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Welcome to the first edition of PIED PULSE, our new monthly newsletter designed to keep everyone in the department connected, informed, and ahead of the curve.
Each month, we’ll share updates on the work happening across PIED, highlight changes that may affect staff, and make sure you hear key information from us before it reaches you from elsewhere.
We also want this to be a space that reflects the whole department, so if there’s something happening in your area that others should know about, we’d love to hear from you.
Just drop a message to kellythomas@carmarthenshire.gov.uk and we’ll include it in a future edition. |
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We’ve heard your feedback loud and clear — many of you want to see more of our senior managers out and about, getting closer to the day‑to‑day work you do. We’re starting right at the top.
Our Director, Ainsley Williams, will be spending time at Trostre Depot Meeting Room on 13th of February, and between 1-3pm you’re warmly invited to pop over for an informal chat.
Just come along, say hello, and talk about whatever matters to you.
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A huge well done to three of our colleagues, Shannen Rees, Mark Johns and Shaun Lynch, who took on the Narberth Nobbler — a muddy, hilly, 10k trek through Pembrokeshire over the Christmas break. What a brilliant achievement and a great example of the energy and spirit across our teams.
We’d love to feature more of your stories. If you’re taking part in any charity events, challenges, or fun activities in 2026, send the details (and a photo if you have one) to kellythomas@carmarthenshire.gov.uk so we can celebrate your achievements in future issues.
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Storm Goretti brought some challenging winter weather, but thanks to the dedication and preparation across our teams, we were able to make sure people in our communities continued to receive the care and support they needed.
A heartfelt thank you to everyone who stepped up — whether you were deployed to different roles, worked additional hours, or supported colleagues behind the scenes. It was an outstanding effort across the department and the wider Authority.
Your commitment made a real difference, and we’re incredibly proud of the way everyone pulled together.
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Like all departments across the Authority, we’ve been asked to identify savings in excess of £2 million for the 2026/27 budget as the council works to balance its finances for the year ahead.
Over the past few weeks, we’ve presented our proposals to councillors, and these will now move forward to Full Council for consideration.
Once the final budget is approved, we’ll use this monthly newsletter to explain what it means for our services and how it will shape the year ahead. We will keep you posted on this as we progress.
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Sickness absence cost our department over £1.5 million last year, underlining the need for a focussed and more consistent approach to attendance management.
To support this, Sickness Absence Manager Workshops are being delivered to help managers understand their responsibilities, build confidence in having early and supportive conversations, and ensure a fair and consistent approach across the department.
So far, 103 managers have completed the training across seven sessions, increasing awareness of the tools, policies, and support available to help employees stay well and in work. If you are a line manager who has not yet attended and would like to join a future session, please email two'leary@carmarthenshire.gov.uk to register your interest.
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We’re running a series of focus groups throughout February to gather honest feedback from a cross‑section of colleagues across our department. These sessions are helping us explore two important themes: reward & long‑service recognition, and internal communication. By hearing directly from yourselves, we can better understand what’s working well, what feels meaningful, and where improvements would make the biggest difference.
The insights from these conversations will shape recommendations and future changes in both areas. While only a sample of you are taking part this round, your feedback represents the wider workforce, and we’ll continue creating opportunities for more of you to get involved as the work progresses.
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Our department now has its own dedicated page on the intranet, bringing together everything you need in one easy‑to‑find place.
It’s designed to give you quick access to key information, updates, guidance, and resources that support your day‑to‑day work.
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A Depot Improvement Working Group was established in August 2025 and meets monthly to drive forward improvements across the county’s depots. While a number of ideas are still being explored, several initiatives have recently been approved and are now underway.
Phased roof refurbishment works have commenced at Cillefwr Depot, paving the way for further internal refurbishment once completed. In addition, new welfare units have been delivered and installed at Trostre, Cillefwr and Glanamman Depots, providing improved facilities that support all staff wellbeing and on-site health and safety.
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Work is well underway on a brand‑new Manual Handling module for Thinqi, designed to support staff across PIED with safe, consistent, and accessible training. This project has been a joint effort between Health and Safety and our Learning and Development team, who have been working closely to make sure the module reflects the real tasks our teams carry out every day.
The training will be especially valuable for operational services such as Cleaning Services, where good manual‑handling practice is essential for preventing injuries and supporting long‑term wellbeing at work. Once launched, the module will give you the flexibility to complete their training online, at a time that suits them, while still meeting all required safety standards.
We’re aiming to roll out the new module in February 2026, and we’ll share more details as we get closer to launch. This is an important step in strengthening our approach to workplace safety, and we’re looking forward to making this resource available to you all.
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