Who Benefits from Me and My Shadow?

Two public bodies in south Warwickshire are aiming to improve communications this week, which should benefit their local communities. Stratford-on-Avon District Council and the Council for Voluntary Services (CVS) are taking part in Learning at Work Day on Thursday 26 May, a national event aimed at developing employee skills.

About a dozen or so employees from the council and CVS will be shadowing each other, along with people from voluntary organisations and community groups to find out about the nature of their work.

"As part of our partnership work with the Council for Voluntary Services, the district council is organising work shadowing on Thursday to give us both an opportunity to learn more about the ways each other works," said Paul Lankester, Stratford District Council's chief executive.

"This will encourage better communication between us which in turn should mean a better service to our communities.

"For instance, a member of the council's staff might get a phone call from resident with a problem one day. That member of staff might be able to redirect the caller to the appropriate voluntary sector organisation after having spent a day with this scheme learning what services that organisation provides."

National Learning at Work Day is co-ordinated by the Campaign for Learning.