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Solihull Council staff newsletter

The Solihull Way

ISSUE 15 - January 2016

Welcome to Issue 15 of The Solihull WayIn this edition we unveil the new name for the Central Library, Arts Complex & Solihull Connect building, witness the demolition of the A45 bridge and introduce Advancing Adult Social Care, a new programme of work to steer the changes we need in Solihull.

It's all happening at The CoreOver the last few months we have been keeping you up to date with the refurbishment of the Central Library, Arts Complex and Solihull Connect building.

In the last issue we promised to let you know the new name for the building, which we are pleased to announce will be ‘The Core’.

Cllrs Sleigh and Grinsell unveiled the new name earlier this month, a name which reflects not only its location in the heart of Solihull town centre, but also its important role in the local community.

Alongside the library, theatre and Solihull Connect, The Core will be home to a Community Advice Hub and a number of Voluntary and Community Sector organisations:

• Action for Blind People

• Age UK Solihull • Aquarius/SIAS Alcohol Service• Citizens Advice Solihull Borough• Colebridge Trust• Relate• Solihull Borough Talking Newspapers Association

The Core also houses the new Encore café bar, offering both hot and cold food, including pre theatre meals. Encore opened in December with an increased number of covers and improved access for wheelchairs and pushchairs. Ovations, a new theatre bar has also opened on the first floor.

With a new name comes a new look, details of which are below.

See the rest of the new look here.

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Stay Connected is our free email bulletin service that lets you know all about the latest news, events and services in Solihull.

The service is now used by teams all across the Council to deliver updates to residents and key stakeholders. With over 10,000 people now subscribed to Stay Connected, our updates continue to reach a growing number of people throughout Solihull.

Events, Libraries, Employment & Skills, Admissions, Trading Standards and Food Safety teams all currently use the service to send out messages to their subscribers.

Rose Harris, Food Safety Technical Officer, sends out emails using Stay Connected and said: “Stay Connected

is a great way to send out our messages to the public. The system is easy to use and is another way for the team to deliver important and useful information straight to people’s inbox.”

The latest team to sign up to use Stay Connected is Solihull Active, who now send out their monthly newsletter using the service.

If you are interested in finding out more about Stay Connected and how it could benefit your team, contact the Communications Team on x6136 or at comms@solihull.gov.uk

Signing up to receive updates is simple – just go to www.solihull.gov.uk/stayconnected and select the topics that are of interest to you.

Have you signed up to Stay Connected yet?

You may remember that last year we provided updates on the Government’s Care Act; which introduced the biggest changes to adult social care provision in over 60 years.

Phase One came into force in April 2015, and all councils are now expected to be compliant with its principles.

Adult Social Care in Solihull is planning to respond to the future challenges of a growing need for care, changes in the law and increasing expectations from residents by providing sustainable services at a time when there is less money available.

To meet these challenges we know that Adult Social Care in Solihull needs to change and there is a programme of work already underway to steer the changes. This is called Advancing Adult Social Care.

It is being led by Sue Dale and Claire Shannon, who head up the Advancing Adult Social Care (AASC) Team.

A number of work streams have also been set up, each with AASC and Operational leads. The work streams are

considering how to reshape services to support a new operating model and implement the change in approach to practice outlined in the Care Act.

Those leading the initiative want to make sure that all Adult Social Care staff feel part of the changes taking place and can influence what happens in the future. With this in mind, they will be staging regular staff engagement events and keeping everyone up-to-date in team meetings and on the intranet.

All staff can find out more by visiting the Advancing Adult Social Care pages on the intranet (under Teams – Communities & Adult Social Care) or email questions to AdvancingASC@solihull.gov.uk

Introducing…Advancing Adult Social Care

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Christmas Day saw the Transport & Highways team lead a successful demolition of the A45 road-over-rail bridge. The bridge was situated westbound between Junction 6 of the M42 and the Birmingham Airport roundabout.

The effective demolition of the bridge was the culmination of the second phase of the project and required months of advance planning including assessing and mitigating the many associated risks.

By carrying out the work over the Christmas period, disruption to the public was kept to a minimum. The operation ran smoothly and this meant that the short-term closures of the road and rail networks in the area were lifted well ahead of the scheduled time. The road was re-opened at 1.30pm on 26 December, 14 hours earlier than the expected duration of the work.

The rail line usually runs six trains an hour from Birmingham to London with an important stop at Birmingham International Station linking to Birmingham Airport. By taking advantage of the limited service over the holiday season, interruption to the important commuter line was avoided.

A temporary replacement bridge was completed in early November 2015 and this allowed the traffic to be diverted to permit preparation for the demolition of the old structure – which dated back to 1837.

The £12m project, which began in January 2015, is being carried out in collaboration between Solihull Council, Carillion, Network Rail and SLC Rail. The next phase will see the completion of the permanent replacement bridge and the project is on track to meet the target date in August 2016.

Derek Lawlor, Highway Services Manager, said:“The bridge demolition was a very successful operation and had been meticulously planned with all risks assessed. I’d like to thank everyone for giving up their time over the Christmas period to ensure that the operation went off without a hitch. The project is now into the final phase and is on target to be completed on time at the end of August 2016.”

See a video of the demolition here.

Demolition day for the A45 bridge

Could you be a Local Broadband Champion?Are you interested in what is happening with the rollout of superfast broadband in your area? Do you think that others would like to know more? The CSW Broadband project is looking for Local Broadband Champions across Warwickshire and Solihull, but particularly in those areas where future coverage is planned.

They currently have over 220 Champions who are working with them to circulate information about the project and to feed back about specific issues in their areas. They are the eyes and ears of their local community and provide an invaluable service in letting people know what is happening with the project and giving CSW information about the situation on the ground.

So, what does it involve? Local Champions are likely to do some, or all, of the following: putting posters on noticeboards; delivering flyers to households; working

alongside parish councils; posting updates to social networking pages; forwarding news to local contacts and website editors.

All information and materials are provided by the CSW Broadband team, and Champions will receive information about what has worked well elsewhere.

If you would like to find out more about being a Local Broadband Champion please visit the website.

The demolition in progress

The last remnants of the bridge

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There will be information about the proposed decant location during the construction works, including pictures of the interior and exterior, plus a detailed timeline for the whole project.

Staff will also be able to see exactly where everyone will be finally located in the newly designed Council House, plus latest updates on car parking and travel options.

Colleagues will be on hand to answer any questions – so make sure to come along!

For more information please contact Tracey Ellis on x6441 or email tellis@solihull.gov.uk

All staff are invited to this drop-in event, taking place in the prototype office (2nd floor, Church Hill House) on Thursday 28 January between 9:30am and 4:30pm.

The agile team have been working hard to follow up on all the feedback from the prototype office, which they will present, along with how this has informed the new ‘Working In The Solihull Way’ protocols, which were signed off at the December Agile Working Board.

The event will also be a chance to see who the migration champions are in each directorate, find out some top tips for disposing of clutter and clearing out your workspace and guidelines for storing and retaining records.

Agile working and Council House redesign event

As part of the Council House refurbishment, walls will be removed to make best use of the existing space.

Visual management is becoming an ever increasing part of our culture and in order to help the design team understand how they can incorporate this into the refurbished building, a focus group is being held to explore how we use visual management across the organisation.

The focus group is scheduled to meet on Friday 5 February, 9:30am-12.00pm, in the Lean Transformation Room, and attendees should come prepared to talk to others (in smaller groups) about what you are doing locally.

If you would like to take part, please get in touch with Tracey Ellis on x6441 or email tellis@solihull.gov.uk

Visual management – volunteers needed!

Solprint, our in-house printing service is now in the process of relocating.

Over the next few weeks Solprint is moving from its Lower Ground location to its new home underneath the Civic Suite, accessed via Church Hill House Basement floor.

Signage will be put up to guide you to the new location as the move takes place.

Solprint is now a full Digital Reprographics department able to satisfy the majority of your printing needs and we encourage you to visit and see what they can do. Visit the new location from Monday 1 February.

To enquire about printing work and receive a quote call x6065 or email solprint@solihull.gov.uk

Solprint is moving

The new look atrium

Council house exterior

The new look office

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Solihull Together for better lives Awards 2016

Call-out for new carers The Council is looking to recruit people to become carers as part of a new scheme that has launched in Solihull.

The Shared Lives Scheme, which is run in conjunction with Coventry City Council, involves people supporting adults in their own home and sharing their family and community life. In return, carers will receive a generous allowance.

All sorts of people can be supported in a Shared Lives Placement including adults with a physical or learning disability, adults with mental health issues, or young people in transition to adult care and support services.

The scheme is built around matching people who get on well together so that Shared Lives feels like family life, rather than a service. It gives adults with care and

support needs the opportunity to live within a family environment and feel part of a community.

Anyone can apply to become a Shared Lives Carer and full training will be given, as well as day-to-day support from the Shared Lives team. People don’t need to have experience of working in social care to become a Shared Lives Carer, what is important is that they are enthusiastic, committed, caring and sensitive to others’ needs.

So if you know someone who may be interested please ask them to get in touch to find out more.

Contact the Shared Lives team by emailing SharedLivesScheme@coventry.gov.uk or calling02476 785 339.

For more information visit the Solihull My Life portal.

One week to go…

We’re almost ready to start receiving your nominations for the Solihull Together for better lives 2016 Awards!The awards are your chance to say who deserves recognition for providing outstanding care and support to adults in Solihull.

There are 11 award categories including the Solihull Together award for Dementia friendly service, won last year by our Arts & Libraries Service, and Collaborative Working which went to Solihull Partnership’s Winter Warmth campaign team. This year we’ve introduced a new category called “Beyond the call of duty” to recognise the work of the emergency services and crisis response teams.

Nominations open on Monday 25 January and you have until Monday 7 March to tell us about the great work you, or colleagues are doing. You’ll find all the information you need on the Solihull Together website.

While you’re thinking about your nominations, get inspired by our 2015 winners. Visit www.solihulltogether.co.uk to watch the videos and hear their stories.

Last year's award winners

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The December Email IMPACT seminar was the best attended so far with virtually a full house in the Chamber. The seminar has proven valuable to the attendees as on average they have reduced the time spent dealing with emails by 54 minutes.

Ashley Prior, Head of Highway Services attended the most recent seminar and said “I thought that the seminar was excellent. The presenter was first rate; he was clear and obviously knew his stuff. The seminar was well paced and very informative, the interactive elements helped to engage with the ideas that we were being told about.

“I’m very keen to encourage members of my team to put into practice the tips I’ve picked up. In particular, I’m encouraging people to talk to each other face to face instead of firing off long emails. So much of what we do is about building relationships; it’s about what’s the appropriate way to communicate and in the majority of cases it isn’t an email.

“It’s easy to fall into bad habits of firing off a series of emails but if you just think for a minute you realise that not only is it a waste of time but it is also harder to get the message across that you want to.”

If you would like to go on the next Email IMPACT Seminar, it will be on Monday 22 February and will be held in the Chamber of the Civic Suite.

To book a place, please first speak to your Line Manager and then contact Chris Hadley on x8190 or email chadley@solihull.gov.uk

Talking about Email IMPACT

OVERWHELMED BY EMAIL?

EMAIL SEMINAR

Break habits that keep you chained to your inbox

MONDAY 22ND FEBRUARY 2016 2PM – 3:30PM

Talk to your Line Manager first and then to register call Chris Hadley on Ext. 8190 or email chadley@solihull.gov.uk

Venues: Chamber, Civic Suite Double award winning best practice email training

feel less stressed save 31 minutes every day

write clearer, more effective emails get what you want from people sooner

"This is the best course I have been on in the last 5 years for creating time and reducing stress."

M.Till, Marketing Director, Barclays

“This is a course which scratches where you itch. It will be the most profitable 90 minute course you will ever attend."

F.Hogg, Head of Communication, Tesco Personal Finance

This month, the Solihull Active team are shining a spotlight on the sports that people can take part in across the borough.

In order to encourage everyone to take advantage of the New Year’s spirit to try something new, every day they are focusing on a different sport. The programme aims to highlight the benefits of an active lifestyle as well as demonstrating the wide range of opportunities available to the people of Solihull.

As well as looking at mainstream sports like athletics, football and cricket, the spotlight has focused on less well-known activities like archery – one of the fastest growing sports in the UK, canoeing and fencing.

Sadie Walker, Sports Development & Facilities Officer, said: “This is a great opportunity for everyone in Solihull to try out some new activities. There’s a real varied range of teams and clubs around the borough and hopefully the Spotlight on Sport will give them a boost.”

To find out more go to http://www.solihullactive.co.uk/solihull-active-team/spotlightonsport

Spotlight on Sport

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The Solihull Integration project, an area based pilot bringing teams together from across the Council, Solihull Community Housing and the Police, had a successful Christmas dealing with sellers of part worn tyres, weight measures checks at petrol stations and driving offences. The two operations showed the benefits of working together as one team, as police officers worked shoulder to shoulder with Council trading standards officers, efficiently delivering a number of enforcement actions aimed at keeping Solihull residents safer.

The first operation involved a high profile occupation of a petrol station forecourt in Shirley. Police officers were reminding motorists of simple road safety tips concerning the dangers of driving on a mobile phone and not wearing a seatbelt. They were also reinforcing the message that petrol had to be paid for!

Whilst the police officers dealt with the driving offences, trading standards officers were checking to see that the pumps were accurately measuring the amount of fuel dispensed to customers.

PC Luke Prescott said: “We had a crushed car delivered on the forecourt to show people what could happen to their car if they drive off without paying for their fuel. Officers also dealt with other offences, including a driver whose phone conversation was cut short by officers issuing him a ticket!”

In total four drivers were issued with tickets as part of the operation and will receive £100 fines and three points on their licences.

The following day trading standards and police officers visited all the retailers of ‘part worn tyres’ in the borough.

107 tyres were examined by an industry expert and 26 were found to be unsafe and illegal for road use. The problems identified included unsafe puncture repairs, cracked tyre walls, pinch ruptures and damage to the structure of the tyre walls.

West Midlands Police colleagues were also on hand with a pro laser speed check outside one of the premises as part of the pre-Christmas road safety and drink drive campaign. Further visits are planned for the New Year.

Richard Staveley, Trading Standards Team Leader, said: “This was a great example of the Integration pilot delivering a joint operation in an effective and efficient manner with the aim of keeping Solihull safer. We will follow up the tyre retailers that were not up to scratch, continue to check pump quantities to ensure drivers aren’t being ripped off and using our joint information continue to target forecourts where ‘bilking’ (driving off without paying for petrol) is a problem."

Solihull Together for safer communities

Get the date in your diary for the next social media café, which will take place on Thursday 4 February from 9.30am to 11.30am in Ovations - the new bar area on the first floor of The Core.

Come along if you’d like help with making more use of, or have any ideas about, social media (Facebook, Twitter etc) for your work. Drop in at any time – you don’t have to stay for the whole 2 hours.

If you want help with using social media on a particular device – your tablet or mobile phone for example – it is helpful if you can bring this with you.

Colleagues from across the Council will be on hand to offer advice, share experience and help you find out what social media channels may benefit your area of work. For more information contact Hannah Colson on x8258 or email hcolson@solihull.gov.uk

Make your way to the social media café

Poppy Appeal Many thanks to all the volunteers and supporters of the Solihull Poppy Appeal 2015, which raised a wonderful £56,121.25!

Police and trading standars carrying out prolaser speend checks

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OUR VISIONSOLIHULL IN 2018:

Where everyone has an equal chance to be healthier, happier,

safer and prosperous

OUR PURPOSELIVES NOT SERVICES:

To be an organisation that improves lives

OUR AMBITIONGOOD TO GREAT:

To be an organisation that our citizens and staff say is

a great one

If you have a story you would like to share with colleagues in a future issue of The Solihull Way, please get in touch with the Communications team by emailing comms@solihull.gov.uk

@solihullCouncil www.facebook.com/solihullcouncil

www.yammer.com/solihull.gov.uk

Coming up ...Try something new and welcome back some old favourites at our January events!January is the month for fresh starts and new resolutions – so what better time to take up exercise or do your bit for the local environment?

Help to maintain the borough’s open spaces and protect wildlife by joining the Conservation Volunteers for a session of coppicing and woodland management.

The next event is taking place in Millison’s Wood on Sunday 24 January, (times to be agreed by participants) – and there are more planned on alternate Sundays during February and March. To contact Solihull Conservation Volunteers for more information or to book onto the event, email davidcollins1@aol.com or ring Dave Fernie on 0121 459 1697.

Bored with the same old New Year fitness regimes? Why not try touchtennis – an exciting new version of tennis which runs on Thursdays at Tudor Grange Leisure Centre, 8.00pm-9.00pm?

Described as the 5-a-side version of tennis, touchtennis is played with shorter rackets and a specially designed ball on a court roughly the same size as a badminton court. Sessions are fun, fast and competitive and cost £3.

The Centre also runs tennis sessions for families on Sundays from 10.00am-11.00am. Sessions cost £5 per family and equipment is provided.

For more information and to find details of other activities head to: www.solihullactive.co.uk/takepart/activity

Those who prefer a more indulgent start to the year can visit the Fine and Local Food Fayre, which returns to Solihull High Street every third Saturday of the month. Visitors can banish those winter blues with gourmet treats from home or abroad, or buy a craft item designed by a local artist.

For more information on the Council’s events, visit our website www.solihull.gov.uk/events

Finally, the Events policy is currently being updated in time for the start of the new financial year. If you wish to hold an event, or have encountered any issues when organising an event in the past, Louise Morley from the Events team would like to hear from you! Please contact her with any queries or feedback on x6547, or louise.morley@solihull.gov.uk. Any questions received may be included in our FAQs, to be uploaded onto the events webpage.