CAREER READY

Career Ready is a social mobility programme designed to “connect disadvantaged young people with the world of work, unlocking their potential and levelling the playing field.”

Moray Council, in partnership with Career Ready, provide students in S5/6 with a structured, impactful, two-year programme which empowers, boosts social capital and develops work skills.

With a mentor from the world of work, a four-week paid internship within Moray Council, and a series of skills masterclasses, young people leave the programme more confident, knowledgeable, and ready to follow their identified career path.

So a key part of the success of this programme is the amazing support offered by our workplace mentors. And, we are now seeking interest from any employees that would like to join the programme as a mentor.

This opportunity is not just for managers, if you can speak with your staff and discuss if anyone feels that they would be a great mentor. We require interest from any potential mentors to contact us via organisational.development@moray.gov.uk so that we can continue to fulfil our commitment for this programme.

MENTAL HEALTH & WELLBEING PULSE SURVEY 2022

You will remember we conducted a Mental Health and Wellbeing survey last summer and the results have been shared with service management teams and are also available on the Interchange.

In order to follow up on this we have now launched a Pulse Survey which is live now. This short survey that will only take a couple of minutes to complete. Please encourage staff to participate before it closes on 1 July.

We have launched this short pulse survey to act as a temperature check to allow us to assess how staff are coping and feeling now as we continue to recover from the pandemic. The responses will be used to assess that the priorities identified from the 2021 survey remain the same and ensuring that we are focussing on the right priorities. Results from this survey will be shared as soon as they are available.

CYCLE TO WORK SCHEME

This year’s scheme is now open and is due to close on 1st July 2022. The salary sacrifice scheme offers an opportunity for all employees to hire a bike (manual or electric) and/or accessories over a 12 month period, with the option of purchasing the bike at the end of the 12 month hire period, taking out an extended hire agreement at no additional cost or returning the bike. To qualify for the scheme the bike should be utilised for 50% of travel to your work place. This is a hire agreement so please ensure you fully read all the terms and conditions surrounding the scheme.

Further details can be found here: http://interchange.moray.gov.uk/int_standard/Page_142301.html

MANAGERS FORUM

The next Managers Forum is planned for Thursday 28th of July at 2pm. An invitation will be sent closer to the date to confirm the details.

In this session, we will be focussing on the implications of the rising cost of living and how people are managing, what advice and support would be beneficial?

We would also love to hear what topics you would like to be discussed at future sessions and if there are any managers interested in hosting a session please get in touch.

Remember, although facilitated by the OD team, the topics and direction of the forum are led by forum members.

If you have any ideas or suggestions for future sessions please contact glen.dunn@moray.gov.uk

STAR AWARDS ARE RETURNING!

We are pleased to announce the STAR (Special Thanks and Recognition) Awards are coming back in summer 2022. They celebrate the achievements of employees as nominated by their colleagues/managers. The date is to be confirmed but watch out for updates shortly!

Following on from the success of the STAR award scheme in previous years, it will soon be time to open the nomination window for the 2022 STAR awards.

STAR (Special Thanks and Recognition) Awards formally recognise the outstanding contributions of our colleagues. The scheme will follow a similar format as previous years.

PRE RETIREMENT COURSES

Affinity Connect are running pre-retirement courses to anyone considering retirement within the next 3 years. The courses will encourage a positive and realistic approach to a financially secure retirement and help employees make informed choices.

To book your place on an upcoming course please use the following links:

Online Course Booking System Link: https://affinityconnect.event-registration.co.uk/events/moray-council/pre-retirement/2-hour-30-minute-course-online

Face-to-Face Course Booking System Link: https://affinityconnect.event-registration.co.uk/events/moray-council/pre-retirement/1-day-course

For any additional information please email organisational.development@moray.gov.uk

VOLUNTEERING OPPORTUNITIES AT MORAY CITIZENS ADVICE

Moray Citizens Advice are very keen to encourage new people to volunteer within the Bureau. Employees that are looking at retiring over the summer might like to consider volunteering?

Each year the bureau normally have 2 intakes of volunteers and run a formal 12 week training programme with them. Their next programme is due to start in Sept/October 2022. As well as face-to-face training and shadowing existing Advisers, Citizens Advice Scotland have built up an Adviser Training Programme with more than 30 on-line courses available on a range of advising topics such as CAB aims and principles, Benefits, Housing and Employment. An overview of the training is available here: https://rise.articulate.com/share/Reiy3LPjwxutgNsJReq9k1Gmb637s22L#/

It is recommended that Volunteers commit to 6 hours a week in the Bureau and this will be the minimum commitment for our new trainees. The first step in the process would be to come in and spend a morning in the Bureau shadowing our existing volunteers and getting to know the office.

To find out more information please contact Moray Citizens Advice on 01343 559004 or www.moraycab.org.uk.

SCOTTISH MILITARY COMMUNITY PAGE

The latest edition of the Scottish Military Community Update has been published on the Interchange: May 2022 Update

This month’s edition has information on the treatment of LGBT+ service personnel, free energy advice workshops and a new toolkit to help support wellbeing in communities as well as much more!

NEW E-LEARNING CONTENT

What’s live on CLIVE?

If you’ve not been on CLIVE lately, you might not have noticed some of the new courses that we’ve launched. In addition to all the existing content that’s already there, we’ve released the following courses:

• Fire Awareness – this module promotes fire safety awareness in the workplace. It can be found within the Essentials Category and we ask that all staff complete this module.
• DSE Awareness – A new eLearning module is available for staff who regularly use Display Screen Equipment as part of their role and will help you set up your workstation effectively and provide you with useful links to further information and useful contacts.
• Leadership: Leading in Complexity – Acknowledging the fact that the public authority is a complex system and that no one person has all the answers raises the question of how do you lead with this uncertainty and ambiguity. This module will explore the concept of system leadership and the skills that are required to lead successfully.
• An Introduction to the 3 Horizons Framework – the 3 Horizons Framework is a tool for looking at transformation and change in the workplace, it has also been referred to as a better way to disagree. This learning bite will introduce you to what it is, and how you could use it.
• Moray Council: Adult Support and Protection – module 1 – this introductory module will introduce you to what ASP is, and what your responsibilities are under this piece of legislation.
• Child Protection Level 1 Recognition and Response – We are delighted to announce that a new module on Child Protection is now available. We all have a role to play in ensuring that children and young people are protected. You are responsible even if your role means you have no or minimal contact with children or young people. This very important module is located within the Social Work & Social Care category of Clive. We ask that all staff, regardless of their role access this module.
• New Mandatory Complaints Handling module – The revised Model Complaint Handling procedure was introduced on 1 April 2021. It requires all staff to know what to do if a customer complains about poor service provision. This module has been prepared to help staff deal with reported complaints. A more detailed article on complaint handling will be published in a future Connect issue.

When it comes to keeping you training up-to-date, there are courses that you need to do on a regular bases, and one that you need to keep updated is data protection. To help with this we have a Data Protection Refresher course that you can complete, and you’ll be able to access it yearly to make sure that you knowledge and understanding is up to date.

Login to CLIVE to check out the new courses.

If you’ve got any questions about eLearning please email organisational.development@moray.gov.uk.

MERI SCHEME

Moray’s Employer Recruitment Incentive - Amy Cruickshank, the Opportunities For All Officer in the Economic Growth and Development Services, is leading on the Meri Incentive. The Moray Pathways partnership have received a funding boost from Scottish Government to support young people and adults into supportive work placements. This funding is to encourage employers to recruit people of all ages with the greatest barriers to employment get jobs and stay in jobs. The incentive is coordinated by the Local Employment Partnership, funded by the Scottish Government, and administered by the Moray Council.

Here is the link to provide information and guidance about Fund Criteria, Eligible Participants, Funding, How to Apply and Funding Conditions: https://moraypathways.co.uk/morays-employer-recruitment-incentive/

NEW CONTRACT INFORMATION

Work is under way on preparing the tender for a new contract for the council’s multi-functional devices for printing, scanning and copying.

Each year more than 14 million items are printed from within the council, and we know that the needs of our colleagues in accessing printing, scanning and copying has changed over the last few years due to the pandemic and flexible/remote working. We’re conscious too of the commitment to become carbon neutral by 2030, and what this means for us printing more mindfully and taking the most sustainable approach.

There’s a working group which is reaching out across all services to get insights into what’s needed from our new contract, and we’re also asking colleagues to complete a survey via interchange so we can understand how people access printing, scanning and copying just now – and how those needs might change in the future. The survey will run from 4 – 22 July.

Please encourage your teams to complete this short survey. Interchange is available both inside and outside of the council’s computer network, so colleagues can access via their smartphone or tablet if they do not have access to a work computer but do require ad-hoc printing.

Hard copies can also be printed from: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/BNL2G3Qand should be scanned and returned to: andy.donegan@moray.gov.uk by 25 July.

COVID UPDATE

Absence

The current arrangements for Covid related Special Leave will end on 1 July 2022. Currently, up to 10 days special leave is afforded if someone is unwell due to Covid-19 and unable to work as a result. With effect from 2 July 2022, normal sickness absence procedures and arrangements will apply for employees who are unwell and unable to work due to any reason, including Covid-19. There will no longer be separate arrangements in place where the reason for absence is Covid-19.

As a reminder, all non-health and social care staff should stay at home and avoid contact with other people if they have symptoms of a respiratory infection such as coronavirus and if they have a high temperature or if they do not feel well enough to go to work or carry out normal activities. See further Stay at Home guidance here. https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/infections-and-poisoning/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-covid-19.

Health and social care workers should continue to follow the guidance issued to this sector. https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/covid-19-information-and-guidance-for-social-community-and-residential-care-settings/covid-19-information-and-guidance-for-social-community-and-residential-care-settings-version-21.

Individual Risk Assessments

1. 1) Individual Covid 19 Occupational Risk Assessments: The use of the covid age tool and risk assessment guidance have been withdrawn from the Scottish Government webpage with the safer workplaces and public settings guidance having been updated. There is no longer a need for an individual Covid 19 Occupational Risk Assessment for those with, for example, underlying health conditions. The focus is on supportive discussions with those staff who may be anxious as far as the workplace is concerned. The link to the guidance is here.
2. 2) Pregnancy Risk Assessment: The separate, specific guidance that was in place for Covid 19 and pregnancy risk has been removed which means there is no longer a specific approach to managing a pregnant employee’s risk to Covid-19. However, the non-Covid-19 specific risk assessment process for pregnant staff should continue to be followed.
   https://secure.moray.gov.uk/interchange/secure/docs/pandplib/HS_Health%20and%20Safety/New%20and%20Expactant%20Mothers.docx
   https://secure.moray.gov.uk/interchange/secure/docs/file130800.doc