I was surprised to hear this week that buckets might become something I use a lot to get my work done in future. And that many of you could be joining me and also using buckets in your working day.
As a Council director I’m well aware of course of the challenges and successes involved in the council’s role in collecting bins – did you know that our Roads and Infrastructure Services uplift around 3 million bins a year!
Buckets however, for me as a director and I guess for many other council jobs, were a surprise – until the context was explained – digital transformation!
‘Buckets’ are one element of one of the Microsoft 365 apps (Planner) that is designed to help us plan and manage our tasks.
Using technology to help us to get things done is one of the principles of Connect for Success, which focuses on us developing future-fit ways of working.
We don’t all need to use everything that Microsoft 365 offers – but I think it’s important that you find out how it could work for you and make your working life easier. Don’t miss out on something that could be useful for you – find out more on https://mycouncilworks.co.uk/ab-365-online-training-now-available/
As well as believing in digital transformation though, I am also a firm believer that people need people – we are here together as the council to support people in our local communities, and as human beings we will always feel and function best when, in addition to digital connections and getting the job done, we also have the chats and laughs with each other that are often the best part of the day.
In other matters, as you may be aware, all 3 of the main Council unions – Unison, Unite and GMB – have accepted a two year pay deal which includes a 4% pay rise this year and a further 3.5% in 2026/27, covering most Council employees except teachers, and the payroll team will start the work to get this year’s rise, including back pay, into people’s bank accounts. Some time will be needed to make this happen. We will provide updates on the timescale for this via Newsflashes, so please look out for updates that way.
On that positive note, with sunny weather forecast, I’ll stop here and wish you fun (buckets of fun – see what I did there?!) over the weekend.
Douglas
Douglas Hendry
Executive Director
