Managing austerity has not reduced political or management commitment to improving the customer’s first-hand experience and quality of life. For many of our team that remit extends beyond what can be seen in the societies in which we live and work.

Our ‘invisible heroes’ play a crucial role in dealing with distressing circumstances and getting a job done in the most difficult and often unpleasant circumstances at all hours and in all weathers.

The stark realities of life are laid bare: collecting and disposing of dead animals found on or by the roadside, emptying dog waste bins, ridding homes of rat infestations, dealing with animal and human cruelty and abandonment, sorting through and removing fly-tipping, responding to emergencies, sorting out dangerous structures and organising public health funerals for people who may have no surviving or willing relatives to arrange it.