Rob Bounds
Nominated by: Aaron Eames
Department: Place
Reason for Nomination:
Rob Bounds has been an exemplary in his voluntary Digital Champion role this past year. Whilst performing the duties of his own statutory role at the council, Rob has gone above and beyond in his Digital Champion role where he has supported fellow colleagues and Digital Champions in keeping up to date with all things ICT and giving people confidence.
In April 2022, Rob volunteered to join myself from the Digital Adoption team to lead on a virtual meeting with local authorities in Sheffield, Blackburn and East Riding. They were at the beginning of their Digital Champion journey and had a fresh batch of 50 volunteers and were signposted to us by Hayley Keaveney, our Microsoft Customer Success Manager. Rob and fellow Digital Champions, James Hodges and Kerry Smithard (also nominated) put together a 60-minute Digital Champion Showcase where they individually presented how they were delivering innovation to inspire others at the beginning of their journey for another organisation.
The Digital Champion Showcase meeting is available to be watched back on the Digital Champions page on the Learning Centre. The meeting was a huge success and a great example of the resources that we have available at council. Rob deserves this nomination and is a great example of how we can inspire change.
Kerry Smithard
Nominated by: Aaron Eames
Department: Childrens Services
Reason for Nomination:
Kerry Smithard has been an exemplary in his voluntary Digital Champion role this past year. Whilst performing the duties of his own statutory role at the council, Kerry has gone above and beyond in his Digital Champion role where he has supported fellow colleagues and Digital Champions in keeping up to date with all things ICT and giving people confidence.
In April 2022, Kerry volunteered to join myself from the Digital Adoption team to lead on a virtual meeting with local authorities in Sheffield, Blackburn and East Riding. They were at the beginning of their Digital Champion journey and had a fresh batch of 50 volunteers and were signposted to us by Hayley Keaveney, our Microsoft Customer Success Manager. Kerry and fellow Digital Champions, Rob Bounds and James Hodges (also nominated) put together a 60-minute Digital Champion Showcase where they individually presented how they were delivering innovation to inspire others at the beginning of their journey for another organisation. The Digital Champion Showcase meeting is available to be watched back via the Digital Champions page on the Learning Centre. The meeting was a huge success and a great example of the resources that we have available at council. Kerry deserves this nomination and is a great example of how we can inspire change.
Adult Care assessment and triage team
Nominated by: Eva White
Department: Adult Social Care and Health
Reason for Nomination:
The Adult Care Assessment and Triage Team (ACATT) have undergone considerable transformation over the last few years pre, during and post Covid. This includes the drafting and development of New ACATT Practice Guidance, the implementation of the Adult Care Triage Assessment document, which now links in more fluidly with area workflows and short-term services across county to save time and carry forward person-centred, adult care information on support needs and individual wishes.
ACATT have reinstated their open days to link in with colleagues across Derbyshire for ongoing collaboration and understanding of our roles and remit to work together. ACATT is able to provide statistics for the number of referrals closed (50-75%) to delay the need for statutory intervention in area - this includes evidencing the rise in referrals across the pandemic and with the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, alongside working on the Homes for Ukraine at the front door to Adult Care.
ACATT holds regular peer and team development sessions to invite guest speakers from commissioned multi-agencies to empower and signpost adults to community run support services. ACATT works closely alongside the Police SCH and EMAS to improve the quality of referrals received and reduce incoming referrals to Derbyshire Adult Care - this has a knock on impact to reduce overall workload across county.
ACATT is a strong, established team who embraces transformation and change to adhere to new, innovative ways of working which will include the implementation of Team Up, Clinical Navigation Hub for integrated health and social care to respond to carer breakdown and adult care concerns to prevent and delay crisis. ACATT are creative and resourceful in their approach to meet the needs of Derbyshire residents in a caring, compassionate and forward thinking manner to ensure strengths-based, person-led, non-risk averse practice - demonstrating an ability to close many referrals, including safeguarding at point of triage. ACATT have offered peer support recently to colleagues in the Dales PandP teams to support duty and safeguarding response.
The above demonstrates how ACATT meets both the criteria for the Vision Derbyshire Award AND Enterprising Council Award as a specialist Adult Care Team, in addition to the dedication and changes that Service Manager, Josie Hill has implemented across her 12 months in post with ACATT, plus the Scheduling Team and Call Derbyshire improvements.
I have been part of ACATT for nearly 4 years and have been supported by all the team, especially line managers to progress and secure a position as Senior Practitioner within the Dale (South) PandP team. I have no hesitation recommending ACATT to anyone wishing to join this team as it is an exciting time of development and there is so much colleague support which has shaped my social work practice and the style of leadership I wish to offer to colleagues in my new team.
Occupational health team
Nominated by: John Hopkinson
Department: Corporate Services and Transformation
Reason for Nomination:
I am nominating our in house occupational health team who have consistently deliver an excellent service both to council employees and external partner organisations.
All through COVID they continued to come into the workplace and have had to evolve through significant change, reduced staff which is still the case and have faced constant uncertainty through a review of their service.
While HR did a review to centralise the service OH have led the way on this being a central service for many years. This team doesn't get the recognition they deserve and should do so with these awards.
Education data hub
Nominated by: Chris Newton
Department: Childrens Services
Reason for Nomination:
From humble beginnings with high aspirations, this team has grown into one of the most valued traded services used by Derbyshire schools. It’s a success story built on hard work, visionary leadership, teamwork, innovation and an entrepreneurial spirit that encapsulates the enterprising ambitions of the council.
Success breeds success: In the wake of GDPR, starting with 1.5 staff and a pilot with 19 schools in 2019, the team designed a service to support schools based on feedback from headteachers, governors and school leaders. The Data Protection for Schools team soon gained a reputation for high standards of professionalism and customer focus and by April 2020 the team had grown to 6 staff supporting over 200 schools. Fast forward to 2023, the team has grown to 13 supporting over 320 schools including Academies in Buckinghamshire, Cheshire, Devon, Dorset to name a few.
Pandemic: During Covid-19 the team quickly adapted the service delivery model to become virtual, and at the same time hosted several free webinars for ALL schools, including sessions on “Remote Learning”, “Developing a Digital Strategy” and “Cyber Security on a Shoestring”. The later raising the team and the council’s profile onto the national stage.
Going National: The ‘Cyber on a Shoestring’ event led to further kudos for the team with members regularly invited to sector led conferences as Key-note speakers. Further recognition was forthcoming in 2022 when a member of the team won the “Information and Records Management Society New Professional of the Year” award further adding to the services reputation and national profile. Impact: Building on its reputation as a trailblazer service, a stream of testimonials from schools confirm how the team has led to cultural change as a direct result of the passion, professionalism and sheer determination of a team who truly want to make a difference.
Long Eaton leaving care team
Nominated by: Christina Blackburn
Department: Childrens Services
Reason for Nomination:
The Leaving Care Team at Long Eaton go above and beyond every day to make sure that all leaving care young people have opportunities and chances to support them to reach their full potential. We have a tight budget so have to think of creative ways to support our young people, these include "gathering events, where we all bring food and enjoy this with our young people, keeping the cost to a minimum. At these events the team work tirelessly to use their individual skills to put on activities, our young people really enjoy these, such as crochet, crafts, card reading and cooking, these events are an extra to their everyday work, we are used to working out of hours, using our own time to make sure young people can attend extra activities and events.
The role is very hard to describe and complex, our young people have had an unfair start in life and we see the work as a partnership, we never give up. The team are very close and they support each other with trauma we are exposed to on a daily basis, we laugh, we cry and all share the same attitude that we all want our young people to fulfil their dreams. We have some fantastic partners and relationships that the team have built up with other agencies, such as housing, benefits, education settings, we all work together and give a holistic approach to our young people. I feel so blessed to be part of a strong, motivated team that share the same ethos of never giving up. I felt that even completing this form I hope they get some recognition for the really hard and stressful work they do everyday.
Tobacco dependency team
Nominated by: Gillian Lowrey
Department: Adult Social Care and Health
Reason for Nomination:
Live Life Better - in particular Hayley Gleeson and the development of the Tobacco Dependency teams to deliver treatment for tobacco dependency in acute NHS trusts, maternity services and mental health. Live Life Better have supported the ICB to embed services within partner organisations to deliver the NHS long term plan for tobacco addiction. This service has launched in the last 12 months at Chesterfield Royal, and The Royal Derby. It has resulted already in more the 400 patients having access to treatment for tobacco dependency: the biggest contributor to health inequalities. The team have shown resilience and adapted to work within a challenging environment. They have managed to get the most resource on the ground and patient facing from a limited budget. They have had to work across sectors to set up this innovative service model to deliver the best value care. This has the potential to improve other public health interventions within the acute setting in a high need population. This target the most deprived population with the greatest need.
Business services team in Derbyshire adult education service
Nominated by: Becky Clarke
Department: Childrens Services
Reason for Nomination:
I take great pleasure nominating the team of 66 Business Services in Adult Education.
Following the huge impact of COVID-19, there has been incredibly hard work, determination and dedication to continuously provide a service for our customers with introduction of huge change and new technologies learning new systems at pace and working quickly in an everchanging environment.
Pre COVID-19, the service was very visual person centred, it relied upon customers visiting centres and completing paper enrolment forms. The pandemic turned the service upside down and contact with customers was now at arm’s length with staff working remotely and using MS Teams to its full capacity for collaborative working.
New enrolment systems were developed using MS Forms and Eventbrite, new processes and training learnt very quickly, both of these options are free so provide no impact on budgets.
Staff were used to working in centres and therefore operating in silo’s, a countywide approach was developed. Work was split into 6 main areas, each staff member assigned to 3 main areas, called “Task Teams”.
Task teams ensure processes and procedures align across the county for each area of work ensuring consistency, sharing best practise whilst providing a support network. Work could now be shared across the county to manage staffing absences and vacancies. Work from Glossop could be passed onto Swadlincote for example without having to get a staff member to move from their desk. All of these changes were pushed through within less than 12 months, there have been many challenges and heart ache, however they are now embedded into our everyday practises.
Results:
- more efficient service
- consistent practise, processes and procedures
- continuous process improvement
- providing a progressive service for our customers
- utilising the technology provided
Team 8T
Nominated by: Tracey Baker
Department: Adult Social Care and Health
Reason for Nomination:
Hi I'd like to nominate our team 8T adult social care community, manager DSO Dionne heard, we all work together to provide a personal centred way , we talk and communicate very well attend training and meetings I dont think we get the recognition we deserve as we have work through COVID and even when we had loved ones with threatening health issues. Are team runs like clockwork and always reporting and recording, we swap shifts and cover each other, we all work well together as we have a fantastic manager that support us always we are the Dream team each and everyone of us and its shows within our job role just thought it would be nice to be recognised for once
Asset management team
Nominated by: Marie Tuck
Department: Corporate Services and Transformation
Reason for Nomination:
Asset Management Team are implementing Modern Ways of Working and were instrumental in providing necessary equipment to allow colleagues to work from home over the COVID pandemic lockdown.
Colleagues worked tirelessly in preparing old devices, new devices and equipment. They worked additional hours to ensure the services of Derbyshire could be carried out ensuring there were no breaks in service. This Team is continually evolving as the way Derbyshire delivers there service does. Without the assets this team provides Derbyshire would grind to a holt.
Children's participation team
Nominated by: David Cohen
Department: Childrens Services
Reason for Nomination:
I am nominating the Children's Participation Team for the enterprising council award. The team have designed and led the implementation of the Derbyshire Youth Network, a strategic participation network that aims to capture young people's voice and ensure this is heard by policy makers to influence decisions that affect young people across Derbyshire. The design of the network took place during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic which limited traditional engagement methods, and the first consultation launched in April 2021. The team adapted and innovated, developing a network which currently consists of:
- 45 secondary schools
- 10 Special Educational Needs and Disability schools
- 6 Further Education colleges
- 8 council Residential children’s homes
- 40 voluntary groups
The ‘First Generation’ (Children in Care Council) and the ‘Next Generation’ (Care leavers’ Council) network gives a potential reach of 24,000 young people, primarily through democratically elected school councils. Surveys are also shared through social workers, advocates and independent reviewing officers to ensure that young people who don’t live and attend school in Derbyshire can complete the survey, for example young people placed in secure settings (welfare and criminal) or residential school.
Consultations have covered the impact on children of COVID-19, careers support, climate change, devolution and input into council priorities. The partnership between the survey sponsor, the participation team, and young people from the onset of the projects enables a journey of co-production from start to finish.
A ‘we asked, you said, we did ... and are doing’ approach allows honest feedback to young people on the outcomes of the findings and the actions as a result. Following the lifting of pandemic restrictions, the model of engagement has developed to offer a hybrid and targeted approach to gathering feedback and sharing information with young people.
The team have worked collaboratively and creatively to ensure the voices of Derbyshire's children are heard.
MWoW FM Team
Nominated by: Anonymous
Department: Corporate Services and Transformation
Reason for Nomination:
I am nominating the MWoW FM team for the Enterprising Council Award. This team has delivered transformation to a number of council buildings in the wake of the pandemic.
Through a programme of works with limited resource, the team have worked with all services to improve their working environment whilst maintaining the highest of standards and continually improving compliance with the council’s policies and procedures.
The team have placed a particular emphasis on Data Management and Data Protection, working closely with Legal and Audit Services to significantly improve data management practices on over 20 council sites. This work has focussed on ensuring the council is prepared for the future, linking in with existing rationalisation projects. The team have continually exceeded targets, delivering at pace whilst maximising the use of internal resources to reduce costs. The team have also continued to complete additional projects outside of the original remit with outstanding results. The team have been exemplary in communicating with colleagues and services, ensuring all are engaged and providing swift responses to the things that matter most to our services.
The team are aspirational about the councils vision for the future, always encouraging and pushing colleagues and services to achieve their full potential. They lead by example and have delivered exceptional results in a challenging environment.
Corporate property asset management team
Nominated by: Janet Scholes
Department: Corporate Services and Transformation
Reason for Nomination:
I would like to nominate the Corporate Property Asset Management Team who, over the last two years, have undergone a huge transformation, embraced changed, developed together as a team and are now delivering innovation and excellence in their work, contributing significantly to the wider corporate objectives. Their work is driving an asset led transformation of the way in which we deliver many of our services. Prior to the publication of a Browne Jacobson report in 2019, it's fair to say that the importance of effective asset management was not properly understood. The team were siloed within Corporate Property and the work they were carrying out at the time was somewhat reactive and lacking in coherence and strategic purpose.
Over the last two years the team have undergone a restructure and taken part in a number of workshops and development sessions to write and begin implementing a coherent Asset Management Strategy. They have written the Property 2025 vision to review every property asset held by the council, challenge the reason for holding it and ensure that there is an effective plan in place for its management or disposal. They have worked with service areas to analyse future asset needs, reducing duplication and abortive spend, and they link with partners to maximise the potential of assets. The team have also transformed themselves in to a dynamic, ambitious and coherent ‘unit’, pulling in the same direction. Several have completed the CIPFA Diploma in Asset Management. As a result of their they are ahead of target on the delivery of asset planning, one of the outputs being an ambitious disposals pipeline. The asset plans enable us to target maintenance and investment in carbon reduction, contribute to the delivery of Modern Ways of Working and impact on most areas of council service delivery.
Modern ways of working team
Nominated by: Anonymous
Department: Corporate Services and Transformation
Reason for Nomination:
I am nominating the MWOW team for their consistent and unwavering commitment in delivering the program of change firstly adapting from Covid working and then going on to deliver beyond expectation's the Change and streamlining in day to day working life helping to bring the council inline with the current and efficient modern way of working.
Having delivered effective and continual Change at County hall which has now progressed to the satellite sites around Derbyshire, Always being on track or exceeding expectation's with efficiently communicating with clients in order to meet the vast amount of varying needs. This has resulted in a smooth transition from an out dated and inefficient work schedule to a sleek and streamlined system. The team have ensured that not only has the project markers been met but have been exceeded and under budget with although there has been disruption to staff and collages the Team has done their upmost to minimise and meet the requirements of all staff so they can continue do provide their customers (the Public) with the best service as possible.
The work which started in 2021 has continued to be very challenging and has morphed and expanded several times with new challenges being presented at all stages. Despite sadness of having their boss Steve Walters being off on long term sickness as well as other members of the team. they have stepped up and personally sacrificed in order that they can continue to perform at the same high standard. this has been acknowledged in several corporate meetings and emails. This outstanding work is still ongoing and will keep going until the whole county can be brought inline to create an efficient system that the council and its customers the Public can be proud of.
ICT service desk tier 2 team
Nominated by: Anonymous
Department: Corporate Services and Transformation
Reason for Nomination:
Alex Hardy, Jason Street, Kevin Bennett together form the second tier of the Service Desk escalation tier.
They are all known widely for their many other contributions to the conspicuous success of the IT Service Desk in the face of the most challenging circumstances.
All three are relentlessly customer focussed and each have the highest level of expertise in the technologies and services that the council uses. All three demonstrate the tricky combination of the highest level of professional and technical skill combined with great interpersonal skills to manage often very difficult situations and challenges with a deft touch that quickly solves problems and finds solutions to difficult challenges.
Their role in the transformation of the ICT Service Desk from good to very, very good cannot be underestimated.
Both together and independently the many innovations and initiatives that they have designed and driven have raised the game of the IT Service Desk to new levels of effectiveness. None of this would have been possible without their clear determination to provide better and better services over the past year.
Their energy and enthusiasm for great service has not been showy or been given a high profile but between them they have made a huge contribution to the success of their teams.
Digital champions network
Nominated by: Anonymous
Department: All
Reason for Nomination:
I would like to nominate our team of digital champions for the Enterprising Council Award.
This group of over 500 colleagues across all departments have volunteered to take part in additional training and spend time every week supporting others to get the most out of ICT and improve the way we work. All on top of their usual day jobs.
The network has created a supportive community that shares information, tips and advice with each other so that they can then go on to support other colleagues both within their own teams and across other teams and departments. The network group makes great use of MS Teams to regularly communicate with each other in a friendly, supportive and engaging way.
If you’re stuck trying to find a solution or just want some help to use one of the many Microsoft Tools that we now have access to, there is a digital champion that is willing to offer some advice and explain things in a way that’s easy to understand. In this way, the digital champion network are helping individuals and project teams to be more innovative and challenge our usual processes.
The individual champions and the network as a whole are a great example of collaborative working, making best use of internal resources to support each other and finding innovative solutions to help us improve the way we work.
IT service desk team
Nominated by: Laura Montgomery
Department: Corporate Services and Transformation
Reason for Nomination:
I, on behalf of the corporate communications team, would like to nominate IT and the service desk team for the Enterprising Council Award.
Like the rest of the country, county council office workers were sent to work from home at the start of the pandemic on the 23 March 2020. We took our laptops with us and wondered how we were going to carry on with our jobs. At first, we all made the best use of Skype, but within a very short space of time IT rolled out Microsoft Teams for us to use.
Almost three years on the whole world of work for so many is a very different place, and we could not do what we do with Teams, and the support that our IT colleagues provide. Every time we contact the service desk, we are helped to resolve our problem by the team who are always kind and helpful. We cannot thank them enough for always being there to help us with any IT issue.
Start date: 23 March 2020. Duration: ongoing.
Digital adoption and change team
Nominated by: Anonymous
Department: Corporate Services and Transformation
Reason for Nomination:
I nominate the Digital Adoption and Change team for the Enterprising Council award. The team was formed in July 2021 and since driven the digital adoption strategy for ICT Services across the council. They have been integral in the digital upskilling of the workforce to ensure business continuity and efficiencies during and post COVID.
This has enabled flexible and hybrid working while also supporting colleagues in returning to site, making sure they have the right IT equipment and know how to use it. The team achieve ‘We are aspirational about our vision for the future, encouraging everyone to be the best they can be and to achieve the full potential of Derbyshire.’ through:
- engaging and co-ordinating the council's Digital Champion Network, fostering a collaborative, helpful, friendly community to support user in the use of Office 365 and the benefits it can bring to daily work
- listening to feedback from the network and their teams to identify the needs of the council to influence the content we create and deliver
- delivering virtual and in person workshops to 2000+ council staff since it’s inception, maintaining a satisfaction rating of 4.7/5 from attendee feedback
Workshops on Office 365, Hybrid Meeting Rooms, and the basics that new starters and existing staff struggle with – using Halo, Telephony, Office.com and resetting passwords.
Workshop feedback:
"As a new starter, it was useful to have a demo of the Halo system. Thanks Excellent training from Aaron as always. Thanks. Aaron covered everything really well and guided us through the on-screen instructions really clearly. Just wanted to use this box to praise Aaron and Robert for the workshop, they were clear and informative and I found the course extremely helpful! Nothing to improve on, the workshop was very well explained A godsend this will be :) Thank you!"
Derbyshire Trusted Trader scheme team
Nominated by: Anonymous
Department: Place
Reason for Nomination:
I am nominating the team that manage the Derbyshire Trusted Trader scheme which has huge recognition for helping to support local residents and business.
The scheme is managed within Trading Standards and is the largest non commercial scheme within the country and has been running for many years. Derbyshire Trusted Trader puts you in touch with traders who care about their customers and who commit to providing good services legally, honestly and fairly.
Not only does it provide reassurance for residents it also helps to support the local economy. The scheme is run efficiently and is cost effective for the service. Place department receive each month many compliments from both businesses' and residents about the support and reassurance of the scheme.
This scheme is delivered without much recognition but quietly competes with other commercial scheme but uniquely a Derbyshire focussed service. Whilst this is not new enterprising imitative per se the council should be proud of this scheme and is a very fine example of delivering an enterprising service.