FROM THE DIRECTOR OF CHILDREN’S SERVICES / BLACK LIVES MATTER

/in /by

Sent on behalf of Tolis Vouyioukas, Corporate Director, Children’s Services Directorate

Dear Colleagues,

I hope you are all well and safe. I am sharing the email below with you which I sent to all my staff in the Children’s Services directorate this morning.

Thank you for all your continued dedication and support for all our children and young people.

Best wishes.

Tolis Vouyioukas

Corporate Director

Children’s Services Directorate

Buckinghamshire Council

01296 383 104

tolis.vouyioukas@buckinghamshire.gov.uk

From: Internal Comms, Mailbox <internalcomms@buckinghamshire.gov.uk>
Sent: 19 June 2020 11:50
To: {All-BC-Children’s} <All-BC-Childrens@buckinghamshire.gov.uk>
Subject: FROM THE DIRECTOR OF CHILDREN’S SERVICES / BLACK LIVES MATTER

Dear Colleague,

Over the last few weeks people and communities around the US, the UK and around the world have come together to acknowledge and express their feelings about the tragic and shocking death of George Floyd.

Like me, many of you will have seen some of the coverage on television and social media of recent demonstrations right across the UK, including Buckinghamshire. I realise that many of us will have been extremely concerned about what has happened and also personally affected by it.

You will be aware that our directorate is very diverse. Myself and the senior management team across children’s services are totally committed to working with you all as well as with my colleagues in the Corporate Management Team to ensure this organisation continues to be supportive and inclusive of all our staff. We are also absolutely committed to equality and fairness in our role as an employer and in our delivery of services to children and families.

I appreciate some of you will be feeling concerned and distressed about recent events, whilst still continuing to live with the impact that Covid-19 is having on us all personally. In addition, we are all having to start to come to terms with the desperately sad loss of our colleague Bibaa Henry. This is not an easy time for any of us. It is a lot to take in. It is more important than ever that we continue to support each other with kindness, empathy and consideration. I know that as a directorate we will all play our part in strengthening the connection we have as a team of professionals wanting to make a difference.

Within the children’s services leadership team, we have had several conversations about how we best address these very sensitive issues and the words and language to use that have meaning and do not come across as tokenistic or out of place. We do not always agree with each other and neither should we have to – but we always do agree on at least one topic and that is the well-being of all of you at all times. We also recognise and remind each other that words alone are not enough. It is our behaviours that matter and can make all the difference. Black lives do matter to all of us, all of the time. Not just at the present time because of what is happening around us. We are all very clear there is no place or tolerance for racism and discrimination and we all have a collective responsibility to say something about it if we see it or experience it.

I want to leave you with a quote which resonates with me:

‘I can’t believe what you say, because I see what you do.’ – James Baldwin

Thank you for all that you do.

Tolis Vouyioukas

Corporate Director

Children’s Services Directorate

Buckinghamshire Council

01296 383 104

tolis.vouyioukas@buckinghamshire.gov.uk

The Gateway, Gatehouse Road, Aylesbury HP19 8FF