Communicating Our Vision
Following our 2004 CPA inspection, it was clear that excellent communications would be crucial to driving the Council forward.
We identified two key issues:
Agreeing a clear and concise set of vision, values and ambitionsCommunicating our vision – both internally to our staff and members, and externally to local communities and partners.
Follow the links below for more information about our communications, or get in touch with Chris Taylor in the Communications and Marketing Team at chris.taylor@ne-derbyshire.gov.uk
Agreeing our Vision, Values and Ambitions
We launched the ‘Great Priority Debate’ which brought together our staff and councillors to discuss the way forward for the Council and the District.
The views of our communities, partners and stakeholders were all important, and the end result was a vision and set of values and ambitions we could all buy in to. They are communicated consistently through all of our internal and external communications strategies.
Vision
Working with our partners and diverse communities, we want North East Derbyshire to be a great place for all to live and work, where children have a good start in life and everyone can fulfil their potential.
This will be a district with a strong sense of civic and community pride, where people feel involved in ensuring that excellent public services are delivered and opportunities for education and skills development, employment, cultural and leisure activities are available for all throughout their lives.
Values
We are honest, open and accountable
We value peoples’ differences and we will treat everyone fairly and with respect
We listen, involve and respond to all our communities
We always look for new and better ways of working to improve quality and value.
Ambitions
1. Safe, healthy and respectful communities
- Work with our partners to reduce crime, the fear of crime and the problem of anti-social behaviour
- Reduce the inequalities in the health of our communities, focusing on vulnerable people
- Encourage everyone in our communities to make best use of leisure and cultural facilities.
2. Thriving local economy
- Work with our partners to improve employment opportunities and support unemployed people into decent jobs
- Revitalise our town centres
- Promote North East Derbyshire as a tourist destination.
3. Clean, green and attractive environment
- Stewardship of the physical landscape
- Reduce waste and increase recycling
- Look after our heritage for future generations.
4. Decent and affordable homes
- Work with our partners to support vulnerable people to live in their own homes
- Increase opportunities to access affordable housing
- Work with our partners to raise the standard of all housing and neighbourhoods in the district.
5. Excellent service, high performance and ensure value for money
- Deliver excellent customer service
- Engage and involve all our communities to shape objectives, policy and services
- Ensure the council is efficient and fit to meet future challenges.
Involving people
On-going community involvement underpins everything we do, and since 2004 we have established a wide range of engagement activities. We now rank in the top ten of Councils for involving communities.
Engagement activity includes:
- Network of Community Partnerships- Engagement with vulnerable, at-risk and under-represented groups including elderly and disabled people and minority ethnic groups- Youth engagement. A range of innovative campaigns have included ‘Big Brother’-style events, Local Democracy Week activities and involving young people in putting together strategic planning policies (Local Development Framework).- Targeted surveys, questionnaires and focus groups for a range of audiences, from staff and councillors to local communities.
Communications Strategy
Our Communications and Marketing Team coordinates the Council’s internal and external communications strategies.
In 2006 we appointed an Internal Communications Officer, a role that has proved crucial to listening, involving and motivating our staff and members.
Our 2008 CPA inspection highlighted the importance of our communications strategy in getting people across the authority working together, and involving communities and stakeholders in our work.
This culminated in the team’s nomination in the 2008 national Local Government Communications awards as best District Council communications team.
Internal communications
- Staff and councillor Intranet
- Monthly staff newsletter
- Monthly team briefings
- Chief Executive’s and Council Leader briefings
- Staff roadshows
- Staff suggestion scheme
- Staff awards scheme
- Regular staff survey
External communications
- Re-branding exercise including new logo
- Quarterly magazine distributed to all residents
- A to Z guide distributed to all households
- Website rated as one of the best in the country
- Use of ‘new media’ including launch of Interactive community website YOURspace
- Media relations campaign to raise awareness of the Council local and in the national Local Government media
- Focus on plain English and ‘ditching the jargon’.
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