Healthy Working Lives, Healthy Working Relationships

With the SIC team accepting the Scotland’s Health at Work Bronze Award on behalf of the Council.

Over Easter I took advantage of the pre-election period for an Orkney holiday before what I know will be an extremely busy time as the new Council takes up office.

After a few intensive days of catching up following my return, it was off to Edinburgh with the Leader for the last Council Leaders and Chief Executives meeting of the 2007 - 2012 Scottish local government cohort. I’ve experienced this on several occasions now and it’s always an eerie feeling at that final meeting as you say goodbye to political colleagues from across the country who are standing down, sometimes after many years in office.

Getting back from Edinburgh it was straight to North Ness to start the moving. Although a lot of our colleagues are still to join us, it is already becoming very apparent that there are huge benefits to the organisation from colleagues co-locating in this great new building. As I put together this short piece Finance and Governance and Law are settling in.

I am now very much in the middle of preparing for the new Council. I am determined that we will do our utmost to support the Council in getting off to the best possible start. Peter Peterson, Executive Manager is coordinating the work on this. A number of colleagues will be involved in the early weeks and I know that many others will have a role to play in the process once the full induction is rolled out. This will be the fourth occasion when, as Chief Executive, I will have led the induction of a new Council. In my experience the first few weeks of a new Council are absolutely critical in terms of setting the tone and style of working for the years to come. The establishment of clear roles and good working relationships is central to that. There is a careful balance to be struck between imparting the necessary information and affording the members the necessary space to come together as the political leadership of the organisation. We are working very hard to get that right.

Much of my time last week was taken up with the recruitment process for the post of Director of Corporate Services. I am delighted that Christine Ferguson rose to the challenge and, as a local candidate was successful in winning the post on merit. Christine’s role will be pivotal to the Council’s future success and we all wish her the very best when she steps into the new job.

Our Finance team are working hard to finalise last year’s accounts. At the moment it appears that we are well within our revenue budget targets. As we all know there is much to be done in terms of capturing recurring savings now and in the future, however, the success last year will get us off to a good start this year.

As staff work through the service reviews agreed at the budget meeting in February, it is important to ensure that effective direction and guidance is in place. To achieve this, a new group has been formed called Directors for Change. The team includes all our Executive Directors, alongside officials from Corporate and Executive services. This group will be instrumental in monitoring progress and keeping an overview of the Council’s financial position. Staff are already demonstrating significant savings without cutting services to the public. A good example is a piece of excellent performance on our annual recruitment costs, which have come down by over £140,000. This is as a result of using the online recruitment service, myjobScotland, a process that started in 2008 with schools posts before being rolled out to all Council departments in June 2009. Well done to all those involved.

My next blog post will be after the dust has settled following the election. I hope I will have some positive things to report on the new Council getting off to a flying start and working together with the staff to achieve the best for Shetland in the years ahead.

Best wishes,

Alistair

Growth and renewal

The new Council Headquarters at North Ness in Lerwick

We are now, thankfully, emerging from the darkness of another hard winter which has seen a huge amount of work on the part of everyone involved in the business of the SIC. With the first indications of Spring again we see further signs of growth and renewal.

This morning’s news that once again Shetland has been rated in the Bank of Scotland survey as having the best quality of life in rural Scotland will not come as a surprise to the community. Working with our partners, the Council plays a central role in that. The new Community Plan which is currently in the process of adoption by the Partnership provides the basis to take this performance to an even higher level.

We have recently held a couple of team building events for our new Corporate Management Team. I know from experience that it takes time to forge a strong management team; a Council is a complex organisation and it follows that working relationships, particularly at the top level, are complex and need to be nurtured. This process is being cascaded to Executive Managers, Team Leaders and beyond and I am impressed by the speed with which corporate team working is coming together. We now look forward to how we, collectively, support the soon to be elected new Council in its overall political leadership of the organisation as a whole.

The next few weeks will see the handover of our new office headquarters at the North Ness. Over 3 weekends starting from 21st April, 201 staff are due to move in. The co-location of services in a single building will provide tremendous impetus for further efficiency and effectiveness through team working. We are working hard on rationalising our remaining premises to dispose of surplus assets and to provide all staff with modern, fit for purpose, office accommodation.

Recent weeks have seen the last meetings of the 2007 – 2012 SIC. After all the trials and tribulations of recent years I was proud to participate with colleagues in positive and well run meetings which I believe would stand comparison with many other local Councils for their smooth conduct and effective decision making. The Councillors have been very patient as we have worked our way through the changes in our governance which have been necessary to get us to this point so hats off to them and all the very best to those who are standing down after an extremely demanding contribution to public service.

At its last ordinary general meeting the Council delegated authority to make decisions on spend to save funds. Shetland Islands Council has been very proactive and forward thinking in its investment in spend to save and the Management Team are agreed that we need to be creative in using this approach to the full to achieve the transformation we need to make in the times to come. Watch this space!

Best wishes for Easter,

Alistair

Staying on Course

The Ocean Way fishing off Shetland

One of the highlights since my last blog was a very constructive meeting I had with representatives from the local fishing industry when we were able to explore some of the huge challenges some of our fishermen face in securing a successful and sustainable future.  Over many years the SIC has played a huge role in supporting the industry.  In the times ahead it will be vital to ensure that the right structures are in place to maintain good liaison with this massive contributor to Shetland’s economy.

I was also pleased to meet with David Robb, Chief Executive of the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator regarding some of the unique complexities faced by the Council in its relationship with the Shetland Charitable Trust.  Again these discussions were very constructive and I know David, together with colleagues in other statutory agencies, are committed to working with us to finding the best solutions possible for Shetland in terms of future governance arrangements and the stewardship of monies held on behalf of the people of Shetland. 

Talking of stewardship of public money, I must confess I have been disappointed by some of the unfair and in my view inaccurate criticism that the Council has received regarding its recent budget setting meeting.  Everyone is of course entitled to their opinion on the decisions that were ultimately reached however that is a separate matter from the question of the conduct of the meeting itself.

The Leader and Chairs together with the relevant staff put a huge amount of effort into planning a very clear process for consideration of the budget to ensure that all Members would have a fair and equal opportunity to discuss the large number of proposals that were before the Council.  A clear two-stage process was set out whereby each Chairperson took members through their particular section of the savings proposals.  All Members then had the opportunity to flag up any item which they wished to see debated within the second phase of the meeting.

Although several months had been spent preparing the proposals and there had been seminars to discuss the detail, these were very difficult decisions for the Council and Members quite understandably had a lot to say.  It was vital that they were not constrained in that and an extremely open, transparent and fair process was followed throughout.

We all know that democracy isn’t perfect but equally I believe we are all aware of the dangers of alternatives. 

My attention is now very much focussed on the huge challenge of gearing up the organisation to deliver the Council’s budget.  As I have said on many occasions in the past the Council’s staff are central to that process.  We will continue to work hard to achieve as much agreement as we can with our staff on how together we make the changes which are necessary for a sustainable future.  I’m sure that there will be much more to say on that in the weeks and months to come.

Best regards,

Alistair 

 

Learning from the past, looking to the future

 

Dougal

 

Over the last week or so three topics have dominated the local news as far as the Council is concerned;

• The out of court settlement of the Bressay Bridge dispute with the Lerwick Port Authority;
• The Council’s budget and particularly the expenditure reductions;
• The Council’s management costs.

A common feature of these topics is that the Council is being criticised now while resolving problems which most people would consider should have been addressed a long time ago.  In all of these areas and many others I believe any objective person would recognise that considerable progress is being made; the results are clear and that is supported by independent scrutiny.

To comment briefly on each of these topics;

• To recommend settling the Bressay Bridge dispute out of court – when set against the prospect of a much higher figure following protracted and expensive legal proceedings – was for me “a no brainer” and was recognised in the unanimous decision Members took.

 

• The Council is on track to achieve savings of £9.5M in the current year and has set a very necessary, if unpopular, target of £15M for the next financial year. Put simply if that wasn’t done many of the services which the community holds dear would stop in the near future as there would not be the necessary subsidy from reserves as there wouldn’t be any reserves.

 

• To restructure and reduce management costs in the manner which we have is a very difficult thing to do, particularly within a small community.   We will continue to have to make savings in the future but we now have a more sustainable and defensible management structure. 

I make no apology for saying we have to look ahead.  If we do not press on and complete our improvement work in my view there is every likelihood we will lapse back into the same difficulties which gave rise to these issues in the first place. 

If we take the example of the budget it is clear that the delivery of £15M of savings in one year, while continuing to provide normal services is a massive challenge for a Council of this size.  It will require a concerted effort by the whole organisation which will test us to the limits. 

 This is only one of our many challenges.  I also hope we can move on, in a positive way, with implementing a more limited but also more sustainable range of major projects such as pulling together the funding package for the new Anderson High School.  In this case we will need to be wholly focussed on the funding and the very necessary “due diligence” which needs to go into securing such a funding package.

It is clear to me that we do need to learn lessons from the past; all the work that has gone into designing and implementing our Improvement Plan has been carried out with that objective in mind.  I know that it has all been very boring technical stuff but beneath that lies the crucial principles of what is termed “corporate governance”.  I intend to report further to the Council on any further lessons to be learned from the Bressay Bridge episode and other projects. 

What we cannot afford, however is to remain stuck in the past which would simply serve to paralyse the organisation. 

Last Thursday I was delighted to sit down with our Community Planning Partnership for the first look at taking forward our new arrangements for Shetland’s Community Plan.  This represents a great opportunity to make a massive contribution to the successful future of these islands.  I hope we will all grab it with both hands. 

To perhaps end on a much needed lighter note, regular followers of this blog have sometimes asked me how Dougal is getting on.  Yesterday happens to have been a special day in that it was his first birthday.  He invited me along to his party on the strict condition that I didn’t talk about boring Council stuff!

Best wishes,

Alistair

 

 

 

 

 

An important week ahead

Torches at Lerwick Up Helly Aa

A few highlights since my last blog include;

• A long overdue visit to Lerwick Port Authority where I had very constructive discussions with Chief Executive Sandra Laurenson. 
• We were also pleased to confirm the appointment of James Gray as Executive Manager for Finance.  Our Finance team have made considerable progress over the last year and I am sure that James and the staff will maintain the momentum in the months to come. 
• Recent weeks have seen two very positive developments in relation to the future of our partnership working with NHS Shetland.  We held a reshaping care session for staff of both organisations on how we take our partnership to the next level and, at the same time, the Council’s staff joint consultative committee established a formal sub group to address the staffing issues involved in integration. 
• The end of January saw me accompany the Leader to Edinburgh for the usual string of monthly meetings; Thursday evening at the Highlands and Islands Conveners Group and Friday at Chief Executives, COSLA Officers and Leaders meetings. 

An intensive and wide-ranging debate is taking place just now on the future of almost every aspect of our services, how we operate and the place of local Government as a whole within the overall framework of Scotland’s changing public services.  Immediate challenges include the future of local influence over Police and Fire, the integration of Health and Social Care and how in future we work with our partners generally through community planning. A national review of community planning will be carried out over the next few months and we will certainly look to make a strong contribution to that.  This Council is presently co-ordinating a bid for the three Islands Councils (Western Isles, Orkney and Shetland) to become a pathfinder to explore arrangements for local input into policing, in anticipation of the new national arrangements. 

Despite all of these challenges and the relentless pressure to change I believe “it’s all still there to play for” in terms of securing the best solutions for our community; however this will require a concentrated effort by Shetland as a whole in the times to come.

The main focus of the Council’s attention this week is the budget.  The special Council meeting on Thursday sees the culmination of a process that has lasted many months.  With the size of challenge facing us, we started the community engagement process last July when we printed figures in a supplement in the Shetland Times.  That was followed up with the “Have YOUR Say” public consultation meetings and “Ways to Save” schemes to generate suggestions.

Over the past couple of months, Members have met with officers in informal seminars to develop their understanding of the budgets.  This gave Members the chance to ask questions at an early stage, and, in turn, helped officers to shape more meaningful proposals.  Last week we published a follow-up to the public meetings to show that we had taken on board the suggestions made and were acting on them.  In all, I think we have achieved our aim, which was to make the process more open than it has been in previous years and to seek community involvement.  As officers, our job was to generate options and provide the information.  The process from now on is a political one.

Finally, amid all the understandable concern within the community regarding the potential effects of the Council’s expenditure reductions, it should be borne in mind that social and economic development are core Local Government functions which the Council holds very dear to its heart.  I do not believe anyone connected with the SIC takes lightly the impact of its budget strategy upon the local community.

Best Wishes

Alistair

A fiery start to 2012

Burning the galley at the Scalloway Fire Festival 2012

A very Happy New Year to everyone.  Last week saw me back in harness after an unexpected extended return to Orkney over the festive period due to serious family illness down there.  Thankfully things are gradually improving but events like that certainly put things into perspective. 

Last week saw meetings with senior staff who comprised the pool for the 53 Team Leader posts which make up the final stage in our senior management restructure.  So far, 36 staff have been given “matching” offers to posts at this level.   Following a selection process for the remainder and some voluntary severance agreements the structure should be complete and then our work can focus, fully, on delivery and improvement.  In my last blog I omitted to thank our Payroll and Pensions staff for the great efforts they have put in calculating all the changes that ensue from a restructuring of this type.  Their work often goes unnoticed but is greatly appreciated so well done to them. 

I continue to have what I would describe as a constructive dialogue with our local union representatives around the change programme.  We have to conduct these discussions within a national industrial relations climate which could scarcely be more difficult.  While we have not reached agreement on change (and the unions understandably wish to be clear about that) their position has been put very robustly, compromises have been made by the Council in response to some of these representations and I believe both sides have a clear understanding of each other’s position.  We will continue to strive very hard for as much agreement as possible on how we, collectively, approach change in the next few years. 

The end of the week saw what should be the last of the seminars on the budget for the next financial year.  The process of raising awareness of the financial challenges, informing Members of their options, allowing time for questions to officers and for ideas to be floated and explored is in my view critical to achieving a budget which will work.  This informal approach has been one of the main contributory factors in improving our working relationships between Members and officers that Audit Scotland picked up on.  So far this year the process has gone very well and should greatly assist the debate when the Council meets to consider the budget formally on 9 February.

On a social level, I was delighted – thanks to the kind invitations I received from members of the local community – to take part in some of the events at the Scalloway Fire Festival over the weekend.  A truly remarkable spectacle. 

2011 was a tumultuous year for the Council and the year ahead will see further inevitable change following the elections in May.  Nevertheless the business of delivering high quality services has continued and I am sure will continue in the months to come, thanks to the efforts of all those involved in our work.

All the very best for 2012.

Alistair

Merry Christmas

A festive photograph from our performance calendar taken by Andrew Hutton.

With the Christmas break now fast approaching, this will be the last blog of the year.

 Last Friday I was down at the COSLA Leaders’ meeting in Edinburgh so unfortunately had to miss the Christmas festivities here.  COSLA followed the Accounts Commission meeting the day before, which Councillor Smith and I attended.  By now, you will have seen the Audit Scotland report on our improvement progress.  Thursday’s meeting was the formal consideration of that report by the Commissioners who carried out the public hearing in Shetland last year.  They report their formal findings early next year.

Being away, I missed the central ward by-election count on Friday.  It was encouraging to see six candidates take part in the contest.  I hope it bodes well for an interesting and stimulating build up to the full elections in May next year.  I had an introductory meeting with the winning candidate Davie Sandison first thing on Monday.   I realise new Councillors are faced with an awful lot of information in their early days.  At least with the Christmas break now upon us, he will get a chance to catch his breath before the action starts again next year.  We wish Davie all the best for his time as a Councillor.

I was looking back at the message I posted on the blog this time last year and notice I’d said I believed we would see “significant breakthroughs across a broad range of activities” during 2011.  I believe that statement holds good, in light of what we have achieved these past 12 months.  This has been delivered by many staff and members working extremely hard, so quite rightly, I feel everyone should take pride in reports like the latest one from Audit Scotland.   This coming year I trust that the changes we have delivered will stand the new Council in very good stead going forward through their term of office. 

The Team Leaders matching process took a big step forward this week, with some staff being confirmed in post.  I acknowledge this is a very tough process we are going through.  However, I would like to thank all our staff in HR who have worked so hard to get us to this point.  Few people will realise the amount of time and effort they have put in to ensure things are correct.

I’d just like to end this blog by thanking all staff for their dedication and hard work throughout the year.  I never fail to be impressed by the excellent services we deliver here in Shetland and that’s down to staff.

I hope you all have a very peaceful end to 2011 and look forward to catching up with the blog in early 2012.

Alistair