We had an excellent response and the majority of you clearly wanted your say on how we reduce our spending, drive efficiencies and provide our services to the people of Shropshire.  

Many of you have asked me what happens now? Well, our transformation partner PwC will analyse all the information and report back to the executive directors first. We’ll then share the results and the decisions that arise from them with all our colleagues by the end of the month.  

I hope you also have had chance to read our new Amplify Change newsletter which goes into more detail on how we’re all changing the way we work and shaping the council for the better.  

It’s vital that we keep you properly informed about everything that’s happening. Amplify Change is one of the ways we’re doing just that. Keep an eye out for your next Amplify Change News in your inbox. 

Therefore, children’s and adults safeguarding training will now be mandatory modules on our eLearning system Leap into Learning. This training will need to be completed yearly for the following reasons:- 

• To help you all recognise who might be a vulnerable child or adult.

• Develop skills to identify tell-tale signs of abuse or neglect. 

• Open communication channels to protect children or adults. 

• Demonstrate to regulatory bodies like Care Quality Commission and Ofsted that the council understands that safeguarding is everyone’s business. 

• Enable you all to report and record what is necessary. 

If you have any questions, please speak to your line manager. You can also find e-learning about safeguarding on our Leap into Learning site under recommended learning.

Thanks to all those who have responded to requests. If you or your team would like to be featured and show how you’re helping our residents to live their best lives, please contact Chris Strange in the communications team. 

The Smithfield Riverside project is an ambitious regeneration plan for the area between The Darwin centre, Roushill and the River Severn – incorporating the Riverside and Pride Hill centres. 

We want to reconnect this underused area to the rest of the town centre and create a modern and sustainable new destination. It’s part of wider plans to attract new visitors, residents and workers into Shrewsbury and grow the local economy. 

FaulknerBrowns Architects has been appointed to lead on the design, and are tasked with bringing together a high-quality outline masterplan to unlock the potential of this prime location and enhance the current town centre offer.  

Working alongside FaulknerBrowns is landscape architects Spacehub, whose designs will seek to create an attractive new public realm and open the area between The Darwin centre and the River Severn, celebrating its waterfront setting. 

Counter Context, a specialist communications, PR and engagement company, has been appointed to lead on stakeholder engagement and public consultation for Smithfield Riverside. 

The Local Government Boundary Commission wants to hear what residents and local organisations think about the proposals. A 10-week consultation on the proposals ends on Monday 10 July. 

The Commission is the independent body that draws these boundaries. It’s reviewing Shropshire to make sure councillors will represent about the same number of electors, and that electoral division arrangements will help the council work effectively. 

The commission has published proposals for changes to Shropshire. It is proposing that there should be 72 divisions: 70 single councillor divisions, and two two-councillor divisions. Most divisions are changing. 

An interactive map is available at www.lgbce.org.uk/all-reviews/shropshire. 

The symbol of the national Remembering Srebrenica organisation is the Srebrenica Flower: this is a symbol of remembrance of the Srebrenica Genocide. Its 11 petals represent the day the genocide began, while their white colour represents the innocence of its victims. The flower’s green centre represents hope for justice and recognition of the genocide. 

Remembering Srebrenica Day itself is on Tuesday 11 July. We will feature the Srebrenica Flower on our website, ahead of plans being made for a short interfaith ceremony on the morning of Tuesday 18 July.  

The ceremony will be held at the memorial cherry tree planted outside Shirehall in Shrewsbury. The tree formally commemorates the role of the Armed Forces in humanitarian efforts around genocides such as befell the Muslim community in Srebrenica. 

The ceremony starts at 11am and will last for about half an hour. 

The programme is part of the health, wellbeing and prevention directorate, commissioned by GPs and delivered in partnership with the voluntary and community sector.  

In the six years since it was launched, the programme has developed to include referrals from people of all ages all around the county, working with people closely on what matters to them and connecting them with community groups and activities that help them to take control of their health and wellbeing. 

From motivation to take part in day to day activities to singing, gardening, art, physical activity and sports, the programme is a great example of how partnership working can help our residents to live healthier lives for longer.

Find out more by watching the video below.  

Figures released for secondary and primary applications, and offers statistics, place Shropshire near the top of the West Midlands table. 

The secondary and primary school applications and offers statistics provide the number of applications and offers made for secondary and primary school entry in September 2023, and the proportion which received preferred offers. 

For secondary schools, we’re ranked third in the West Midlands, achieving 96.5% offers for a preferred secondary school, with 89.7% securing their first preference. 

These figures compare well with, and are better than, the England averages of 95.6% and 82.6%, and the West Midlands averages of 95.0% and 80.2%, respectively.  

The message for the campaign is a simple one: if you are concerned about your own drinking, or someone else’s drinking, then help is available. Alcohol harm is not just a topic for Alcohol Awareness Week, however: it is a topic that can, and should be, discussed at any time. 

Here are some sobering facts (pardon the pun) about alcohol consumption in the UK: 

• A recent Government study noted that within the space of a year there were 342,795 hospital admissions solely for alcohol related issues between 2021 – 2022. 
• While most adults in the UK drink alcohol, around a fifth of us say that we regularly drink above the low-risk guidelines of no more than 14 units per week. 
• It is estimated that hangovers cost the UK economy £1.4 billion each year.  

Watch Susan’s story on how alcohol nearly cost her everything, and how she is now free of alcohol and a prominent mental health campaigner, specifically related to alcohol issues and alcohol dependence. 

In April 2022, Susan, along with Jane Mackenzie from the local addiction charity Share Shrewsbury, facilitated an alcohol awareness session for our staff. You can watch a recording of the alcohol awareness session here.  

It’s at 12:30pm every Friday, at the Unison field, so bring yourself, a friend, or your team - the more the merrier.   

If you’ve got any questions or want to know more, please contact Penny Bason, Naomi Roche or Mel France.

It’s free, it’s only 30 minutes per session, and it improves wellbeing and energy. I hope to see you there one of these weeks!