Pippa is enjoying a well-deserved holiday this week and next, so it’s over to Douglas and I to write the Chief Executive’s weekly update. Douglas will pick up next week’s update.
As Pippa mentioned in her update last week, I joined her at the SOLACE (Society of Local Authority Chief Executives) conference on Thursday 4th and Friday 5th September. The theme of the conference was Public Sector Reform, I assume chosen in response to the publication of “Scotland’s Public Service Reform Strategy – Delivering for Scotland” in June 2025.
We heard from a range of speakers about how we can do things differently with very much a focus on working in partnership and keeping our eye on delivering on outcomes for our communities. I particularly enjoyed the opening and closing sessions. In the opening session, we heard from Police Scotland Chief Constable who talked about how they had moved from 8 forces to 1, saving significant money. We then heard from Scottish Fire and Rescue Deputy Chief Officer who commented that we need to listen to frontline colleagues and design services with people and communities in mind.
The closing session included the Chief Executive from Comhairle nan Eilean Siar sharing progress with the Islands Authority model and the Chief Executive from North Ayrshire Council speaking about the One Ayrshire model. Different models will suit different areas of course and in Argyll and Bute we already have strong working ties with other public sector organisations. Work is being done as to how we could build on this to deliver more benefit for our area, and you should look out for a report going to Council on 24 September about progress with a Single Authority Model.
We also heard inspiring stories from young people who had secured employment through the support of North Lanarkshire Council’s employability service, the hosts of the conference. Their journeys moved the entire room, and witnessing the positive impact on their lives was a powerful reminder of the pride we can take in being part of a Council that truly changes lives.
Sessions like these always provide real food for thought, and I return to the office asking myself how we can take benefit from them for Argyll and Bute. We all have a role to play, so if you have ideas or suggestions about how we might do things differently, please do get in touch – we’d love to hear from you.
For the tech enthusiasts among you, one of the stand-out moments from the conference was experiencing a silent disco! Now, before you think I was off enjoying myself, the disco was actually a clever way to run two breakout sessions in the same room. With silent disco headphones, we could tune in to our chosen speaker, ask questions, and only our group could hear the discussion. I was amazed at how smoothly it worked – though it did take me back to thinking I was the height of cool with my old Sony Walkman! Here’s a photo of Gill McKay and me sporting our silent disco headsets.
When I’m away with work, I always try to fit in a walk instead of spending the whole day sitting in meetings. On Friday morning, I was up bright and early at 6.30am for a 7km walk around Strathclyde Loch. It was a stunning morning and a lovely way to enjoy what might be the last of the summer sunshine. I managed to take this photo.
I appreciate you reading, and I wish you a weekend filled with rest and renewal. Take time for yourself – you’ve more than earned it.
Kirsty
Kirsty Flanagan
Executive Director – Development and Infrastructure Services
