Today I want to talk about potential. There is so much potential in our society that gets wasted because we fail to recognise it and give people the space and tools to achieve all that they can.
Last night at Full Council we talked extensively about children and young people living with SEND. It was the sort of debate that I would urge anyone to watch, as councillors from all parties spoke movingly of their own experiences, both personal and professional, and those of their families. It was a reminder to anyone watching that councillors are not removed from their communities, making decisions from on high about services that affect the public, they are part of that public - local residents and service users themselves who, oftentimes, have made the effort to put themselves forward to represent their community precisely to improve those services for everyone’s benefit.
You can watch the discussion back here, it’s item number 8 on the agenda. You’ll see a commitment from all sides to listen, to learn, and to understand how we maximise the potential of everyone living with SEND. We already have programmes that put this into action, helping people into employment, and there were numerous mentions of our excellent Solihull Local Offer page, which collates a huge amount of resources for parents and carers of children living with SEND.
We’re committed to improving this further, as Councillor Grinsell said last night, we are putting children front and centre through our Council Plan, and we’re always looking to provide new opportunities and relevant content. Just this week, as part of Children’s Mental Health week, council officers helped children and young people at Alderbrook School record a podcast aimed at helping others living with SEND with their mental health. It will be up on the Local Offer site shortly.
It is Race Equality Week this week, and I want to focus on the opportunity it represents. When we recently refreshed our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Strategy I included a line in my foreword, I’ll share it here as it sums up how I feel and what I want our approach to be - “I believe EDI is more than a duty - it is an opportunity and should be celebrated for the benefits it brings. By making Solihull a place where everyone can thrive, we unlock a wealth of talents, skills, and ideas from everyone. This is good for people, good for business, and good for us all.”
It’s as simple as that, we should strive to be a place where everyone can be the best they can be, a place of opportunity for all, with understanding about the differences that make us all unique. I have been fortunate to travel widely during my life, I have seen a lot of places and met a lot of people all over the world. There is always more that unites us than that which divides us, and kindness is universal.
There was a poignant reminder of what happens when that unity and kindness is replaced by hatred and division last week, as we hosted the annual Holocaust Memorial Day service in the Council Chamber. Hearing Tomi Komoly speak of his experiences as a young Jewish boy in Hungary during the Holocaust was incredibly powerful, and I want to thank him for sharing his memories. I also want to thank the school pupils who provided the music and poetry for the event. It feels increasingly important to remember these awful events, as those who survived them age, we must all preserve those memories and do all that we can to ensure such terrible events are never repeated.
Returning to my theme of potential, there was an awful lot of it in the room at the Solihull Apprenticeship Show last week as over 1,200 young people turned up to North Solihull Sports Centre to meet a huge range of employers from across Solihull and the region, looking to take their first steps in what could be hugely rewarding carers. An awful lot of work goes in to making this happen, so I want to thank everyone involved for playing their part to ensure that these hugely promising young people had the opportunity to connect with their futures. This includes the young people and their parents for going along, and the more than 40 employers and training providers across various sectors including construction, financial, creative, digital and engineering who were on hand to talk to visitors. Exhibitors included JLR, the NEC group, Rolls-Royce, Solihull College & University Centre, West Midlands Police, HSBC, Kier, Balfour Beatty VINCI, Heart of England Training and Solihull Council. Thanks also to the current apprentices who shared their experiences, advice, and insights into the careers future apprentices can look forward to.
WMCA are consulting the public on the possibility of bus franchising. At a recent meeting we (Solihull) abstained on this matter for a second time, as I felt the viability has not been fully proved. As an idea I like the principle, some things I particularly want to see are much better connections between north and south Solihull and better connections between our major train stations. Anything that will help us towards that goal is desirable and this does allow us greater control, but I will await giving approval until I have further information and assurances about the financial viabilities.
Safer Internet Day is next Tuesday, the Council will be sharing lots of information all week around online safety, shining a spotlight on the importance of staying safe online to employees, residents, young people, parents and the elderly. We will help you protect your personal information, avoid scams, and navigate social media responsibly. Solihull’s Safeguarding Adults Board are running a training session on fraud awareness on Wednesday 12 February, 11-1pm at the Civic Suite. Book your place here.
Thanks for reading,
Councillor Ian Courts, Leader of Solihull Council