Since being elected on Friday 6th May -
with a substantial majority – I have
hardly drawn breath! Saturday morning
saw me heading off to Devizes for a
Conservative Group Meeting to appoint a
leader for the new administration.
Over the next four weeks I attended
almost every session in the excellent
Councillor Induction programme,
covering topics as diverse as the Role
of an Elected Member, Financial
Management, the Decision-Making
Process, Overview and Scrutiny,
Listening to Communities and
Departmental Tours.
The first Full Council Meeting took
place on 17th May, at which I was
appointed as the Cabinet Member for
Children and Families, giving me
responsibility for promoting the well-
being of children throughout
Wiltshire.
I have taken part in a Conference in
Devizes on improving services for
disabled children and young people, and
have met with every Head of Department
within the Children and Families
branch. I have attended the Special
Educational Needs Strategy Monitoring
Board, a Foster Panel, an Advisory
Panel, a Scrutiny Committee, the
Teenage Pregnancy Board and the Local
Safeguarding Children’s Board. I am
involved in discussions with the Chief
Executive and Chairman of S. Wilts PCT
on plans to co-locate services for
children and young people in Salisbury,
and am contributing to the Wiltshire
County Council Corporate Plan.
In Salisbury, I have visited Orchard
House children’s home, attended the
opening of the Avon Valley Cycle Path
extension in Stratford, and taken part
in a consultation with the young people
over the re-location of Bass
Connections.
Further afield, your intrepid
councillor has met with other portfolio
holders for Children and Families in
the South West region at a quarterly
gathering of the IdEA Children’s
Members Network in Taunton, and also
taken part in a Secure Review at
Chippenham Crown Court. I also gave my
support in Devizes to the Inaugural
Meeting of the Wiltshire Fostering
Association.
I am definitely on a steep learning
curve, but am thoroughly enjoying my
new role and I have nothing but praise
for the Council Officers with whom I
work.