Employee Profiles

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Tony Brett – Strategic Procurement Project Officer

Sarah Ward – Corporate Assets Manager

Jonathan Manning – Waste Planner

Iain Winterbottom – Corporate Finance Manager

Ceri Williams – Scrutiny Support Officer

Peter Waterman – Librarian

Peter Twiggs – Social Work Lead for West Wiltshire

Fran Darling – Customer Care Advisor

Hayley Pronick – Admin Assistant

TonyBrettTony Brett – Strategic Procurement Project Officer

I have worked for Wiltshire County Council for the last four years. I spent my first two years as a Contracts Officer dealing specifically with Social Care contracts before I took up the role of Strategic Procurement Project Officer. I manage Corporate Procurement Projects and procure a variety of goods and services across the entire council. Advising employees and departments on all aspects of procurement is also a key part of my role.

I like the fact that I get to work across all departments and meet people at all levels – it helps me to get a better understanding of all the services the council provides.

I decided to move to Wiltshire County Council as it seemed to be a very friendly place to work, the environment and remuneration were superior and there was also the potential to progress. I was also able to utilise my skills gained from working for another public sector employer. The best thing about working for the Council is that I was funded to undertake my Chartered Institute of Purchasing Supply qualification which I completed in 2005, gaining a distinction.

I fell into a procurement role by chance. I started off working as a Storeman when I was 18, then moved into a purchasing role. From this I worked as a buyer, and then moved into a public procurement role working for the National Blood Service – my first public sector position.

Interesting facts:

Favourite place in Wiltshire? Longleat, because of all the attractions and the fishing lakes.
Favourite smell? Hops
Favourite food? Thai
Favourite activities/hobbies? My favourite hobbies include football, fishing, golf, socialising and going on holiday.
Five words that describe your personality? Happy, enthusiastic, confident, good listener, honest
The most important lesson life has taught you to date? To remain positive at all times.

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SarahWardSarah Ward – Corporate Assets Manager

The County Council owns land and building assets worth over £500 million, and it’s my job to look after, and strategically plan, the management of these assets.

I like the fact that my role is so diverse, the things I can do can be at the complete opposite ends of the spectrum. The extremes vary from organising office moves to setting the future strategy for our assets. I have complete responsibility for my role, and can adapt and take it in the direction I want.

I ended up working here by chance – I started in the finance department, covering maternity leave, straight after my A Levels. I was then offered a permanent post and a small promotion in the finance team within the property department. Since then I have worked my way up to my current position.

The Council have put their faith in me and promoted me a couple of times and provided me with training opportunities to ensure I could do the job. Ever since I started working here 20 years ago, I have been really well supported.

I wanted to work for the Council as it had a good reputation as local employer.

Interesting facts:

Favourite place in Wiltshire? Bowood Golf and County Club, I had my wedding reception there.
Favourite smell? Wild garlic, it reminds me of where I used to live in Cornwall.
Favourite food? Indian
Favourite activities/hobbies? Eating & drinking and taking friends and family on tours around Bath (where I live)
Five words that describe your personality? Witty, loyal, honest, impatient, strong willed
The most important lesson life has taught you to date? You think you know everything when you’re young, but you really don’t. Buy property young.

Jonathan Manning – Waste Planner My role involves writing the policy for which waste planning applications are decided upon, identifying future waste sites and assessing sites for their suitability to accommodate waste management facilities.

I enjoyed a waste management module undertaken at university, so I was very interested when a position came up at the Council a year ago. I then fell into the planning side and now really enjoy it. The aim is to become a fully qualified planner and become a chartered member of the Royal Town Planning Institute.
The council is funding an MA in Town and Country Planning, and I am on a career progession scheme. This involves a 2 year part time course where I attend lectures two days every two weeks at the University of the West of England, Bristol.

I enjoy my job as it is constantly changing – new technologies come along frequently. Government guidance is changing all the time, which makes my role varied and interesting. I also get to meet the public frequently and interact with a wide range of people.

The Council’s reputation as a good employer and the friendly atmosphere came over in my initial interview. The remuneration is good, and I take advantage of the excellent pension scheme and flexible working practices. There are also good opportunities for training in many areas, which can be hard to gain in other organisations.

Interesting facts:

Favourite place in Wiltshire and the wider area? Longleat because of the fishing in their lakes, and Bath as I went to university there and has a good night life and lots of shops.
Favourite smell? Mint
Favourite food? Steak and chips, curry
Favourite activities/hobbies? Fishing, football, golf
Five words that describe your personality? Outgoing, entertaining, funny, laid back, team player
The most important lesson life has taught you to date? Look after the people closest to you

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IainWinterbottomIain Winterbottom – Corporate Finance Manager

The major aspects of my role involve financial forecasting/budgeting, managing corporate assets and debts and the Wiltshire pension fund. I also responsible for other areas such as the annual accounts, VAT returns, banking and managing the corporate insurance policies.

Each day brings new challenges. I have a really good team, and I get job satisfaction by assisting them to identify and achieve their objectives, and find the balance within their priorities.

After my A Levels I started work as a trainee within the finance department of a district council. I moved on and became an accounting technician and started the CIMA professional qualification. I then moved to Wiltshire County Council 16 years ago, carrying on my study. I have been fortunate to have opportunities which have enabled me to be promoted to my current position.

I was supported through my training by the Council, and given time off to study. The size of the Council, and its complexity creates an interesting environment to work in. There is always a huge amount to learn, and things change rapidly.

Interesting facts:

Favourite place in Wiltshire? Cley hill and the 360 degree views of Wiltshire.
Favourite smell? Fresh rain
Favourite food? All food but dislikes re-fried beans
Favourite activities/hobbies? Golf, football - 5 a side, dog walking, watching films, reading
Five words that describe your personality? Talkative, calm, logical, caring, sensitive
What is the most important lesson life has taught you to date? You’ve got to be honest and open, you can’t control everything but be honest and open to build relationships and build trust.

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CeriWilliamsCeri Williams – Scrutiny Support Officer

I work with non-executive councillors to hold the council to account for the money it spends and the services it provides. My role makes me think, and it’s suited to me – I enjoy writing reports and undertaking research, and being challenged on a daily basis.

I wanted to work for the Council as I knew that they look after their employees and invest time and training in their development and that the benefits are good.

The Council has supported me and funded my Masters in Transport Planning, which provided me with the opportunity for promotion in the passenger transport section into a management role. I was then seconded to work on the BPR project with a group of external consultants for six months. Once this had come to a conclusion I was then seconded to work in the scrutiny section.

Interesting facts:

Favourite place in Wiltshire? Avoncliff, Bradford on Avon, walking along the canal
Favourite smell? I can’t smell I broke my nose too many times playing rugby
Favourite food? Rissoles and chips
Favourite activities/hobbies? Rugby, walking, 10K fun runs
Five words that describe your personality? Positive, happy, reliable, consistent, supportive
The most important lesson life has taught you to date? Don’t give up.

PeterWatermanPeter Waterman – Librarian

I assist the public with enquiries ranging from where to find a particular book to tracing family histories. I deal with the electronic side of the library, so I also look after all email questions/queries that are sent in from members of the public. I look after stock selection and control, and service promotion which includes running events, displays and outreach activities and information skills training for both public and staff.

The best thing about my role is just never know what enquiries you are going to get and satisfaction in finding the answers for people.

I started off working in Frome Library on a part-time basis whilst I was studying for my librarian qualification. Once qualified I was offered a full-time job within Wiltshire Library Service. The opportunity existed for this role to become chartered, so I am working towards this. The Council has supported me and provided me with opportunities to build up my portfolio to move towards full chartered status and progress my career.

Interesting facts:

Favourite place in Wiltshire? Chapmanslade, I grew up there and that’s where my friends and family are.
Favourite smell? Date stampers print
Favourite food? Curry
Favourite activities/hobbies? I play the guitar, grow organic vegetables on an allotment and cycling
Five words that describe your personality? Loud, chatty, sociable, inquisitive, not backwards at coming forward.
The most important lesson life has taught you to date? Never assume anything about people from the way they look.

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PeterTwiggsPeter Twiggs – Social Work Lead for West Wiltshire

I spend 50% of my time working as a social worker out in the community with vulnerable adults and the rest is spent as social work lead for West Wiltshire – supporting my social work colleagues and creating an evidence-informed culture and leading on practices and policies on vulnerable adults. This is a new post, so it’s evolving everyday. I enjoy working with members of the public, and feel privileged that I can visit people and they can share their thoughts and needs with me. It’s the most important part of my job that people put their trust in me.

I wanted to work for the Council as it had a good reputation in terms of social services and social care. There was also the convenience of working close to home and the benefits such as generous annual leave, sick pay and the pension scheme. I have made myself known in the community and people recognise me which is good.

I started working for the Council in 1996 at one of the residential homes, then after 2.5 years I went to train as a social worker, and came back to work at Wiltshire County Council in 2000. I have been really fortunate to have some really good line managers. The Council is also good at recognising and encouraging your development, and are supportive if you go through a bad time.

Interesting Facts:

Favourite place in Wiltshire? Salisbury – it’s in between a rural town and city – a beautiful place
Favourite smell? Beer
Favourite food? Chocolate
Favourite activities/hobbies? Renovating a house, like DIY and good way to relax
Five words that describe your personality? Patient, fun, sensitive, empathetic
What is the most important lesson life has taught you to date? Life is pretty short so grab every opportunity as it comes along.

Fran Darling – Customer Care Advisor I take frontline calls from the public and try to help them as the first point of contact. If I can’t find the answer then I pass them onto someone who can. We respond to the main telephone number for the Council, so we receive a high volume of calls every day. As a customer care officer I deal with queries ranging from special education, blue badges, highway problems, and passenger transport. It’s important that the query is solved right first time.

We are also the information point for enquiries within the local community – for example the nearest scout group, or telephone numbers for public services, etc. We have a database that we can search to help us with the enquiry.

I have worked for the Council for the last four years, I started off in the telephone exchange, and then the customer care unit was formed. The role is really interesting – people ring in with all types of queries and I like finding the answers and providing a good service. I also train all new employees which is good fun.

The Council has supported me in my professional development, I have attended numerous IT courses which enabled me to move from the telephonist role to my current role. My team are great, they are always helpful when you ask questions and I feel really supported by them.

Interesting facts:

Favourite place in Wiltshire? Salisbury, the shops, markets, cathedral and the outskirts like Stonehenge as it’s a nice area
Favourite smell? The sea
Favourite food? Indian
Favourite activities/hobbies? Holidays caravanning in Dorset, walking
Five Words that describe your personality? Fun, happy, helpful, bubbly, talkative
The most important lesson life has taught you to date? To be approachable and make an effort to get on with everyone.

Hayley Pronick – Admin Assistant I am responsible for all types of general administration work, this can involve maintaining databases, typing letters, sorting and scanning the post and supporting the HR operations.

The best thing about my job is the flexibility, this has been fully supported by the Council and really suits my lifestyle. As long as the work is completed I can choose my own hours to suit my personal circumstances. I enjoy coming to work, learning new things every day, that my workload is varied, and the friendly team.

The flexible working hours, salary and proximity to home were some of the main reasons I wanted to join the Council, together with the fact that it’s a great place to work and the pension scheme is excellent.

Interesting facts:

Favourite place in Wiltshire? Bradford on Avon, as it’s scenic, quiet and has a variety of good pubs and restaurants, something for everyone.
Favourite smell? Tar, creosote
Favourite food? Italian, pasta dishes
Favourite activities/hobbies? Swimming, walking, socialising
Five words that describe your personality? Bubbly, energetic, friendly, chatty, crazy
The most important lesson life has taught you to date? Always try to be positive in life and don’t dwell on the sad bits.

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