service advisers)

There was a fair size queue and a real sense of busyness in the parking office. I guess many residents like me are having visitors to stay at the moment and requiring extra permits. I am pleased to say that the print run is now complete and there is no longer a rationing of visitor permits as there has been recently.

While at the customer services desk I met one of our residents who I found out is a foster carer, Kieran Brennan. It was an unexpected pleasure to meet Kieran and to hear of the success that he and his partner Christopher have had with their foster child who this week had achieved a distinction in a BTec and will be going onto Varndean college to take 3 A levels.



Keiran Brennan

The unsung job that foster carers do is really worth mentioning, it is such a valuable role and Kieran was full of praise for the support that he gets from children services which was a particular delight for me to hear. For more information on fostering go to our web pages.

Well done to all
Yesterday’s A-level results provided real encouragement for the city. Our schools and colleges have bucked the national trend and, for the third year running, we saw an improvement in results. As well as congratulating all the students who achieve their results, I think it is worth remembering the unstinting work of the teachers, support staff and the heads in schools and colleges, as well the support of families, friends and carers. We have no room for complacency. We are a fantastic city which should be a shining beacon of educational achievement and so we won’t rest on our laurels when we take time to say 'well done' to all those students who now move onto work, university or a gap year.



BHASVIC A level students receive their results

Finally as I sign off for two weeks holiday I will leave the blog in the capable hands of Geoff Raw in the first week and Tom Scanlon in the second.

I am pleased to say that the fire alarm will be working fully in Kings House from Monday so expect a drill anytime soon.

Enjoy the rest of August.

Improving our local environment

Remembering
For those of us born after the Second World War it’s particularly powerful to recognise and remember those who fought in that conflict to provide us with a safe, secure and democratic society.  Last Friday’s remembrance ceremony in Brighton with the Lord Lieutenant, High Sheriff and Mayor, as well as many other councillors and members of the public was a fitting commemoration of D-Day. Held under a blazing sun, it was a day in stark contrast to the cold November remembrance days that we are all used to.

Remembrance ceremony

At the Chattri

This was followed on Sunday afternoon by another sunny ceremony, this time at the Chattri up at the Downs.  It was to remember and honour the many Indian soldiers who lost their lives fighting for this country in the First World War, again in pursuit of a safe and peaceful world. Many of these were wounded and cared for in Brighton & Hove, including in the Pavilion which acted as a hospital in the first years of the war. A substantial crowd at the ceremony was addressed movingly by the Indian High Commissioner who looked over the Downs and reflected on the Memorial as being set in a little piece of India. This was a moving annual event.

Celebrations
Talking of the wonderful Downs, I am delighted that the partnership bid led by Brighton & Hove City Council to become a UNESCO World Biosphere site has paid off. So now we become part of an international family of areas that are leading the way in bringing the needs of people and nature closer together. It’s great that our efforts to look after and improve our local environment will move now to take its place on the world’s stage. A highly motivated team of colleagues have driven the achievement of this award and biosphere designation and I am really grateful to them. 

Biosphere Celebrations

While I am celebrating awards, I am also delighted that this week we received an award from the Centre for Public Scrutiny for the trans equality work that has been led by our Trans and Equalities teams. The award was for achievement, insight and impact, and I can certainly testify that members of the trans community that I have met with have told me how much this work has meant to them. Already I see our awareness increasing and the respect, care and learning for and from this community being demonstrated. Only yesterday I spoke at a school where I was able to raise some trans awareness in answer to a question I had posed to young people about if there are any jobs that women cannot fulfil.  

Our universities
I’ll be surprised if the Waste House now opened at Brighton University’s arts campus doesn’t win awards. It was wonderful to be shown around by Duncan Baker-Brown, its architect, and lecturer at the University of Brighton. As the picture shows our own Chief Superintendent Nev Kemp enjoyed the tour too. Hanging in the Waste House was a lovely wooden sustrans bike made by Rowan Tindale from reclaimed wood from one of the old groins salvaged by the wood store. This was exhibited as part of the university’s fantastic annual degree show and was part of a showcase of wonderful art produced by the final year art students.

Chief Superintendent Nev Kemp with Duncan Baker-Brown

Our universities make such a fine contribution to our city and its economy and this exhibition gave just a glimpse of that creativity and energy. When we visited, there were many residents, proud parents and councillors all enjoying the show.

Wooden sustrans bike made by Rowan Tindale 

A brilliant job
I’ve said before that I’m often struck by the enthusiasm and commitment of our staff. This was certainly the case when I met Mark Bonner last Saturday when he was lifeguarding for our seafront services.

Mark Bonner, lifeguard

He referred to his as a brilliant job where he sees himself as a tourist guide and city ambassador as well as a life saver. He told me a couple of scary stories from the last week, and demonstrated that his skilled presence was certainly saving lives. He ended on a note of appreciating the values that we are driving in the council.

He told me that the camaraderie that he is experiencing in the seafront services outshines that which he has experienced before, even in that height of camaraderie organisations, the armed services. So on that happy note and with his smiling picture and a waving flag I wish you a sunny weekend. 

Best Wishes
Penny