Chief Executive Blog - December 2013
Dear Colleagues,
Well, as I sit here writing this the weather is making the headlines again with major disruption to businesses, travel and people’s normal daily lives. I only hope the severity of this spell of weather is a one off and not a taste of things to come for us as we enter the winter season.
Of course, preparing for and dealing with the consequences of the extremes of our weather conditions is part and parcel of normal business for us with many of our services having a crucial role to play. Consideration of how the Council continues to be able to provide services and support to the community is an integral part of the work of the Area Based Review and as I said last time, our aspirations for the future of public services for Moray are now contained with the 10 year plan. This month’s Team Talk focuses on the 10 year plan which should be available for viewing very soon.
However, now that we have a plan in place for agreement with Community Planning Partners the next challenge is to see how we are going to achieve the targets. This will entail looking at how the Council spends its money at the moment, identifying where it needs to spend money in the future to achieve the outcomes in the 10 year plan, whilst also identifying any inequalities and ensuring resources are diverted accordingly. This all hinges heavily on all community planning partners sharing resources. It is important to recognise that the 10 year plan is a dynamic document that is to be available to everyone to see; regularly reviewed and updated based on progress and feedback.
Elsewhere work continues on the review of the Council’s management and staffing structure and you will see the outcomes from this early in the New Year in January.
Local events for me this month included a breakfast meeting of the Moray Business Forum in Elgin, a reception at Johnston’s of Elgin to celebrate their Royal Warrant and the 2013 SportMoray Recognition Awards at Elgin Town Hall where the contributions and achievements of a range of people within our community were recognised.
As well as the monthly CoSLA Leaders’ and the Highlands and Islands Leaders’ meetings in Edinburgh I also attended in Inverness the very first meeting of the North of Scotland Regional Resilience Partnership which takes me back to my opening remarks. Emergency cover in Scotland involves putting many specific plans in place that are flexible enough to deal with all kinds of risks, including severe weather. As a result of changes to the way Police and Fire Services operate there has been a change to the structure of Scotland’s multi-agency emergency cover, however the core principles of good practice and the commitment from all to respond effectively to emergencies remains unchanged.
Finally, I feel fully justified in mentioning Christmas now that we are into December and dusting down the decorations.
On a more serious note I recognise that this has been a very difficult year with so much uncertainty and changes we are going to have to embrace. I am always humbled by the continued hard work and dedication of staff. Best wishes to you all and hope you enjoy the festive break.