September/October

 

The winners of the Annual Service Awards 2019 – Video clips and photo gallery

APSE are delighted to present a gallery of the winners from the APSE Annual Service Awards 2019. The gallery can be accessed via the Annual Seminar hub on the APSE website. The gallery also contains links to video clips of the winners. These clips have been uploaded to the Annual Service Awards 2019 playlist on the APSE YouTube channel. Click here to view the gallery.

 

APSE Local Government Commission 2030

To coincide with APSE’s 20^th anniversary in 2019, we were delighted to launch the APSE Local Government Commission 2030 at our Annual Seminar in Newcastle. This Commission – comprised of experts and representatives of those who have run, protected and championed local government alongside academic experts and research professionals – will explore the core issues that will impact on the sector in the future. Click here for more information about the Commission. 

 

APSE Direct – September/October

The latest edition of APSE Direct is available to read online. This special Service Awards edition includes the articles:

• A Report Back from the Annual Seminar 2019;
• Permitted development rights a potential threat to the health and wellbeing of residents – Fiona Howie, TCPA;
• Insourcing domiciliary care – Pembrokeshire County Council;
• Transforming local parks – Liz Stuffins, Dudley Borough Council;
• An introduction to the APSE Local Government Commission 2030

Click here to read to read online!

 

Apprentice Awards – Announcing the winners!

After reviewing many excellent submissions, we are delighted to announce the winners of the APSE Housing and Building Apprentice Awards 2019!

• Callum Love, Fife Council (Building Skills)
• Kyle Hall, Nottingham City Homes (Mechanical and Electronical)
• Ashley Duffy, Fife Council (Professional Services)

The winners were announced at the APSE Building Maintenance and Repairs Seminar on Thursday 12 September 2019 in Stoke. For a full list of this year’s excellent finalists click here.

 

APSE in Brighton for the Labour Party Conference

APSE hosted two fringe events during the course of Labour Party Conference. The theme of ‘New Municipalism and Insourcing’ featured at an event addressed by APSE Chief Executive, Paul O’Brien and Mo Baines, APSE Head of Communication and Coordination, with delegates discussing a range of policy issues including responding to local government finance pressures and housing need. A further fringe event on ‘Climate Emergency: How are councils responding’ provided delegates with an overview on council Climate Emergency declarations and responses from Paul O’Brien with Cllr Mark Pengelly, APSE National Chair facilitating discussions.

 

APSE in Manchester for the Conservative Party Conference

APSE hosted a strategic forum lunch during the course of the Conservative Party Conference with Cllr Giles McNeill, Leader of West Lindsey Council providing an overview on the commercial investment strategy to offset budget pressures. The event was opened by Rob Powell, Sky News political correspondent who shared his views on how councils are viewed when engaging on commercial ventures.

Paul O’Brien, APSE’s chief executive also addressed a fringe event at the conference hosted through Manchester University Tyndall Centre and the Centre for Cities on the issues of climate action from a local authority perspective alongside a wide-ranging panel of academies and industry experts on the topic. Mo Baines, APSE’s Head of Communications attended  a research roundtable on  affordable housing hosted at the conference by IPPR exploring the issues of income-related rent to address the gaps in affordable rents.  

 

Congratulations!

Congratulations to our new National Chair Cllr. Mark Pengelly of Corby Borough Council, and new National Secretary Karen Bradford, Chief Executive of Gedling Borough Council, on their election. They were officially elected at the National AGM which took place in Newcastle AGM which took place in Newcastle during the APSE Annual Seminar on 11 September. You can read more about Mark’s vision here.

 

Van Coulter Award

At the Annual Service Awards, APSE Chief Executive Paul O’Brien and Outgoing National Chair Cllr. John Kerr-Brown, presented former Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council Chief Executive and APSE Local Government Commissioner Neil Schneider, with the Van Coulter Lifetime Achievement Award. Neil has held a variety of roles in local government spanning 37 years and has remained a dedicated and forward-thinking public servant throughout that time. Under his leadership, Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council were shortlisted for APSE Overall Council of the Year 10 times in 10 years – winning the prestigious award in 2010. Well done and thank you Neil!

 

Talking Insourcing at Unison

Mo Baines, APSE’s Head of Communication and Coordination, was delighted to take part in the UNISON North West Policy Seminar to discuss APSE’s work on local government finance and insourcing. The policy day took place in Blackpool on Friday 27 September with attendance from north west UNISON branches and other speakers including Cllr. Matthew Brown, Leader of Preston City Council. The Seminar focused on community wealth building approaches in north west councils.

 

SOLACE Conference

APSE Chief Executive Paul O’Brien and APSE Principal Advisor for Scotland Louise Melville were in Glasgow on 5/6 September for the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives and Senior Managers Scotland (SOLACE Scotland) Conference.

 

Latest Briefings:

• Glyphosate - Where do local authorities stand? This briefing looks at the current debate around the use of the herbicide glyphosate; including the recent lawsuits in the USA and what this means for local authorities. Click here to read online.
• National Food Strategy - A Call For Evidence. Following the launch of an independent review into the National Food Strategy on 27 June 2019, details have now been published regarding a Call for Evidence to support the development of the strategy. This briefing provides an overview of the evidence that is being sought by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). Click here to read online.
• State of the Market 2019: Refuse Collection and Recycling. The survey covers a range of issues of interest to officers and councillors responsible for refuse and recycling services. Click here to read online. We will be exploring these findings in greater detail at the upcoming APSE Seminar in Nottingham on 24-25 October. Click here for more information and to book your place.

   

New Approved Partners

APSE are delighted to welcome the following organisations to our Approved Partner scheme:

• SULO

Sulo UK Limited are a supplier of quality waste solutions including but not limited to plastic wheeled containers and street furniture. Sulo supply, install and maintain underground refuse systems (URS) and have over 500 products installed so far in the UK. Sulo also provide preventative reactive and washing services for these URS products to ensure they are maintained and provide a long service to clients and residents alike that use the systems. Click here to learn more about this exciting new partnership.

• Go Plant Fleet Services

Go Plant Fleet Services has been delivering a wide range of cost-effective solutions for public and private sector customers for more than 40 years. It provides a comprehensive suite of fleet management services, road and pedestrian sweepers, refuse collection trucks, gritters and other vehicles on both operated and short-term hire as well as repair and maintenance.  And its nationwide network of almost 50 depots and service centres means it offers the broadest coverage of any fleet provider in the country. Click here to learn more about this exciting new partnership.

• Police Crime Prevention Academy

Established in 2017, the Police Crime Prevention Academy delivers accredited qualifications in the field of Problem Solving, Crime Prevention and Designing Out Crime in the UK. The Academy is just one initiative belonging to Police Crime Prevention Initiatives and is an Approved Centre for the Awarding Body ProQual, with the qualifications being regulated by Ofqual. All of the Academy’s qualifications are open to police, local authorities, security staff and others with an interest in building security such as fire, architects and planners. Click here to learn more about this exciting new partnership.

 

Upcoming seminars and advisory group dates

Seminars / Energy Seminars / Advisory groups: National, Wales, Northern Ireland Scotland, Southern,

 

APSE Training courses

Click here for the full list of current APSE Training courses.