Slough Borough Council
To fill in the final gap in my work history I need to tell you about Slough Borough Council. Slough Borough Council was a 6 month short term contract. My title was ‘Slough Advancement Network Prototype Manager’.
It was one of ten national prototypes funded by the Learning & Skills Council to trial the new Adult Advancement Careers service planned for August 2010. The intention was for a multi-agency, no wrong door approach to supporting Slough residents in to further learning and work. My task was to take it from a planning in to an operational stage as the planning was running behind schedule. There were four test beds – work placements, work health trainers, community job clubs and volunteer buddies.
I really didn’t think anything we did was that innovative. It was joined up.
I wasn’t their first choice. They rang me up a long time after my interview. The guy they appointed changed his mind at the last minute. I remember we had a laugh in the interview about living in Slough and Luton respectively. They are not the most lauded towns in the UK.
What do I remember about the Slough job? It was well paid. I have never had so many meetings with government officials in my life before. I had to organise a big conference for a date for which I had already booked a holiday to Israel and Jordan before I was appointed which was a bit embarrassing.
I remember the people the most. I was the white minority in our team. I remember the Asian women’s courtesy in always making sure the men and I ate first at any event. It irritated me to be honest. I also remember my manager (who is very active on Linked In) bringing in a video his children had made for he and his wife’s 25th wedding anniversary with pictures of her with her beautiful hair down to her waist. He was all tearful and moved about it and I in turn found it very moving. He is a good person – very sage and political. He didn’t survive very long in the council after me, but has gone on to rejuvenate in other leadership positions.
I travel out to Yeading in my new job. Thankfully the M25 has been widened now. The commute was a nightmare. I spent hours in the dark in traffic jams.
The picture above has nothing to do with Slough Borough Council as I have no pictures from my time there. I went on holiday to Israel and Jordan when I was working there. This is the view you get as you approach Petra, rounding a corner through a rock gorge. It’s actually quite misleading as there is no ‘inside’ to the building. It is just an extremely impressive façade.