the leader's blog

The last few days have been pretty busy and today has been no different at the Local Government Association annual conference in Bournemouth.

Not only has it been interesting to meet my counterparts from around the country and share ideas but it has also been good to gain a sense of how other organisations are reacting to the changes in central government.

It was especially interesting to speak to Secretary of State Eric Pickles and Helen Bailey who is Director of Public Services at the Treasury about their views on the road ahead for local government.

It will come as no surprise that the financial challenges that lie ahead were top of the agenda and it is clear that these will be challenges that everyone around the country will face over the coming months.

The workshops and discussion emphasised more than ever the need for local government to prove their worth. I must admit the continuous talk of ‘hard times’ can dampen morale but I am keen to use the current situation as a real opportunity to work efficiently and effectively and show taxpayers in Staffordshire that we can still provide quality services and value for money.

After speaking to many peers at the conference it is clear that Staffordshire is ahead of the game due to some early foresight and having sound financial systems in place.

This week has been very useful but it’s back to my farm this weekend. I must say the weather is fantastic but I could probably do with a bit of overnight rain for my land!

For most of this week I’ll be working for Staffordshire but out of the county.

Tomorrow I’m travelling to London with our Chief Executive, Nick Bell. There we will be meeting up with all nine of the county’s MPs.

Significantly six of these are newcomers to Parliament, having first been elected during June’s General Election. It is crucial that we have a good working relationship with our representatives in Westminster and meetings like this are important in exchanging information so we can stand up for Staffordshire.

We will be talking over a wide range of issues, ranging from proposals to cut some of our Magistrates and County Courts to issues which have been identified by MPs such as the state of local roads.

Following our MPs meeting in London we will be travelling on to Bournemouth to attend this year’s annual conference of the Local Government Association.

The economy, unsurprisingly, will be the focus of much attention at conference this year.

Conference is an excellent opportunity to discuss challenges and exchange ideas, not only with others from the world of local government, but also from central government, business and other partners.

I will send updates from conference later in the week.

My reaction to today’s budget announcement

We have been working hard to get ahead of the game and pre-judge what might be in today’s announcement. I am pleased to say there were no real surprises.

We know that we need to find an additional £7.9 million of savings this financial year.  We have to accept that the nation has been living beyond its means and cuts in public sector spending are essential.

We will not hide any difficult decisions. Staffordshire tax payers deserve to know where they are and so do our staff. We will be guided by what is best for our communities.

 It won’t be easy, but there are very genuine reasons for being positive.

 We know we will have less money to spend, but we will have greater scope to decide for ourselves how we spend it. We will not have to follow a tick box culture. There is real optimism that Government now realises that we know our county, our communities and our business best.

 Cabinet will be meeting informally tomorrow and financial planning will be top of the list of things we discuss.

I always think it is very important to make sure that if we ask the public for feedback on our services, we listen and be prepared to make changes.  

One of things that some of you have told us over the last year is that our main contact number with a Stafford area code is confusing and not representative of a countywide organisation.

We took your comments on board and in response to this we have now launched our brand new general enquiries number and extended opening hours.

The new easy to remember county council number – 0300 111 8000 – has replaced the former switchboard number of 01785 223 121. Our extended opening hours mean that you can access our services from 8am–8pm Monday – Thursday, 8am–6pm on Friday and 9am–1pm on Saturday.

The phone number is charged at local rate and is part of our customer service commitment. It is important that as residents you know that you are our number one priority and we need to be here at times to suit you.  

The more convenient hours are crucial. The former number was only available during ‘office’ hours, which is obviously not ideal for people who work those hours too. 

We also felt there was a need to get away from a Stafford dialling code. Stafford is important, but Staffordshire is a large, diverse county, and all parts are of equal importance to us.

Make sure you all remember to make a note of the number or pop it in your mobile phone.

My family and I will heading back home tomorrow and it’ll be straight back to county council business and work on the farm for me. Look out for my post in response to the budget announcements on Tuesday.

Bye for now

If you live in Staffordshire you will receive our county magazine Your Staffordshire. To accompany this publication we now have YeS, an e-magazine that will be delivered straight to your inbox four times a year.

 It aims to keep you up to date with latest news and information from around the county and is a perfect way to find out what is going on in your community. There are some great opportunities to win prizes from some of Staffordshire’s most popular attractions.  Why not try your luck today. You can subscribe here http://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/yourcouncil/ys/e-newsletter/subscribe/SubscribeApp.aspx

Hello all – I was sent word yesterday that a staff member from the county council been recognised through the award of an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List.

Consumer Advice Team Leader Anne Beer has been singled out for her outstanding work in protecting the public over the last two decades. Anne’s role involves ensuring that the public get the best support regarding fraudulent activity, potential scams and their rights as a consumer.

Not only does it highlight the importance of Anne’s team it is also extremely well timed with World Anti-counterfeiting day this week! I know that Anne’s colleagues speak very highly of her and I think she should be extremely proud of this fantastic achievement. Thanks for your excellent work Anne, congratulations!

Hi to all from down under. My family and I have been having a wonderful time out here in beautiful Australia but as promised I am still making sure that news from back home gets through.

Earlier this month some of you may have seen in the news that the county council used the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) 2002 for the first time with our own financial investigations officer. This meant we could apply to confiscate money made from crime. I was delighted that it resulted in a Staffordshire resident being ordered to pay back over £20,000 to public funds.

This sent out a clear message that we will not tolerate counterfeiting activity in Staffordshire and will do what we can to stamp this out.  World Anti-Counterfeiting Day is upon us and is an annual event that aims to raise awareness around this kind of activity. Im pleased to announce that so far in 2010 our Trading Standards officers have seized over £440,000 worth of goods. These goods will be recycled where possible or disposed of but its important to make it clear to consumers that by purchasing fake goods they are supporting the criminal activity. Why not take a stand to mark the annual day.

On a completely different note, as many of us are gearing up for England’s world cup match on Saturday im pleased to say that Staffordshire County Council will be flying the flag for our team. The St George’s Cross has been put in pride of place on top of the Shire Hall Gallery in the heart of Stafford. We’ve just got to hope that it will still be flying proudly until the end of the World Cup!

I hope you are well and enjoying the odd bout of nice weather England is getting at the moment.

After a year in power at Staffordshire County Council I am taking my first holiday with my family and am currently talking to you from Australia. We are going to be here for just over 2 weeks but I will be keeping my hand in to ensure I keep up to date with everything that is going on back in Staffordshire. I’m delighted to hear that Douglas MacMillan Hospice Volunteers, Katherine House Hospice Volunteers, Landywood and District Volunteer Help Centre, SCALE and the Volunteers of the National Memorial Arboretum, all from Staffordshire have been announced as 5 of 103 UK volunteering groups to win this year’s The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the MBE for volunteer groups.

The prestigious National Honour recognises outstanding contributions made to local communities by groups voluntarily devoting their time for the benefit of others.  It sets the national benchmark for excellence in volunteering, with the work of those awarded being judged of the highest standard. This leads me nicely on to our latest campaign at the county council.

To celebrate the work of volunteers across the county we are asking you to tell our about your local heroes. We have got together with Staffordshire’s Volunteer Centres and want you to tell us about people that go that extra mile. Find out more at www.volunteerstaffordshire.org.uk

 Off to enjoy a different type of sun (sorry, don’t mean to rub it in) I will be back in touch later in the week.

As the end of my first year in power at Staffordshire County Council draws near I have been reflecting on what a memorable 12 months it has been.

While national politicians have been on a roller coaster ride, locally we have been finding our feet.

My top priority is, and always has been, the health, wealth and happiness of the people of this county.

It is during times of national turmoil that we are able to pull together to find a way to rise like a phoenix from the ashes and become stronger and more successful than ever.

As Leader of the county council it is my job to help to make this dream a reality.

We have done many things over the last 12 months to support the county’s residents during these troubled times.

The economy boosting community volunteers programme has had a really positive impact with 127 people signing up to the initiative and an impressive 21 people gaining jobs or entering into full time education thanks to the skills they have learnt.

We also announced the lowest ever increase in council tax, with a rise of just 1.9%, and have frozen the rents at our 13 business centres to give small to medium sized firms a helping hand.

We are also encouraging schools to look at different models of governance and giving them greater diversity in how they are run.

Social care services are increasingly being tailored to give people a more freedom and choice in how they live their lives.

The discovery of the Staffordshire Hoard was an unexpected and major highlight of our first year in power.

The Hoard, which contains more than 1,500 objects including 5kg of gold and 1.3kg of silver, attracted interest from around the world and has really put Staffordshire on the international map.

The treasure is now being showcased at the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery and the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery.

It really has been an exciting first year and I am looking forward to another positive and productive 12 months.

Dozens of children regularly put their best foot forward to take part in two Walking Buses which the school in Abbots Bromley runs.

Walking to school with pupils at Richard Clarke First School

The county council’s Road Safety Unit spearheads the initiative with the help of community minded parents who give up their time to lead the groups.

 The scheme has proved to be quite a phenomenon in Staffordshire and it is easy to see why – it cuts down on CO₂ emissions, boosts fitness among youngsters and, above all, it is a lot of fun.

It was great to see so many children embracing the Walking Bus ethos and their enjoyment was definitely contagious.

Richard Clarke was just one of 160 schools in Staffordshire that signed up to the national campaign with an impressive 34,000 pupils taking part across the county.

 It is the dedication of the parents, teachers and, of course, the children themselves that have made Staffordshire the leading light when it comes to this initiative in England and Wales.

A total of 148 regular Walking Buses are in operation across the county which is more than in any other local authority area.

The event is going from strength to strength year on year – the number of children taking part shot up by around 8,000 compared to 2009 – and I have high hopes that this exciting trend will continue in the future.