Member Spotlight: Caroline Roffey

Who are you and what is your role?

Caroline Roffey, Assistant Director Street Scene Services at Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council.

What attracted you to local government?

I started my career in countryside management. At that time, jobs in this field were very scarce and the only employment was in local government or in the voluntary sector. I started on six-month seasonal contracts at a country park and then got a full-time job there before widening my career into parks, then adding operational management, waste, street cleansing, car parks, and fleet.

What challenges do you face in local government?

Funding has always been a challenge throughout my 34 years in local government and the impact of this seems to be cumulative.

The uncertainty about LGR will be resolved in time but the challenge for us all is to balance capacity and lack of experience whilst we ensure our services continue throughout significant change. It will be no mean feat to seize the opportunity and manage the expectation of efficiencies.

New initiatives – in a district council teams are small, so you need to be an expert in many diverse areas. This can be a real challenge. At the moment I’m switching daily between new food waste collections, registering our first site for BNG, and building an additional depot. Mental agility and new skills needed constantly – as the saying goes every day is a school day.

Social media and AI – these are both opportunities and problematic. Ensuring the silent majority have voice is a challenge at times.

What do you value most about APSE membership/events/services?

Insight into innovation and the celebration of all the creativity in local government and the services we provide to residents.

Share something you like most about working in your local council area.

I feel I have made a difference to my local community, and I am lucky to have a role that meets my values. Working in local government gives me more than any other employment would. Despite the challenges and occasional lows, I would recommend it to anyone who wants to make a difference to the community and places they live and work in.  Let’s face it…it would be boring if it was all easy - wouldn’t it?