Borough Life Summer 2006: Changing Times
One year ago, Wigan Council’s first woman chief executive took over at the top. Joyce Redfearn came north from Gloucestershire, where she was widely credited with turning round a poorly performing county council. Borough Life caught up with her on the eve of a crucial few months for the borough.
Joyce Redfearn freely admits that some friends and colleagues thought she was mad to quit leafy Gloucestershire and a home in rural South Wales to take over at Wigan Council. But she says she had few doubts – and one year into the job, happily settled with her family in Standish, she is even more convinced it was the right move. Yorkshire born and married to a Boltonian, Joyce has been bowled over by the warmth of her welcome.
Now she is gearing up for a major challenge: to keep Wigan as a top-rated council following a tough new examination later this year in which even the best local authorities may struggle to maintain their current standing. Wigan is an excellent council – at least according to the Audit Commission, the independent watchdog that checks public money is being spent efficiently. For four years running it has given top marks to Wigan through the inelegantly titled ‘comprehensive performance assessment’ (CPA).
At the same time as it is being assessed on its overall performance, the council’s services for children and young people are also being put under the spotlight.
But Joyce is well aware that it’s not simply a case of satisfying the auditors. The real test is to satisfy local people, some of whom will – for the first time – be asked by the CPA inspectors what they think of their council’s performance.
“We have some committed and talented people here in Wigan – councillors, staff, partners and community groups. They have been very innovative in making major projects happen like Wigan Pier, the Grand Arcade and Leigh Sports Village.
“But it’s just as important for us that local people feel satisfied with our everyday services and with the improvements we are making in the borough.”
Communicating and listening are a big part of Joyce’s approach to improvement. She believes people don’t always associate the services they like with the council. “Schools and libraries, for example. They rate these highly yet are not complimentary about the council overall. We have to understand why that is.” Surveys suggest that people are most concerned about their environment, crime and anti-social behaviour. Does she think the council can do more to tackle these concerns?
“Everyone has the right to expect to live in a clean, safe environment and we know that is universally important. What the council does is critical, but some of it will also be about how the local community work together to create a good quality environment with voluntary sector and with business.
“If we take the issue of litter, we are trying to prevent the problem through education. But we do need to respond quickly to move the litter away, and we need to make it clear that we will fine those who repeatedly cause the problem.”
She welcomes a recent survey which shows a fifty per cent drop in the number of residents who put dirty streets at the top of their list of concerns, because “it shows people feel things are getting better”.
Crime and anti-social behaviour is another big issue, and here Joyce is convinced things are changing. “There is less crime in the borough – the statistics show this – and all our collective efforts are bringing about change. Where we are less successful is with people's fear of crime or whether they feel they live in a safe area, so we've got to work really hard with local people to get a good understanding of what underlies their feelings. We have to find ways of helping people feel safer.”
And the chief executive revealed that the council will shortly be unveiling a new initiative which is the direct result of listening to local people.
New uniformed town centre wardens will be appointed as part of a ‘respect your town’ campaign. The wardens will be equally at home sorting out graffiti and litter or providing friendly help to town centre visitors.
Joyce said: “Local people have told us that ‘crime and grime’ are their top priorities. The council’s cabinet has earmarked £250,000 for a new initiative to make our towns cleaner and more welcoming and we’ll be unveiling full details next month.” In recent months Joyce has talked about the council moving from being excellent to outstanding. How would local people feel and see the difference?
“Customers will find it easier to access our services and get more involved in making choices about the kind of borough they want. We’ve just extended the times when people can contact us in the evening and at weekends. Also I’m very keen to keep council tax increases at a level where people are satisfied that what they pay is good value for money.
“Expectations are rightly growing all the time – people expect services at a time when it’s convenient for them, expect them to be responsive, and of a high standard. We encourage that but it does mean we have to keep on improving the way we work to meet the changing demands.
“The world changes, and the way people use services changes. One of the great strengths of Wigan is that it recognises this and tries to move things on in line with current and future needs. We have had to close outdated facilities such as a pool and a library, but we have introduced free swimming for many and are planning to build two modern new pools and a new library in Platt Bridge. We know people care about where they live, and we have to listen and be responsive to their expectations. And in doing so, we will move to tackle the issues that really matter to people.”
As a passionate believer in local democracy, one of Joyce’s big concerns is the low turnout in borough elections, which in recent years has struggled to get above thirty percent. “It is important that people can elect representatives who make choices on their behalf – I want people to feel engaged and believe they can make a difference.”
She hopes the emerging township system will offer a ‘joined up’ way forward, with the community, the voluntary sector, other partners and councillors all coming together to discuss the issues that really matter to people.
“Local councillors do have a responsibility to all the people who elect them, not just some. They are community champions, and through the townships they are getting a much broader base of community support to advise them.
“There’s a wind of change blowing through local government nationally. We are determined to get better but we can’t do it unless our community is actually involved.” While convinced that Wigan must aim to meet that harder CPA test when the inspectors call in September, she is under no illusions. “It is like moving from the hurdles to the pole vault, so the scale of the changes needed and the challenges ahead need to be understood.
“We want to work with the community to provide the high quality of life that the people of the borough deserve. We aren’t perfect but we will always want to go on improving.”
If you have an opinion on any of the issues raised in this article or would like to find out more about the council's improvement plans, contact Diane Taylor at d.taylor@wigan.gov.uk or ring her on 01942 827135.