TWO YEARS AGO Suffolk County Council set out its ambitious vision for the future. Its Suffolk Story document placed five issues under the spotlight — the jobs market, learning and skills, vulnerable people, the environment and the delivery of public services. The council's more than 33,000 employees evidently believe the East Anglian authority leads by example in all these areas, ranking it third overall among all councils in our public sector list and first among county councils. The Tory-run council, which spends more than £900m of taxpayers' money a year, has staff who believe they can make a valuable contribution to its success (74% positive). Managers help employees fulfil their potential (61%) and work is stimulating (73%), all three results beaten by just one other big public sector body. Staff sometimes spend too much time working (55%, but still a top score among the seven big organisations), and have fewer bad days at work than employees at other large public sector bodies (24%, and another top score). The council aspires to help Suffolk become the greenest county by protecting its countryside and developing low-carbon businesses. It has set up an environmental management system to monitor its impact — a policy that staff say works (60%, and another top ranking). www.suffolk.gov.uk
