The chief executive and directors at Mansfield District Council will be going back to the floor and taking up roles on the frontline as part of the council’s commitment to Learning at Work Week, which begins on Monday.

Chief Executive Bev Smith will be getting to grips with housing repairs by joining the council’s plumber,s who will be carrying out repairs and maintenance to council properties.

Meanwhile, other directors will be joining the council’s parks department, doing a beat with its neighbourhood wardens and finding out what happens at the Mansfield and District Crematorium.

Staff throughout the council will have the opportunity to take part in various activities for the annual awareness campaign which has been organised by the Campaign For Learning since 1999 and which aims to put the spotlight on the importance and benefits of learning and development.

The event is being delivered by the council in conjunction with the UNISON and GMB trade unions.

This year’s theme is ‘Connect’ and staff are being encouraged to get involved by having the opportunity to develop additional workplace skills, participate in wellbeing activities or by simply connecting with a colleague over lunch.

As next week is also Mental Health Awareness Week, many of the activities are connected to health and wellbeing.

Bev Smith said: “I am looking forward to getting my hands dirty and joining the housing repairs team.

“As part of my ‘getting to know’ the authority as the new chief executive I have already spent time emptying the bins and joining the parks team for the day and I have found it to be a really useful way to see first-hand how we deliver our services and the kind of challenges we and our staff can face.”