Chair foreword

View from the Chair

Welcome to the new PRnews. You will now receive PRnews every month and we have added more content to make it an even better read. Full of hints and tips and best practice case studies it will hopefully help you with the daily challenges you face.

 This year we had an election for the committee for the very first time. Many of you voted and elected a fantastic committee who are working to provide all local public services communicators with a voice at a national level. We are committed to making sure that your work is recognised and helping you through the tough challenges ahead.

 We have a new editor for PRnews - Yana De Silva. Yana has taken over from Wendy Moran. Wendy worked as deputy editor and then editor for the last five years and moved PRnews from print to the digital magazine we have today. Many thanks to Wendy for her dedication and hard work.

 Wendy is now leading on our training and education and will be concentrating on Second Steps 2011. Second Steps launched in 2009 and is the first accredited post graduate PR programme for local government PR practitioners in the UK, delivered by the CIPR LPS and Manchester Metropolitan University.

The programme which is aimed at those who have been in the profession for two years or more has been redeveloped to meet the needs of practitioners across local public services.

 First Steps - our course for those new to local public services PR is also being redeveloped and you can find out more about both courses at our annual conference in October.

 With challenging times ahead and the public sector faces up to significant cuts we have developed a conference that will guide you through these tricky times. The theme is Navigating Change. We will explore shaping a new model of communications in local public services.

 Taking place from 20 -22 October in the amazing city of Brighton and Hove you can now book at an early bird rate. Book before 31 July and get £50 off.

 At the conference you will hear from speakers such as Alastair Campbell who will draw on his considerable understanding of the modern media. There will be many opportunities to learn and steal some ideas to take back to the office. Our unique Trade Secrets sessions will look at best practice from across local public services.

 The conference ends with our Excellence Awards gala dinner. These are the most hotly contested awards for the local public services. The awards are now open until 30 July. With a new easy way to enter and two new categories its time to shout about your best work. And with the entry fee held at last year's level it is really worth entering.

 Let us know what you think of the new style PRnews and how we can help you. This is what we are here to do.

Ashley Wilcox, MCIPR

Chair

News in Brief

The committee

For the first time in its history a CIPR local group has seen a hotly contested election after more than 30 candidates put themselves forward for election to the Local Public Service Group committee (LPSG).

Candidates had to write a statement about themselves and all members of the group were balloted earlier this year. As a result there's some new blood in the committee, which also retained its key officers such as Chair and Vice chair.

Ashley Wilcox, chair of LPSG, said: "It is encouraging to see that so many of you wanted to join the committee to continue help raise the standard of communications in local public services. The group, while in a difficult financial position, has the opportunity to grow and provide not just the biggest local public services conference and awards, but branch out into regional events."

He added: "I realise that it must be disappointing to those of you who didn't get elected this time but I hope you will still be involved with the committee and group in a less formal way. The group faces lots of challenges over the coming year and it will be invaluable to have a group of friends we can call upon."

Following the ballot, long serving member Robin Treacher, has announced that he will be leaving following a great job offer. He had a parting message:

I cannot believe how quickly 30 years has sped past.

When I first entered local government as a press officer for the London Borough of Hackney I was taught two things on my first day: How to operate the telex machine as we could now send press releases directly to the media via a roll of paper with random holes punched in it - and that I should join the IPR.

As I sit here on the first day of my new job, with blackberry, palm top and iphone it seems the only constant has been the value and importance I place on our professional institute.  I was delighted when we achieved Chartered status - although I am less happy about the fact the Institute has doubled in age since I first joined!

So while I will remain a committed member, my three decades with the Local Government Group (now Local Public Services Group) has come to an end. For most of that time I have had the privilege to serve on your committee in every role from press officer to secretary, from treasurer to Chair. It has been hugely interesting, sometimes frustrating but constantly reassuring that those colleagues who pick local government as their PR field are amongst the top professionals in the game.

Local government is still the best public sector body and a rival to many of the best practices in the private sector. But things are changing again. This should mean clear and inclusive communications becoming ever more important. However, I do fear - as I have seen in cut-back times before - that chopping the communications team is a popular call and easy target. I hope we are not about to see redundancies in our communication teams.

I will be watching as events unfold.

Robin Treacher FCIPR - Formerly of London Borough of Hackney, Leicester City Council and Cleveland County Council, first qualified as a journalist in Kent. He is a founding director of DTW, DTW Vavasour and Quantum PR - three agencies which specialise in local government communications. He joined Covanta Energy in June as European Director of Communications. He has been on the local government group since 1978.

Find out more about the committee members, including their contact details.

• Chair - Ashley Wilcox
• Vice chair - Polly Rance and John Shewell
• Secretary - Diane Talbot
• Treasurer - Malcolm Stammers

Also :

• Liza Greaves MCIPR (Public PR)
• Simon Wakeman MCIPR (Medway Council)
• Faye Scadden ACIPR (Northamptonshire County Council)
• Joyce Nisbet MCIPR (The City of Edinburgh Council)
• James Dunne MCIPR (Norfolk County Council)
• Robert Webb MCIPR (Monmouthshire County Council)
• Yana De Silva MCIPR (Buckinghamshire County Council)
• Wendy Moran MCIPR (Manchester Metropolitan University)
• Helen Ashley MCIPR (Issues PR)
• Anya Richards MCIPR Powys County Council

Opinion piece

"We need to work harder than ever to prove our worth..."

The Government's hardline approach to Council publications signifies more than just a crackdown on what our new Secretary of State, Eric Pickles describes as ‘mini-Pravdas' coming from Town Halls.   It represents a philosophical shift at the heart of government which will have major implications for communications across the sector. 

This is not so much about the Government supporting the newspaper industry, but about telling councils what it thinks they should and should not be doing. Councils, says Eric Pickles, should turn their attention and resources from publications to improving core services such as more regular refuse collection.   This is pure political rhetoric of course.

The average cost of a council publication would be a drop in the ocean of a waste management budget, and would hardly make a dent in the resource increase needed to move a service from fortnightly to weekly collection.   However, it is rhetoric with a purpose and a clear message; councils should concentrate on the delivery of core universal services.   

Thirteen years is a long time and, and whatever the political stamp of our own authorities, many people in public service communications have become used to a certain way of thinking coming from Westminster about the role of local authorities.   The last government made it very clear that it believed councils had a much wider role to play than just picking up the bins.  Local leadership was charged with a clear mission around place-shaping, community engagement and involvement, social inclusion and promoting cohesion.  

One of the Government's first moves was to freeze Whitehall spending on marketing in most areas, and it would appear that many in the new Government are highly sceptical about the value of all but the most basic public service communications.   

So how should we as public service communicators respond to this new agenda? Should local government communications be reduced to a list of services advertised in the back of the local paper?   Is this really the end for place-shaping, reputation building, community engagement and all the other values on which public service communications have been based over the past decade?   Or will the new emphasis on localism and the promised freedom from Whitehall control provide new opportunities?    

Firstly, we need to accept that things are changing fast, and we need to work harder than ever to prove our worth, to show how what we do has a very real impact on the things that seem to matter most to this new administration.  If the Government is concerned about refuse collection and clean streets, we need to be able to show them how excellent communications can help improve and add value to these vital services.  This means a renewed focus on evaluation, always linking comms to service outcomes.    

Secondly, whilst we must rise to the challenges set for us by the new Government and respond to its agenda, we must also avoid throwing the baby out with the bathwater.  It is up to us to show Government how what we do supports their wider agenda, how effective communications are necessary to promote the local leadership models to which they are committed, such as elected Mayors and police commissioners. 

We must show them how shaping a positive story of place supports their localism agenda and is vital for attracting inward investment and building the prosperity of the areas we serve.  We must show them how using communications to reach our most vulnerable and isolated communities can save money by ensuring they know how to access services and play an active role in civic society.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, we need to respond to the cuts agenda and do so quickly.  We all need to find new and more cost effective ways of working.  All public service bodies should start to review their communications spend as a matter of urgency, setting ourselves challenging savings targets. 

Shared service models across partnerships will become the norm so we must start to break down the organisational barriers now and find ways we can share resources across local areas.  The new Government has made its expectations very clear and it is up to us as communicators to meet those challenges head on, whilst always making the case for the work we do and the value it brings to local public services.

Polly Rance, MCIPR Vice-chair CIPR Local Public Services Group

Head of Media and External Relations, London Borough of Hackney

Your career

What do points make???

"You can't teach an old dog new tricks" - that's a phrase that keeps bouncing around my head. And after 10 years in local government communications I definitely feel old.

Yet if ever there was a time to get on board with new ideas, refresh skills, and ultimately stay at the top of your game, then that time is here. So sit up straight and pay attention!

That was the kind of talking to I gave myself after realising that I was overseeing yet another reorganisation of communications in yet another organisation - and each left me seeking the best from an ever increasing group of people pushing to keep their roles, against new, fresh faces coming into the industry.

I'll be honest and admit that I was looking at a bit of a rest from learning, after all I gained my CIPR Diploma, with merit back in 2006, having made the move from local journalism to local government. Since then I have attended several CIPR courses, as well as inhouse training, peer group training, evaluation, etc etc, as I've worked to improve skills and keep abreast of new developments, particularly as I've moved up the career ladder.

But with the pressures I found myself facing last year, added to the effects of the Coalition Government and its gaze turned upon less spend and more productivity in communications, the message has been hammered home that knowledge and indeed creativity, really is power.

So I feel fortunate that last year I was enticed by the CPD, or Continuous Professional Development offered by the CIPR. It's seductive powers lie in its practical approach - I find it hard to spare a day for training but CPD allows you to focus on identifying and planning your skills and development needs around your everyday work. For example, I read a lot around the subject of PR (who doesn't?) and that can be recognised as part of your CPD.

The true beauty of CPD points (you need to acquire 60 per year, for three years) is that they can be accumulated in many different ways, including formal training and events, self-directed learning and collaboration, pro bono work, study and mentoring or advising others.

There's now an online system for recording your points that was recently launched. Although it's clear the CIPR is still getting to grips with it but I am sure that once the kinks I've reported have been worked out it will be fine!

Just in case you get stuck for ideas there are plenty of examples of how to award points on the CIPR's CPD website. But remember points are awarded for learning and development - not for simply completing tasks.

Points I've already accumulated include reading guides and skills cases from the CIPR's website on creativity and crisis management from which I've gained some great advice to help with situations such as the English Defence League wanting to march through the town centre, coaching sessions I receive which are helping me with my personal development and a free workshop I attended on social media which has unravelled some of the mysteries of Facebook and enabled me to set up my council's first pages!

So what do points make? Prizes of course and in this case three years, totalling 180 points gains you Accredited Practitioner status and a clear message that you are committed to keeping your professional skills and knowledge up to date and continually developing and broadening your horizons.

And if you want to keep Accredited Practitioner status you have to keep those points building - forcing you to keep refreshing and updating. This means I have an easy way to keep on top of my game, whilst receiving recognition for it....... the learning may never stop!

For full details on CPD visit the CIPR training and development here.

 Yana De Silva. MCIPR

Group Manager, Communications, Buckinghamshire County Council

Conference and Awards update

Navigating Change -the annual Local Public Services conference offers guidance through choppy waters

It's that time of year again - the annual Local Public Services Conference - and it's packed with guidance and support from key speakers such as Alastair Campbell, to guide us through the stormy times ahead.

Navigating Change, is the theme this year and focuses on exploring a new model of communications in local public services. Key speakers include Alastair Campbell who will draw on his considerable understanding of the modern media, Peter Bingle - Chairman of Bell Pottinger Public Affairs who has more than 26 years experience in public affairs, and Paul Mylrea, who is Head of press and media relations at the CIPR and President Elect of the CIPR.

The conference, which is in Brighton at the Thistle Brighton Hotel, from 20th - 22nd October, kicks off on Wednesday afternoon with a pre-registration from 2pm to 6pm in the hotel's conference foyer followed by a Welcome Reception with drinks and a guided tour at the Royal Pavillion.

The first full day of the conference will see Alastair Campbell who specialises in strategic communications. We'll be joined by Scott Chisholm who is one of the UK's leading media trainers working with Electric Airwaves - the company behind Nick Clegg's stunnding media performance during the election campaign debates.

In addition there are three master class sessions designed to discuss the key issues facing communications professionals and will include Navigating Change through partnerships partnerships and enhancing local democracy and citizenship.

And what better way to round off the evening than with a traditional fish and chip supper on Brighton Pier. But forget the tea - our modern touch involves Champagne! For those who enjoy the fun of the fair, there's access to the Pier's rides and entertainment.

The second day of the conference features key speaker Jonathan Males - the director of Performance 1 and a former Olympian who has been a consultant to a wide range of public and private sector organisations in the UK, US and and Australia. Assignments include a programme to fast track the next generation of sports scientists and coaches in preparation for the 2012 Olympics.

There are more master classes to choose from including social media - which will be held by Catherine Howe, Chief Executive of Public-I, a company that was set up to respond to the new opportunities the internet presented to local authorities for re-engaging with their citizens.

And what about a makeover? Igor Srzic Cartledge offers some top tips on personal styling that will get you out of a rut and onto the path of the perfect choice for a professional focus.

Then it's time to get your glad rags on for the most glittering night of the public sector communications calendar - it's the Excellence Awards Gala Dinner.

Held at The Grand, Brighton, it will be hosted by Robin Treacher, - former Chair of the CIPR Local Government Group and one of the most influential people in the PR industry. He will reveal all winners and present them with a locally hand crafted award, once you have enjoyed a locally sourced three-course dinner with the best of local entertainment.

There's still time to enter the awards so take a good look around your organisation to ensure you get your recognition for best practice in local public services.

If you book for the conference before the 31st July you can save up to £50, so download a brochure for full information and book today.

Events - dates for your diary

Local Public Services Group Annual Conference - Navigating Change

Conference details:

• 20th - 22nd October
• Thistle Hotel, Brighton
• Early booking discounts
• Book before 21st July and save up to £50

For help with booking, contact:

Andy Tyrrell

Brighton & Hove City Council

Room G10, Kings House, Grand Avenue,

Hove, BN3 2lS

Tel: 01273 290548

Local Public Services Awards - Excellence Awards

These awards recognise and celebrate best practice in local public services communications.

"We really value the CIPR Public Sector Group awards we have won over the years. It's great for us as professional communicators and it's good for the council too. It all helps to prove the worth of high quality, targeted and effective communications."

- Jenny Tozer, Assistant Director of Communications, Derbyshire County Council.

Excellence Award details:

• Closing date 30th July 2010
• Extended closing date of 6th August (late fee applicable)
• Download entry form.

If you want to see last years winners click here.

Awards

The Excellence Awards

There's still time to enter the prestigious Local Public Services Awards which recognise and celebrate best practice in communications in our sector.

With eleven categories ranging from internal communications to digital, partnership, PR on a shoestring, publications and tackling crisis, there's something for everyone. And just to prove that size does matter, and in the interests of ensuring small teams are not forgotten, Communicators of the Year has been split into small and large team classes.

All work must have taken place between June 2009 and July 2010. If you won a CIPR award last year then you cannot re-enter it - but previous entries that did not win can be updated as long as the work took place in this time slot.

We now have a new and easier way to enter. So check out the categories and criteria and get your thinking caps on.

Don't forget the closing date is 30th July 2010, but we've provided an extended deadline to 6th August 2010 for those who might need a little more time, but this does have an extra fee aplicable.

Judges will be drawn from the CIPR, from academic centres of excellence specialising in PR and communications, and practictioners who have previously worked in local public services. They will draw up a shortlist for each category which will be published in September through PRNews.

The final judging panel will select the winning and highly commended choices.

Contact the Editor

Have you got news for us?

Ideas to improve your e-mag include interviews with Movers and Shakers in the local public services sector, as well as articles on campaigns and best practice case studies.

If your organisation has something to share, that may prove of benefit to members, please do contact us.

Contact details:

Yana De Silva

Group Manager, Communications

Buckinghamshire County Council

Tel: 01296 383596