The Building Services (DLO) gas servicing and heating repairs team have visited over 7,000 properties since April 2020 carrying out annual Landlord Gas Safety Checks (4,500) and heating repairs (2,500). The Covid pandemic has presented a number of challenges in respect of gaining access to properties and ensuring  that tenants and operatives safety is maintained at all times.

The staff have risen to the challenge and went that extra mile to communicate with tenants, explain safe working protocols and safely visit properties. As this is a business critical service, all staff have remained at work (office and site based) throughout the pandemic, with Clerical, Technical, Scheduling, Stores, Gas Engineers and Supervisors/Managers all involved in this process.

Housing and Policy staff have also supported this process and also deserve recognition, as well as contact centre and out of hour’s staff who have dealt with over 2,500 heating repair calls in and out of hours.

We have a statutory legal duty to service our gas appliances annually and carry out emergency repairs to our properties, and this has been maintained throughout the pandemic as a result of staff commitment and team working. Our tenants should also be praised for their support in allowing us to enter their homes at such a difficult time.                 

                                                                
Message submitted by Mike Rollo (DLO Manager)

Sharon McGlinchey - Throughout the duration of the Pandemic (Mar 2020 to present) Sharon has been a critical part in how the Public Transport Unit have responded to an ever changing operational environment. Her personality, strong communication skills and inclusive management style has enabled her to implement COVID specific staff and service protection measures with ease.

Sharon readily accepted additional supervisory responsibilities, which have been vital in maintaining staff moral…….... Always available to make calls, converse and arrange socially distanced visits ………., ensuring staff in the PTU continued to feel part of the team, especially…………. during the initial stages of the pandemic.
Sharon continues to be a huge influence on the team, ensuring operational, hygiene and risk management standards are maintained to the highest degree without fail on a daily basis. She really has been, and continues to be an outstanding Coordinator, leader and friend to all in the PTU during these strange times.
An impressive colleague with a set of personal values that guides her decision making every day. She does not fully understand her value to the team……..hopefully this message does her justice.

A huge thank you……you have been, and continue to be the most loyal and reliable colleague I have had the pleasure of working with.

Wholly appreciated and valued!

The Fleet Services Team have worked throughout the Pandemic in extremely challenging conditions to keep departments supplied with PPE another commodities via Stores, manage and maintain the vehicle and plant fleet, train drivers and inspect taxis all without disruption.

Without the vehicle fleet and stores supplies front line services such as Waste, Homecare and Winter Maintenance would not be able to function.

When the lockdown was implemented in March 2020 Fleet Services had to implement new work practices and safety measures immediately to ensure that the service could continue without disruption. Staff embraced these changes without complaint in fact they were met with enthusiasm.

All staff in Fleet Services should be commended for their can do attitude and their dedication to ensuring that front liner services were able to continue to operate throughout the pandemic.

Message submitted by Leslie Thomson (Fleet Manager)

A BIG thank you to all the people who work within and support the Catering department. You have done a fantastic job with the constant changes to our service over the last year and everyone is pulling together to ensure that there is a provision for pupils to get a lunchtime meal. You have all done this with a smile on your face even when it has been challenging.

Message submitted by Elaine McRae (Catering Officer

I would just like to nominate the Community Support Unit Team – Laura Cameron, Sylvia Jamieson, Jane Martin and Tracey Rae for all their support and hard work over the last year supporting our voluntary community groups who responded so quickly to help in their communities during the pandemic.  There have been many challenges and frustrations over the last year but they have always had a “can do” attitude and gone above and beyond to get things done.   Thank you! 

Message submitted by Dawn Brodie (Acting Community Support Manager)

Since March 2020 the Care at Home team have continued to work in the community providing personal care to people in their own homes.  Regardless of their own fears, they continued to be at work, as they have often been very scared at times.  They didn’t know what covid would do to them, their families or the people they care for.  Having to go to work every day on the front line in close personal contact with people,  was and is scary,  as they know they are at bigger risk than anyone.  

The Office based staff who are the support behind the front line care being provided,  have had to change the way they work in order they continue to be able to support the Social Care Assistants working in the Community and the people receiving care.  Some of these people are supervisors, who have had to ensure that the communication with staff is now more than it has ever been, in order so they feel supported.  They do this, while at the same time, making sure that the current care and new care packages can be provided to keep supporting people to remain at home with care.  Some of these people have been affected by covid which can also be scary for them and our staff who are caring for them.  

The extra PPE needed to ensure staff safety, has also impacted on the Management within the service, along with the depleting numbers of staff who initially needed to remain off work due to covid 19.  Initially this  impacted hugely on the levels of care that were able to be provided back in March 2020 and due to a big team effort packages were tailored accordingly within 2 weeks of covid affecting Scotland,  Moray was one of the first authorities to review the care packages, in order that we could continue to keep providing it.    It was a huge team effort which included our Social Work colleagues, who also deserve to be mentioned, as the creation of the Enhanced Hub, ensured that the service users did not suffer as a consequence.   

Can this be added to the employee appreciation comments please as without the care provision and the administration behind it continuing as normal, Moray would be in a different place if it were not for these resilient members of staff.  

Message submitted by Sheila McInnes (Depute Manager, Care at Home)

Sending a thank-you to the Active Schools and Sports Development Team for being so flexible and innovative over the past year.  Being redeployed to support the Childcare Hubs during lockdown and doing so with ease was highly appreciated by both the children and Council colleagues – the feedback received was testament to this.  
Identifying and implementing new innovative ways to achieve your aims and objectives as a Team has been exemplary and been recognised at national level.  You are all doing your utmost to keep children active and develop young leaders during these challenging times.  At a time when communities are so important the connection and support you are providing to our local sports clubs as well has also been very valuable! 

Roll on better times – when we can all get together as a team in person and celebrate the great work!

I would say that Dawn Brodie was appointed Acting Manager of our Unit in late February and has been so supportive to each of us during a time when there were personal and professional challenges to face and has worked tirelessly to ensure our wellbeing individually and as a team. Thank you.

Message submitted by Tracey Rae (Community Support Officer)

We could not have done our jobs without Dawn Brodie, as acting manager, she has been inspirational and has also gone above and beyond to help communities in addition to supporting each of us in the team.

Message submitted by Jane Martin (Community Council Liaison Officer)

Thank you to the Catering, Cleaning, Janitorial, Waste and Land and Cemeteries Services. In addition to their already busy day job throughout the lockdown period, these important front-line services have constantly adapted, changed and evolved to meet the ongoing challenges facing them.  Staff have achieved this in a positive manner, demonstrating great teamwork, customer focus and resilience.

Message submitted by Colin Bell (Environmental Protection Manager)

Thank you to the DLO stores team who worked throughout the pandemic, ensuring that stock levels were maintained during extreme material shortages.  The teams forward planning, ensured that the repairs, voids, servicing & heating installs continued uninterrupted despite the most challenging of circumstances.
Well done Jamie Hill & Maggie Rollo

Message submitted by Tracey McKie (Business Manager, Building Services DLO)

Dr Angela Jones & Pupil Support Assistants. Our Support for Learning Department are amazing!  Whenever I need advice and guidance to support a young person they always have the time to listen and help.  So knowledgeable, so caring, so patient and supportive of staff and pupils.

Message submitted by Sarah Thornhill (Inclusion Project Officer, Speyside High School)

Mr Andrew Bell and Alan. These guys have been instrumental in supporting the pupil wellbeing team to set up a Wellbeing Hub, without their dedication, banter, joinery/builder skills and putting up with me saying ‘oh just one more job!’ and never whinging.  Thank You for believing in our vision!

Message submitted by Sarah Thornhill (Inclusion Project Officer, Speyside High School)

I would like to nominate the teaching and support staff at Hythehill Primary School. Their hard work, dedication and ‘above and beyond’ attitude has supported the pupils and parents of the school during this unprecedented year, from March 2020 to date. They have consistently planned and delivered high quality learning and teaching, whilst, for many of them educating their own children or supporting vulnerable family members. They have supported the Learning hub, as well as remote learning, during both lockdowns and embraced training and technology to ensure that there is equity for all children. I am extremely proud to lead such a united staff and for all of their efforts. I believe that they should be awarded the employee appreciation in recognition of the dedication they have shown to the community at Hythehill Primary School, Moray Council and their profession.

Message submitted by Susanne Campbell (Head Teacher Hythehill Primary School)

I believe Belinda Matthewman deserves recognition for her role in delivering our Library service to our customers in Forres. Her customer care is excellent and she consistently puts in extra effort to try to provide the best possible results for our members, and gives each one the same level of attention to make them feel they are her most important customer.  She is always proactive and uses opportunities to advance the Service in any way she can. 

As a work colleague, Belinda is positive, always pleasant and totally reliable. Since our return to the library last August, we have had different work practises and each day has had its challenges, but I can honestly say working with Belinda has left me feeling each shift that we have done our jobs to the best of our ability.
Our team of two of course relies on the support of our line managers, Marion Hardie and Joan Wood, and the wonderful teams in Libraries Support, Elgin Library, and our very important lifeline -our weekly van delivery, with the cheerful presence of Sam, the only other member of staff we actually get to see on a regular basis. Thank you everyone!

Message submitted by Carrie Patterson (Libraries and Information)

I’d just like to share a quick thanks for the hard work, willingness and commitment from the Instrumental Music and Youth Music Initiative instructors since March last year. From teaching pupils face-to-face to moving our service almost entirely online they have all worked hard, been open to ideas and taken on new responsibilities to ensure our service continues to operate and deliver a high quality

submitted by Alexander Davidson (Head of Instrumental Services)

A big thank you Laura Russell and Jennie Ordonez who started their new jobs as Early Years Officers with Moray Council’s Early Learning & Childcare (ELC) Section at the start of the pandemic in the Spring of last year. Despite taking on their new roles in the most challenging of circumstances, their combined efforts have been truly exceptional. Through their hard work they redeveloped:- 

• A COVID compliant training and development programme for the ELC sector. This has been recognised as an example of best practice by the Scottish Government;
• A new grant scheme to encourage outdoor learning and play for childcare settings. This covered both private and sector settings as well as Council nurseries and involved bulk buying and distributing equipment for all settings across Moray;
• Overseeing a grant scheme to support private and third sector settings ensure that they are ready to increase their hours of free childcare; and 
• Administering the Government Transitional Grant Scheme. This would have a herculean effort at the best of times and is even more worthy of praise while contending the social restrictions. Thank you. 

Message submitted by Robin Paterson (Senior Project Manager ELC)

Debbie MacKenzie took on the new role of Fleet Business Co-ordinator from the start of the Pandemic in March 20 and has worked tirelessly since to lead the stores team through this difficult time, cope with the high demand for PPE through a worldwide shortage and demand that has been three times the norm as well as develop the new team

Debbie has demonstrated fantastic leadership skills to keep the Stores Team motivated whilst covering her old role and being 2 members of staff down in the team.

Very few people could have coped with demands and pressures of the last 9 months so Debbie not only deserves an award but a medal..

Message submitted by Leslie Thomson (Fleet Manager)

The Fleet Services Stores Team have worked throughout the Pandemic in extremely challenging conditions to keep front line services and schools supplied with essential PPE  without disruption. Stores deal with multiple customers, delivery drivers and huge amounts of packaging daily.

At the start of the global pandemic the team had to endure a worldwide shortage of PPE such as masks, gloves and aprons. It is testament to the Stores teams dedication and expertise that they managed to source supplies and deliver them to services and schools across Moray.

The volume of PPE stocked and issued has trebled from normal levels which has been challenging given that the team has been two members of staff down during this time.

The Stores Team should be congratulated for their dedication and professionalism that has kept Council services operational

Message submitted by Leslie Thomson (Fleet Manager)

I’d just like to share a quick thanks for the hard work, willingness and commitment from the Instrumental Music and Youth Music Initiative instructors since March last year. From teaching pupils face-to-face to moving our service almost entirely online they have all worked hard, been open to ideas and taken on new responsibilities to ensure our service continues to operate and deliver a high quality service.     

   
Message submitted by Alexander Davidson (Head of Instrumental Services)

Gary Leslie recently took over the role of workshop supervisor at fleet services. In his short time in the job I have seen a significant improvement and efficiently in the way the workshop is run. Gary’s can do attitude and willingness to work with us ensures that we see a swift turnaround when buses are in for service and repair. His forward planning and communication is excellent, he always tries to keep us updated on when parts have been ordered, likely timescales for repair, and looks at all options which helps greatly when we are allocating vehicles to drivers across the Moray wide area. 

Gary attributes not only save the Council money but help deliver a 1st class service to our customers and clients. So thanks to Gary and his Team for working with us. 

Message submitted by Sharon McGlinchey (Transport Coordinator)

Marion Hardie recently did a wonderful job of conducting and recording telephone surveys with some of our Telecare clients, while unable to carry out a lot of her normal duties due to Covid restrictions. This has allowed us to move forward with a project that had also slipped due to Covid priorities – so I just want Marion to know how much her input was valued and appreciated.                                                                      

Message submitted by Lorna Bernard (Project Manager)

The Vehicle Maintenance Team have worked throughout the Pandemic in extremely challenging conditions to keep the vehicle and plant fleet operational without disruption.
Without the vehicle fleet front line services such as Waste, Homecare and Winter Maintenance would not be able to function.

Working on multiple vehicles, not only in the cabs but inside the rear of a refuse collection vehicle is challenging from a virus perspective in normal times but during the pandemic these risks are far greater.

The team also inspect Taxis and Home to School Transport vehicles used by high volumes of customers which present similar infection risk challenges  
The Vehicle Maintenance Team should be congratulated for their dedication and professionalism that has kept the Councils wheels turning 

Message submitted by Leslie Thomson (Fleet Manager)

Justice Services staff have really excelled and adapted during the COVID pandemic, they have all been outstanding… so a massive big thank you to  the Criminal Justice Social Work and Unpaid Work Team;  the  Youth Justice and Out of Hours Social Work Team our Community Justice Co-ordinator and last but not least our Business Support Staff that have worked tirelessly during  these very challenging times.                           

Message Submitted by Tish Richford (Team Manager)