Column by Councillor Matthew Hicks, Leader of Suffolk County Council
It is always important to pause and thank those who do so much for our county but particularly as we end another year.
As we all tucked into our turkey and Christmas pudding yesterday, there were many across Suffolk who were working to keep vital services going.
From those in our NHS, our care workers, our blue light services and those in the haulage industry keeping our shelves stocked – my thanks go out to them all.
As we enter 2024 today, it is also a time for reflection. 2023, like the several before it, has not been an easy year. Although we had the good news last week that the government’s plan is working and inflation continues to fall, we are still suffering the aftershock of the pandemic and Vladimir Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. These things have had an impact on the bills we as individuals pay and the cost of putting food on our tables – we all will have noticed that the Christmas shop was more expensive than in 2022. The same is true for local councils - the cost of providing vital services has only gone in one direction for us too.
Last year we also saw, in the aftermath of Storm Babet, yet again how well Suffolk pulls together. After 24 hours which brought chaos and destruction to many in our towns and villages, I was in awe of the kindness shown by so many in our communities and the lengths they went to to help others in their time of need.
In farmers picking up school children to take them back to worried parents, through staff at local schools and leisure centres stepping up to provide emergency rest centres, strangers helping to tow cars and our blue light services and highways team going above and beyond – we saw the very best of our county.
The hard work to see Suffolk recover from the Storm continues. As a County Council we have committed almost £1 million to bring in additional flood investigation specialists and we recently published details of the Government’s Property Flood Resilience (PFR) grant, which will provide eligible households with £5,000 of support including £500 towards the required survey. My thoughts go out to all those who spent Christmas away from their home due to the damage done by the storm and we will continue to do all we can to support those impacted.
Suffolk continues to host those displaced by the war in Ukraine. As of the end of September 1,407 sponsorship visas had been granted to those coming to our county. The way Suffolk has stood with Ukraine – and continues to stand with them – is inspiring. At the end of November, our Homes for Ukraine team visited the monthly ‘Stand with Ukraine’ gathering on Angel Hill in Bury St Edmunds. This group of local guests, hosts and supporters meets monthly to highlight the ongoing war and plight of the Ukrainian people. Events like these are so important and although the eyes of the world are rightly turned to the tragedy unfolding in the middle east, we must not forget that once again many Ukrainians will be spending this Christmas season away from their homes and loved ones.
I’m so proud of Suffolk’s response to the war and the support we continue to give.
As a County Council, we continue to prioritise those residents most in need and in 2023 we saw our staff and teams recognised for their achievements and skills by being shortlisted at the Social Worker of the Year Awards, a national award ceremony which uses these awards to improve the awareness, understanding and reputation of the social care sector. In addition, following a period of intense inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), Suffolk County Council was one of the first councils nationwide to achieve a rating of “Good” for the quality of its Adult Social Care Services.
Like all county councils, we are facing financial challenges as the need for our key services grows faster than the funding available to us. However, as leader, I will always strive to ensure that our focus and support goes to those who need it most and that we improve in key areas, like Special Educational Needs.
My thanks to all those who work in these vital sectors, particularly over this Christmas period.
May I wish everyone in Suffolk a healthy and happy 2024.
