. Training & Development Latest_News Training and development . Events Staff StaffDiscounts discounts Events Staff News Disclaimer: The council does not endorse, guarantee or assume responsibility for any product or service advertised or offered. Staff should check with the supplier that the discount stated here is still available before they agree to purchase the product or service. The council is not a party to any transaction Latest News Walsall Proud Programme update As part of the Walsall Proud Programme, there have been almost 40 workshops held to help shape the design of our new way of working. These workshops — involving more than 200 people from all directorates — have focused on specific workstreams such as technology, income, third party spend and assets. The information captured is informing the detailed design of the nine Walsall Proud themes. Good progress in being made and a special Core Brief is planned for 11 April. Following this there will be a number of all-staff briefings at various venues between Friday 12 April and Wednesday 17 April. More information about the times and venues will be released shortly but for now please ‘hold the date’ during this period to maximise your opportunity to attend a face to face briefing similar in format to those held in November 2018. A question has been raised via [email protected] regarding the make-up of the Walsall Proud Programme Board. The board is chaired by Helen Paterson and members include: all Walsall Proud Programme theme leads (members of CMT) our newly appointed Assistant Director, Transformation and Digital Penny Mell Scott Bailey, Ian Evans and Viv Tong representing strategic partner PwC Helen Dudson — communications lead Patricia Newman — programme support. If you have any questions or comments regarding the Walsall Proud Programme please email [email protected] Information Governance team update The Information Governance (IG) team have created a FAQs section on the intranet for service areas to access when they have a query. Any questions that are not answered in the FAQs can be referred to the IG team by phoning 01922 650970. The topics covered under the FAQs include: consent, data processing/sharing agreements, engaging with third party providers, data protection impact assessments, data breach incidents and questions around training. If there is anything we have not covered and you would like us to cover in the FAQs, please send your feedback to [email protected] Do you want to view your accounts online? Online services for Walsall Council tax, business rates and benefits are now available, providing you with instant access to your accounts and notification letters. You can access the revenues and benefits services online by registering via the council website. Our online services mean you will no longer need to contact the council but instead be able to access your information from the comfort of your own home, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. More online services will be rolled out over the coming year to bring your services into the 21st century Registration is quick and simple, further information on how to register can be found at: www.walsall.gov.uk/benefits www.walsall.gov.uk/counciltax www.walsall.gov.uk/businessrates Registering for council tax online will allow you to: View your council tax accounts online – you will have the ability to view your account. information, balances, instalment information and receive e-billing. Sign up to pay by direct debit via your account. View your housing benefit and/or council tax reduction claim information via your council tax account if applicable. Make payments online. Registering for benefits online will allow you to: View your housing benefit decision letters online, you will receive notifications to alert you every time a new letter is ready to view. Make an online application for housing benefit and/or council tax reduction 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Upload evidence to support your new application at the point of application – removing the need for you to post evidence or visit us. Make payments towards housing benefit overpayments online. Registering for business rates online will allow you to: View your business rates accounts online – you will have the ability to view your account information, balances and instalment information. E-billing – you will be able to view your bills via your account 24/7. Sign up to pay by direct debit via your account. Make payments online. View your current rateable value. Willenhall and Darlaston railway stations: Drop-in sessions Willenhall and Darlaston have been selected by the West Midlands Rail Executive and Transport for West Midlands for two new stations. These are aimed to connect the community to the regional and national rail network with services to Walsall, Wolverhampton and Birmingham New Street stations. You can view the proposals and have your say by clicking here (until 29 March) or go to a drop-in session. Drop-in sessions will be held on Monday 18 March at the Saddlers Centre between 11am and 6pm, Tuesday 19 March at Willenhall Chart Centre between 1pm and 8:30pm, Wednesday 20 March at the Walsall New Art Gallery between 1pm and 4pm, Thursday 21 March at Willenhall Library between 2pm and 5:45pm, Monday 25 March at Moxley People’s Centre between 9am and 3:30pm and Tuesday 26 March at Darlaston Town Hall between 1pm and 7pm. For more information please email [email protected] or call 0121 214 7423 Lent 80 can challenge As part of Lent, Black Country Foodbank has set a challenge, open to anyone, to collect and donate 80 cans of food for the next 40 days and 40 nights (from 8 March to 18 April). The challenge can be taken up anywhere, from home, in the workplace and at school, church and other religious communities, plus clubs or societies. It need not be cans – packets and toiletry items are needed too. Donation suggestions include 1L cartons of UHT milk, tinned fruit, jam / marmalade, medium sized boxes of cereal, tinned meat, shampoo, toothpaste, hand wash, deodorant and can openers. For full list, please email the contact below. When you have got your items and if you would like them collected, please email [email protected] Healthy Royal Mail annual price increase With effect from Monday 25 March, Royal Mail’s new price tariffs come in to effect on standard franked mail and postage stamps. The price increase on 1st class is quite substantial this time, with 1st class incurring an increase of 4p to 38p and 2nd class items incurring an increase of 2p to 19p across all categories, namely letter, large letter, small & medium parcels. Stamps are also increasing from 67p to 70p for a 1st class letter, with 2nd class increasing from 58p to 61p. See attached for the price increases in more detail. All staff are reminded that postage is a non-essential spend so the most cost effective option of 2nd class should always be used, unless specific legislation dictates the use of 1st class or there is a specific business time critical need for 1st class, for example situations where the council needs to be seen to have acted swiftly. All letter size items should be presented for posting out in a typed format with a full address and postcode, as these items are classed as “Clean Mail” so the Council gets a discount on these items, for example a 2nd class clean mail compliant letter costs 34p, as opposed to 41p if the item is handwritten. If you would like examples of clean mail compliant letter formats or wish to discuss the price increase in more detail, please contact Kerri Crutchley on 01922 650315. Training & Development Upcoming Learning & Development courses: places still available Learning and Development can offer a wide range of learning opportunities to staff, including agency and temporary employees. For information, please visit our webpage on Inside Walsall. Adult Social Care staff should also visit our workforce development website for opportunities targeted at the wider adult social care workforce. Full information on all of our e-learning and classroom courses is available by logging onto eCentral. Course title Target audience & overview Date, Time & Location Agile Working This elearning module is available to all Walsall Council staff as an introduction to Click here to book on – generic agile working and the benefits that it can bring. Basic Business This elearning module is available to all Walsall Council staff and is aimed at helping Click here to book on Maths those who lack confidence in using mathematics for business & within Excel. Modern Slavery & Awareness raising sessions on Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking targeting specific audiences. Click here to book on Human Trafficking These courses are mandatory for all first responders & front line staff. Other staff Awareness may attend T2 course or complete the elearning module on eCentral. Vital skills for This course is aimed at budget holders. Click here to book on budget holders Corporate This course is aimed at any new employees joining the council who are 27/03/2019 Induction recommended to attend the course within the first two months of joining. Staff 9.30am - 4.30pm in Oak Room, HR, Civic Centre are encouraged to discuss this with their line manager as part of their workplace Click here to book on induction. This course is aimed at any new employees joining the council. Coaching Skills This course will equip you with basic knowledge and the skills required to initiate informal coaching 03/04/2019 Gym Cohort 2 conversations, enabling personal growth and increased confidence in teams and individuals. 9.30am – 12.30pm in Oak Room, Civic Centre Click here to book on Safeguarding for The aim of this two day workshop is to support staff with the responsibility of 25 and 26/04/2019, Managers (Internal being the Safeguarding Enquiry Manager of section 42 Safeguarding Enquiries to 9.30am - 4.30pm at Forest Arts Centre Adult Safeguarding be able to implement their key legislative duties and responsibilities introduced by Click here to book on Staff Only) the Care Act 2014.