January 2021

20 January - Applications now open for COP26 city volunteer programme

Do you know someone with time to help deliver a warm Glasgow welcome to visitors and delegates at the 26^th United Nations Climate Change Conference  - COP26?

Applications opened for the city volunteer programme on Wednesday 20 January 2021.

The UK will host the international summit at the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) in Glasgow on 1 - 12 November 2021 and we are looking for a team of around 1000 volunteers to support the staging of this globally significant event and provide a warm Glasgow welcome to all delegates and visitors.

These vital climate talks are expected to bring together the largest gathering of heads of state ever hosted in the UK, alongside climate experts and campaigners, to agree coordinated action to tackle the climate emergency.

A variety of volunteer roles will be available in both Glasgow and Edinburgh, including providing information on the conference and the venues, supporting delegates staying in and travelling around the city, and promoting the best of what Glasgow and Scotland has to offer.

To register

• Anyone interested in volunteering is invited to step forward and submit their application at www.ukcop26.org/volunteer. Applications are open until Wednesday, 31 March 2021.
• Please note these roles are part of the city volunteering programme and anyone interested needs to be able to commit their own time to taking up required posts.

More information

• You can read more about these roles and hear from local volunteering ambassadors at https://glasgow.gov.uk/article/26613/COP26-volunteer-programme-launches-ahead-of-global-event
• Watch the video at https://twitter.com/GlasgowCC/status/1351801734721642496?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet

25 January - Scotland, it's time to roll up our sleeves

People across Scotland are being encouraged to 'roll their sleeves up' and get the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as they are eligible.

A new campaign has launched to emphasise the importance of the vaccine and its safety, highlighting that it is the best way out of coronavirus, as it offers the best protection.

The vaccine will be offered to 4.5 million people in Scotland, with those most at risk of COVID-19 prioritised, in line with guidance from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).

Delivery of the vaccination programme is underway, led by NHS Boards who will contact those eligible when it's time to arrange their vaccination appointment.

People are being encouraged to adhere to the restrictions in place and follow the FACTS guidance to protect themselves and slow the spread of the virus whilst the vaccination programme is rolled out.

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: "Vaccination offers us greater protection against COVID-19 and it offers us hope that this year will be a brighter one. It is another vital tool in our work to suppress the virus, but other measures including testing, and lockdown restrictions remain absolutely essential to suppress COVID to the lowest possible level in Scotland.

"These three critical actions will help us protect the NHS and save lives, towards a brighter year ahead. However, we don't yet know how well vaccination stops people transmitting the virus to others - which is why it's essential people protect the progress we've made, and continue to follow the restrictions currently in place, whether they have been vaccinated or not, while vaccine delivery is rolled out across the country."

Interim Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Dave Caesar said: "No matter which vaccine you receive, each has passed a rigorous three-phase testing process, reviewed by independent regulatory and advisory bodies to ensure it is safe and effective. Your local NHS health board will be in touch with you to arrange your vaccination appointment when you are eligible, and I encourage everyone to get vaccinated as soon as they are eligible to do so.

"However, vaccination on its own it won't be enough to win the race against this virus. Each one of us needs to do all we can - following the guidance, abiding closely to the restrictions, washing our hands, wearing face coverings, maintaining 2m distance from each other - everything we can to slow down the spread of the virus and suppress its prevalence as low as we can, so that increasing vaccination can do the job we need it to do. Doing all of that will help you protect yourself, protect the NHS and save lives."

More information

To find out more visit www.nhsinform.scot or phone 0800 030 8013.

View the Covid Vaccine TV Ad here

25 January - Council supports new city Covid 19 Mass Vaccination Centres

Mass vaccination centres are being set up in large Glasgow venues to help protect communities against Covid 19.

New facilities with capacity to vaccinate up to 1000 people a day will be created in Glasgow Life venues in Drumchapel, Castlemilk, Easterhouse and Barmulloch. They will supplement vaccinations which are already underway at the Louisa Jordan Hospital on the Scottish Events Campus.

The new centres are due to open in early February and are among 80 new facilities being set up around the country by the British Army for NHS Scotland. The locations are Barmulloch Community Centre, Glasgow Club Easterhouse, Glasgow Club Donald Dewar, Drumchapel, and Glasgow Club Castlemilk.

City Building staff are currently working alongside the army to help prepare the community venues.

Alan Burns, Executive Director, City Building said: "Working with the Glasgow Life Facilities Management team, we were delighted to move quickly and adapt these new centres to make our contribution to support the critical vaccine distribution."

The council is supporting this mass vaccination programme in a number of ways. Our efforts are being co-ordinated by Lead Officer John Sherry, Head of Financial Inclusion and Child Poverty, Chief Executive's Department.

John said: "I'm working with NHSGCC and the Ministry of Defence (MOD) around responding to and co-ordinating the asks of the council. The vaccine programme is on schedule to move beyond the initial groups of over 80s and health staff. As we move into this phase of the programme, which will initially focus on over 65s and shielding citizens, there will be increased asks of the council."

A team from across the council are involved in supporting the initiative which will include:

Vaccination centres:  Glasgow Life have been leading this area - identifying venues and working with City Building, the Strategic Innovation Team (SIT) and the MOD to make these venues fit for purpose as vaccination centres.

Non clinical vaccination centre workforce: Our Corporate HR and Glasgow Life HR officers have been working to secure staff to support areas such as way finding, queue management and facilities management.

Transport and City Operations: Neighbourhood and Sustainability are leading on how vulnerable citizens are transported to and from centres and making sure that services around the centres are running smoothly, including: traffic management, refuse uplift, street cleaning and gritting.

Communication: Effective public messaging is vital to the success of the programme. Our Public Relations and Marketing teams are working with colleagues at Greater Glasgow and Clyde NHS to keep everyone informed.

Councillor Susan Aitken, Leader of Glasgow City Council, said: "It is absolutely vital that we get this vaccine rolled out across the population as soon as possible, starting with the most vulnerable.

"This is the biggest vaccination programme ever undertaken in Scotland and the logistical and organisational expertise of the military combined with the availability and accessibility of council-owned venues will accelerate the roll-out of the vaccine by NHS staff.

"Health officials are aiming to have over half a million people in Scotland vaccinated by the beginning of next month. The council stands ready to assist in whatever way we can."

25 January - It's time to make your organ and tissue donation decision known

The law around organ and tissue donation is changing, and a campaign is underway to encourage people to make their donation decision known.

From 26th March 2021, Scotland will move to an opt out system of organ and tissue donation to help save and improve lives.

The change in law means that if people aged 16 and over have not recorded a decision about donation, they will be considered as a possible donor when they die.

Everyone has a choice under the new law - to be a donor, or to opt out of donation. Whatever you decide, it's important to record it on the NHS Organ Donor Register and tell your family and friends so they can honour it.

More information

For more about the law change, or to opt out, visit organdonationscotland.orgor phone 0300 123 123.

View the Organ Donation TV ad here

View some Frequently Asked Questions at Law change facts | Organ Donation Scotland

25 January - Pay It - more payment options for our citizens and customers

In 2019 the council implemented Capita's online payments system, Pay360. Since then the Income Management Project Team based in Financial Services has been working with Capita, CGI and the Strategic Innovation Team (SIT) to expand our use of the system's functionality.

A major milestone was reached in November 2020 when the project significantly increased the range of council services that customers can pay for online or using the automated telephone line.

David Larmour, Project Manager, Financial Services, said: "Our customers were already able to pay for some services online or by automated telephone line but since the Pay360 system was expanded there are now many more options available. We have also redesigned the Pay It page on the council website to help customers navigate their payment journey."

"Customers can PayOnline and by Automated Telephone Payment for key services such as Council Tax, Housing Benefit Overpayment, Non-Domestic Rates, Fines, Rents, Housing and Statutory Repairs and Invoices including for home care and early years."

"We will continue to expand how we use Pay360 to support customer payments. This work has become even more important during these challenging times and in the long term will offer citizens and businesses more contactless and convenient ways to make payments 24/7."

More information

For more information visit http://glasgow.gov.uk/Payit

25 January - Glasgow Life - services during lockdown

To continue to comply with the Scottish Government's enhanced Covid-19 restrictions, the majority of Glasgow Life's venues and services must stay closed until at least the middle of February. This includes all libraries, museums and Glasgow Club gyms.

Throughout the pandemic, some Glasgow Life venues have remained open for activity which is permitted by the Government, including essential childcare and emergency food distribution; this will continue. Some outdoor sport facilities which offer activities that comply with the revised guidelines, such as golf and tennis, will stay open, as will some venues which accommodate professional and elite sport clubs and organisations.

The timescale for reopening any other Glasgow Life venues is dependent on future guidance from the Scottish Government. Glasgow Life will maintain a process of operational readiness to make sure they are able to reopen as quickly as possible when allowed to do so.

What this means for Glasgow Club members

Glasgow Club venues will remain closed and all outdoor fitness classes are currently suspended. There's no need to contact Glasgow Club about payments:

• No February direct debit will be charged

• Annual (pre-paid) memberships will be extended by a month

For anyone keen to work out and keep fit while sports venues remain closed, why not join Glasgow Club Online.

With an online membership you can take part in 29 live classes each week and receive on-demand access to previous live and pre-recorded workouts. Glasgow Club also offers a discount on Les Mills OnDemand memberships as well as a discount on home workout equipment from their friends at Physical Company. 

• Premium membership costs just £10 a month

• there's also a free Get Active membership for more vulnerable users, which includes access to five easy and low-impact exercise classes each week.

For more information, and to sign up, visit glasgowclub.online.

Glasgow Libraries

All Glasgow libraries are closed to the public as required by the latest Government guidance - they are not currently offering a click and collect service for book borrowing.

However, Glasgow Life'seLibrary has a huge range of digital content available 24/7 for work, study and pleasure. You can access over 12,000 eBooks and audiobooks, 100 popular magazine titles and 15 million songs, all of which are free and available to download to your phone, PC or tablet. There's also a huge range of free eLearning resources to help boost your knowledge, business, study and research. Click here to get started.

If you, or someone you know, needs help to get online or improve their digital skills, you can phone Glasgow Libraries' free Digital Support helpline on 0800 158 3974. Lines are open Monday to Thursday from 9.30am to 4.30pm, and on Fridays from 9am to 1pm.

They also have a free Universal Credit helpline to support you with making or maintaining your Universal Credit claim. The service is completely free and is available with translation support for non-English speakers. Please phone 0808 169 9901, Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm.

Glasgow Libraries' school librarians and Family Learning Team are continuing to support the schools they work with to provide resources for online learning as well as for those pupils who are attending school.

Woodside Library consultation - ends 12 February 2021

Woodside Library has been awarded a significant £1.9m investment boost thanks to the council's Community Asset Fund. The money will be used to refurbish the venue, including replacing the original dome and renewing the heating system. Local residents and people who love Woodside Library are also being invited to have their say on how Glasgow Life can create a library that will best meet a wide range of community needs for years to come.

Given the current restrictions in place due to Covid-19, Glasgow Life has developed an online survey as the safest method of consultation. The survey will be open from now until Friday 12 February. If you live in the Woodside area, Glasgow Life would welcome your views and your help in sharing the survey as widely as possible. You can watch a short video with more information about the aims for the refurbishment project here.

More information

For Glasgow Life's latest updates, follow them on social media @GlasgowLife and visit https://www.glasgowlife.org.uk/coronavirus-covid-19-latest-information.

25 January - Approval given for major new television and film studio at Kelvin Hall

A major new television and film studio is set to be created in the city following the approval of plans to develop a £11.9million production facility within the city's historic Kelvin Hall with substantial support of up to £7.9million from the Scottish Government

This is expected to give a huge boost to the city's dynamic screen and creative sectors and it is anticipated that the first part of the new screen hub will be ready to open later this year; with discussions already well advanced with potential tenants.

The screen sector is already estimated to be worth up to £500m to Scotland each year, with around 60% of that in Glasgow.

However, recent changes to how public service broadcasters commission programmes, laid down by industry regulator Ofcom, mean there are now huge opportunities for creative centres outside London to grow.

The city is building on the success of landing one of two new commissioning hubs created by Channel 4 following a bid which utilised much of the strength of the city's independent production sector.

Establishing the new facilities at Kelvin Hall would begin to address a lack of studio space that, up until now, has been a significant barrier to bringing larger productions to the city and Scotland - including higher-budget scripted and entertainment commissions.

The project can also provide a boost to Glasgow's economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.

COVID has resulted in an increased demand for production facilities in the UK, making this the ideal time to invest in a bespoke entertainment multi-camera studio - providing an immediate stimulus to the construction sector and acting as a catalyst for further inclusive growth in the creative industries.

Early design work for the project is already underway and it is estimated that a total budget of approximately £11.9million will be required.

The City Administration Committee agreed to provide £4million of funding, with borrowing costs covered by rental income which will secure the core studio 'box' and screen production facilities.

Scottish Government, through Screen Scotland, will provide up to £7.9 million in financial support for the project, subject to a long-term tenant being secured for the facility.

More information

Read the full media release here https://www.glasgow.gov.uk/article/26607/Glasgow-reveals-studio-plans-for-Kelvin-Hall

January 25 - Council approves £469m strategic plan for additional 4,400 affordable homes

The council has approved the Strategic Housing Investment Plan (SHIP) for the city over the 2021 to 2026 period - a time that will see £469.71million affordable housing supply programme grant funding made available with the aim of building an additional 4,400 affordable homes.

The Glasgow SHIP outlines the city's priorities and resources available for investing in housing, doing so to achieve the ambitions and housing supply targets of the Glasgow Housing Strategy (GHS).

The GHS has two main themes: increasing the supply and improving the quality of housing available to the people of Glasgow; and improving access to appropriate housing. 

The strategy also has six strategic priorities: new-build housing and area regeneration; the management, maintenance and improvement of existing housing; raising private rented sector standards; the tackling of fuel poverty, energy inefficiency and climate change; improved access to housing across all tenures; and the promotion of health and wellbeing.

The new SHIP takes into account the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, in particular the 36 affordable housing development sites that were closed temporarily during the initial lockdown, with a subsequent average project delay of around three months. A key focus of the SHIP is to ensure the delivery of those sites in Glasgow identified as having strategic importance.

The 2021 to 2026 SHIP was developed through consultation in October 2020 with the council's housing partners, including housing associations, private developers, the voluntary sector, and other organisations. The council will work with these partners to deliver the SHIP. 

25 January - Second phase of the Wee Green Grants now open

Applications are invited for the second Phase of the Wee Green Grants.

With your help the budget of £14,222 will be allocated to make sure that all communities can access, enjoy and celebrate their parks, greenspace and open space. Grants of £500 to £5,000 are available.

The public and interested organisations are being asked to submit their applications as soon as possible.

Applications close 22 Feb before a public vote where each person taking part will be able to vote for the three projects they would most like to see funded.

Keep an eye on the https://weegg.communitychoices.scot/ website for details on when the voting will open.

More information

Find out more here http://weegg.communitychoices.scot

18 January -  Your 2021 annual leave

As part of our duty of care, and health and safety commitment to you, we would like to remind you of our approach to annual leave during Covid-19 - which we first outlined last April. 

Our diverse workforce continues to work in different ways and from different locations just now - from delivering essential services out on the front line to working remotely from home, juggling a work/life balance.

It is really important to make sure that you take a break from an extended delivery of service in these unusual circumstances and taking annual leave from the work environment is the best way to do this. This is particularly important for any of you who may have been experiencing stress, work related or otherwise due to the pandemic.  

We know that we currently cannot take trips away - however, it's never been more important for your own health and wellbeing to take some quality downtime away from your work. We are therefore encouraging all staff to adhere to the annual leave terms details in our Conditions of Service - Leave and ask you to plan your leave proportionately across the year.  

We've detailed below the key principles of our approach to annual leave provisions during Covid-19:

• Your leave requests will be considered and approved by your line manager as normal.  
• We're all responsible for managing our annual leave entitlement across the year.
• We would expect that you will continue to take your annual leave - as it provides you with the opportunity to take a break from work.
• As always we will take a balanced and fair approach. We will consider your circumstances against service delivery requirements.
• If you wish to cancel or amend your annual leave you should discuss this and agree it with your line manager.
• Please be mindful that when the normal delivery of our services resume, we will need to manage annual leave requests in line with our operational requirements and in line with the conditions of service.

Given the fluid circumstances we find ourselves in responding to the Covid-19 situation we will keep these arrangements under review.

18 January - Right Care Right Place - how to access NHS services

This week sees the Scottish Government's National 'Right Care Right Place' door drop being delivered to all households in Scotland.

A covering letter from the First Minister and accompanying booklet has been sent to every household in Scotland. The booklet provides advice on how to access NHS Scotland services safely during the coronavirus pandemic.

NHS Scotland is open and available for people with health concerns, but how NHS services are delivered can be different.

The mailing sets out the range of NHS services available and how to access them so that people in Scotland can continue to get the care they need, where and when they need it.

Download the booklet and letter

• The booklet and letter is available in a number of accessible formats, and a number of languages including: English, Arabic, Audio MP3, Bengali, Braille, BSL, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Easy Read, Farsi, Gaelic, Hindi, Hungarian, Kurdish Sorani, Large Print, Latvian, Lithuanian, Polish, Punjabi, Romanian, Russian, Slovakian, Urdu.

• You can download from www.gov.scot/right-care

18 January - Procurement team - supporting service delivery

Our Corporate Procurement Unit (CPU), in the Chief Executive's Department, with a team of 45 staff, oversees a staggering £367m annual spend on goods, services and work, across the council family.

Since lockdown in March 2020 teams across the council family - including the CPU - have had to find new and different ways of working. The team have worked hard to support colleagues across the council family in Health and Safety, Neighborhoods and Sustainability, Education Services, Financial Services and the Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership, to procure works, services and supplies.

Just some of the CPU team's successes include:

• Playing a key role in a project team set up to deal with the unprecedented demand for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) during the pandemic. This led to the creation of a central store which allocated PPE to service areas and staff most at risk of contracting the virus.
• Supporting the Financial Inclusion and Improving the Cancer Journey team to develop an emergency food response across the city. The project resulted in 72,000 food packages and 7,000 care packages being delivered.
• Working with Neighbourhoods and Sustainability to support the introduction of temporary measures to provide additional space for physical distancing across the city. Awarding 39 tenders/contracts and 13 extensions equalling a contract value of £297,298,635.
• Awarding 123 contracts (84 based in Glasgow) - helping to support the local economy (93% of the 123 suppliers are small or medium enterprises).
• Achieving cash savings of £1.04m and cost avoidance savings of £2.5m during the first six months of the financial year.
• Publication of the Annual Procurement Report

Maureen Fitzpatrick, Head of CPU said: "Over the last 10 months everyone in the team has done a fantastic job supporting the council family to continue to deliver vital front-line services during these extremely surreal and challenging times.

"In particular, I would like to thank our two Operational Managers, Marion Mallan and Maureen Buchanan, and Development Manager, Gary Stewart, who have worked tirelessly to support staff and prioritise work to make sure we delivered on vital contracts for colleagues across council family."

More Information

To find out more about our Corporate Procurement Unit, visit Connect at  http://connect.glasgow.gov.uk/article/25200/Procurement

18 January - £25 free school meal payments for Glasgow parents / carers

As a result of the current lockdown restrictions most of the city's pupils are learning from home.

In order to support families of children who are eligible for free school meals, Maureen McKenn, Executive Director of Education has written to all parents/carers to inform them that during the period of lockdown the council will be making a payment of £25 for each eligible child every two weeks into the parent/carers' bank accounts.

The first payment will be made on Friday 22 January to cover weeks beginning 11 and 18 January, and then every two weeks thereafter until the Scottish Government announce the reopening of schools. This will automatically be paid to the families we know about and who have received the winter payment in December 2020.

Parents/carers who received previous payments by cheque have been asked to provide their bank details; mitigation measures for those who are unable to provide details will continue.

More information

You can find out more about eligibility criteria and the application process on our website

18 January - Vaccine rollout for care workers

Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership's home care staff began receiving their Covid-19 vaccinations last week. This follows the successful vaccination of the service's residential care workers.

Of the 2,873 home care staff, 1,000 had appointments last week and a further 556 are booked for this week. With efforts continuing to support all staff to make appointments.

Gordon Bryan Head of Care Services said: "Our home care team have worked tirelessly on the frontline of this pandemic. Despite facing many challenges, the rollout of the vaccine to our staff along with continued vigilance in terms of restrictions and safety measures, gives further reassurance and protection to staff and service users.

We hope that the full home care team will have received the first dose of the vaccine by the end of the month with their second dose following within the next 12 weeks."

18 January - Writing success for Seamus

Seamus Connolly, Group Manager, Neighbourhoods and Sustainability (Parks Development and Bereavement Services) recently achieved a personal ambition - with the publication in October 2020 of his first novel 'Black is the Colour.'

Seamus said: "I don't have any experience of writing but it's something I've always wanted to do. I'd been banging on to friends and family forever so about five years ago - with a lot of encouragement and considerable nagging from my daughter - I started to develop the story.

"After that I just wrote whenever I had some spare time. I shared my first draft with a published author in late 2019 and their advice was that the story had great potential and to continue with its development. I think that provided me with the encouragement to complete the story, have it edited and proofread and ready for print."

Seamus added: "The book is a crime thriller. It's set in the 80's primarily around Paisley/Glasgow with the backdrop of industrial decline and the challenges faced within the new norm of Thatcher's Britain. The main protagonist, Cal Lynch, is seeking revenge for the death of his father years previously. There are some laughs and west of Scotland humour comes across throughout. I was brought up in Paisley so it was a natural location to use to allow the story to develop."

"The book has only been out for a short while but I've been really pleasantly surprised and encouraged by the feedback and reviews I've received so far. I've been asked if I plan a sequel; without giving anything away there are some unanswered questions so I might consider another book, but hopefully not with a five year wait."

More information

The book is available on Amazon in Kindle (£3) and paperback (£8.99) formats from Amazon at https://www.amazon.co.uk/Black-Colour-Seamus-Connolly.

The book is also available at Renfrewshire Council libraries.  

18 January - Celtic Connections - online festival, 15 January to 2 February, 2021

Glasgow's first ever completely virtual Celtic Connections festival opened on Friday 15 January.

This year's event, taking place entirely online, will feature more than 30 unique digital performances across 18 nights - bringing the spectacular sights and sounds of Celtic into your home and directly to your device.

The very best of traditional, folk and roots music has always been at the core of Celtic Connections; uniting global cultures and musical talent. Some of the biggest names from Scotland's music scene will perform as part of a series of specially commissioned projects and performances filmed across many of Glasgow's much-loved venues. International artists have also contributed to the eclectic line-up by recording performances remotely.

The event has caught the attention of music fans across the world with festival passes purchased in 35 countries. With a global audience in mind, all shows will be available to view for a week after they are first streamed, allowing fans in different time zones to enjoy the range of content when it suits them.

The Celtic Connections Education Programme will include 27 mini concerts, consisting of Scots and Gaelic song, clarsach and an 'introduction to Indian music'. These will be made available online so that teachers from schools across the country can use them as a resource for home-learning.  

The education programme is supported directly by Glasgow Life's Celtic Rovers membership scheme, which provides access to exclusive Rovers-only performances and behind the scenes content during the festival.

The festival's Dementia Friendly concerts offer bespoke performances to people living with dementia, their carers and friends. The two concerts - free and available to watch through the Celtic Connections website - will feature Catherine Tinney and Luc McNally on Tuesday 19 January and Robbie Greig and Hamish MacLeod on Tuesday 26 January.

More information / tickets

An 'all access' festival pass costs £40 or you can purchase tickets for individual shows. To buy tickets, visit celticconnections.vhx.tv.

For information about what's on and when, visit www.celticconnections.com

To find out about becoming a Celtic Rover, visit celticconnections.com/support-us.

11 January - Lockdown: Stay at Home

The Scottish Government's Stay at Home campaign is a new public information campaign to communicate the new, tighter national restrictions which took effect from Tuesday 5 January.

The campaign reinforces the message that the new strain of the virus is spreading quickly and communicates how we must stay at home to protect the NHS and save lives.

The campaign includes TV, radio and digital and will run until the 31 January, 2021.

More information

• You can view the Stay at Home TV ad on youtube
• Be aware of the new guidance to stay at home except for essential purpose
• Find more information from the Scottish Government about Coronavirus, here
• Download the Protect Scotland app from NHS Scotland

11 January - Police Warning about COVID-19 Scams

People in Scotland are asked to be alert to the potential for scam messages purporting to offer coronavirus vaccines, or asking for payment for vaccinations.

Chief Inspector Anton Stephenson, of Police Scotland's Safer Communities Division, said: "We are aware of a scam circulating involving a text message suggesting people are eligible for the coronavirus vaccine. If you are concerned you have provided personal or financial information via a link in a message of this sort, contact Police Scotland on 101.

"We will pursue anyone who sets out to cause harm and misery to our communities, and our officers work closely with partners to make Scotland a hostile environment for scammers.

"Our Take Five campaign, which launched recently, raises awareness of fraud, and highlights ways people can protect themselves and remain vigilant to this kind of crime.

"Always be aware that an unsolicited telephone call, email or text message may not be from the person or organisation which it appears to be from. Never click on a link in a message you're not expecting, and remember the NHS will never ask you for money relating to the COVID-19 pandemic."

The Take Five to Prevent Fraud campaign features a range of tips for members of the public about how to protect themselves from fraudsters, and avoid falling victim to scam attempts.

More information

Find out more Police Scotland website

11 January - Do you have a council iPhone?  

If you use a corporate council family iPhone it is extremely important that you regularly make sure that your iPhone has the latest version of the iOS software installed on it.

This is so that your device continues to work properly and receives the necessary security updates to keep it safe. Please note that your device may be disabled and stop working if your software is not up to date.

The current software version is iOS 14.3.  Please check and update your software today.

Our  iPhone user guide [909kb] will support you on how to check and update your iPhone software.

If you experience problems downloading the latest version of the software onto your device please phone the CGI Service Desk on 0141 287 4000.

11 January - Donald - living life at an angle

The council's Gaelic Development Officer Donald MacPhee was featured on Glasgow Live on 29 December and is also the focus of a BBC documentary about his 37 years of living with dystonia - a rare neurological condition.

Donald decided to make the personal documentary to raise awareness of the condition and help to raise money for research into possible treatments.

Donald said: "I was only 23 when I began to experience the first symptoms of what is now known as dystonia. I was a student in Spain doing my year abroad from Glasgow University when it happened. It just came on. One day I was walking down the street and I felt this tic in my neck and my head started to move to the right.

"In those days it was a very unusual condition; even getting a diagnosis was difficult. There was no treatment apart from some tablets which were supposedly to stop the spasms.

"Dystonia is a neurological condition which affects different parts of the body, in my case my neck, which causes spasms and my neck to twist in a certain direction."

Donald added: "I agreed to feature in the BBC ALBA documentary to help promote the condition and Dystonia UK, the charity that supports people who suffer from the condition.

"The programme is about coming to terms with it and helping other people hopefully. Luckily I have my wife and son, who are in the documentary too, and a great bunch of friends and family.

"There's a lot more awareness now than what there was but there needs to be more in terms of raising funds for research and also just supporting people."

The programme, Dystonia: Beatha air fhiaradh (Dystonia: Life at an angle), is on the BBC iPlayer until the end of January.

More information

The BBC programme, Dystonia: Beatha air fhiaradh (Dystonia: Life at an angle), is on the BBC iPlayer until the end of January. You can view it here

You can read the Glasgow Live article about Donald here

Find out more about Dystonia UK

11 January - MBE for East End Nursery Headteacher Nicola Black

Nicola Black, Head teacher at Parkhead Community Nursery in the east end is one of two Glaswegians to be recognised in the New Year's Honour's list. Nicola has been made an MBE for services to Pre-School Education and to the community in Glasgow.

Nicola began her career in the east end of the city, as a work experience placement in the same nursery she is now head of. Her career saw her become depute head of Castlemilk Family Learning Centre before being promoted to head of centre in Pikeman Early Years Centre in the west end of the city.

Nicola's drive to help disadvantaged children saw her return to the east end as Head of Centre at Parkhead Community Nursery. Her work there has seen her pioneer the use of early year centres as food bank distribution points for vouchers and food parcels - allowing families to receive food in a comforting and caring environment.

Nicola said: "I'm overwhelmed by the award which is also a testament to the hard work of my colleagues and to the local community who have supported everything we've tried to do."

Nicola added: "It's lovely that someone took the time to nominate me. We've all had such a difficult year and it's been hard watching the community struggle, but we've all pulled together and rallied round each other.

"I started out living in Easterhouse where I was homeless with my mum so it's great to be able to show people the things you can overcome."

5 January 2021 -  Protect Scotland - if you're 12 or over, please download the App

We all need to continue to play our part to continue to protect our city, and our country.

To help us do that it's important that we all adhere to the Government's restrictions. It's also important that we all download the free Protect Scotland App - which can now also be downloaded by young people aged 12 and over.

Since being launched in September 2020 there have been 1.7 million downloads. The App is helping to stop the spread of coronavirus and complements existing contact tracing measures which are helping to identify contacts and alert people at risk so that they can take steps to reduce the risk of infecting others

A campaign aimed at 12 to 15 year olds and their parents or guardians has been running on TV, Digital, Social Media and PR and on Young Scot since 14 December.

The free Protect Scotland App from NHS Scotland's Test and Protect is available to download on protect.scotand through the App Store and Google Play.

More information

For more information on the Protect Scotland App, you can view the Explainer Video, which is also available in BSL, Arabic, Polish, Punjabi and Urdu.

If you have a question about the App you can view Frequently Asked Questions here

5 January - EU Citizens - we want to help you to stay in Scotland

Following decisions by the UK Government, the UK has now left the EU.

EU citizens living in Scotland will need to apply to the UK Government's EU Settlement Scheme in order to continue living, working and studying in the UK after 30 June 2021.

If you are an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen who was resident in the UK by 31 December 2020 you will have to apply to Stay in Scotland through the EU Settlement Scheme

We encourage those staff who are EU citizens, and eligible to apply to the scheme, to do so today. You can read our updated staff briefing  on the support available to help you with your application and what to do next to help you Stay in Scotland. It also contains important information regarding the changes to the immigration system from 1 January 2021.

5 January - Glasgow's support for cancer sufferers leads the way

Glasgow's unique approach to supporting city residents diagnosed with cancer, has received been hailed the "holy grail" of health and social care in a new report by Edinburgh Napier University.

The 'Improving the Cancer Journey' (ICJ) initiative established six years ago involves a partnership between the council (through the team based in Financial Services) and Macmillan Cancer Support.

The service was the first in Scotland - and it's believed the UK - to proactively contact people newly diagnosed with cancer to offer them support.

The academics behind the evaluation of the Improving the Cancer Journey service now say policy makers should use the project as a working model for other local authorities to follow.

Funded by Macmillan Cancer Support, ICJ was set up in response to people with cancer telling them they had no idea where to turn for emotional, financial and practical help after diagnosis.

Kirsty Whiteside, Development Manager, Chief Executive's Department said: "We're really proud of the difference we're making. The team work incredibly hard to provide a package of support that really makes a difference to people, even more so in these challenging times.

"ICJ work hand in hand with over 200 local support services as well as our partners, HSCP, NHS, DWP, Glasgow Life, The Wheatley Group and Macmillan to make sure that our clients have the best care and support that meets their individual needs.

"We can support with the emotional, financial, practical or physical impacts of cancer which includes carers, family and friends. Nobody should have to face cancer alone; our team are committed to providing true holistic support to whoever needs it at any stage in their journey."

In August 2019, recognising the success of the ICJ initiative in Glasgow, the Scottish Government and Macmillan Cancer Support announced an £18 million funding package to roll the service out across Scotland. Their ambition, to make sure that by 2023 everyone in Scotland with a new cancer diagnosis is offered a dedicated link officer to support their individual needs.

The service has received previous recognition through awards including the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (CoSLA) Achieving Better Outcomes in Partnership 2017; Silver NHS Chairman's Award 2016; Macmillan Excellence Awards 2016: Innovation and the Scottish Charity Awards 2016: Perfect Partnership Award.

More information

• Read the Evening Times story about the success of the project including what academics and service users said, here

• Find out more about the Improving the Cancer Journey service and how to access it, here www.glasgow.gov.uk/icj or phone 0141 287 7077

5 January - New Executive Director at City Building

Alan Burns has been confirmed as the new Executive Director of City Building.

Alan started his career as an apprentice Blacksmith and is a previous winner of Apprentice of the Year. He has held numerous positions in City Building including Head of Asset Management, Repairs and Maintenance, and Procurement; before becoming Depute Executive Director in 2016.

Alan is particularly personally proud of his work in City Building leading a team who undertook humanitarian work in Malawi for four years running.

The appointment comes ahead of the upcoming retirement of the City Building's current Executive Director Graham Paterson and Head of Corporate Services Sharon McGrath who have decided to retire in March following more than 40 years' service to the city construction company.

Graham and Sharon have had many achievements at City Building with the most pivotal being the securement of its future with the agreement of the joint venture between the council and Wheatley Housing Group securing 2,000 jobs and 2,000 apprenticeships and creating sustainable employment for people with disabilities.

The appointment was made by the City Building Board and will see Alan work alongside Graham Paterson through the transition period to March 2021.

5 January - Home care recruitment campaign reaches final of APSE awards

Glasgow City HSCP were recognised in December at the Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE) awards for public sector excellence.

The care team were finalists in the category 'Best Efficiency and Transformation Initiative' - for the mass home care recruitment campaign which ran in April last year. They worked alongside the council's marketing, social media and PR team to run a multi-platform recruitment campaign across two weeks. They then overhauled the recruitment process to make it more timely and less admin intensive by incorporating a pre-screening tool.

Gordon Bryan, Head of Care Services said: "The awards celebrate the best in local government so although we didn't win, we were delighted to be finalists in the category and are very proud of the campaign which was hugely successful for us.

"In total we received over 2,000 applications which resulted in 351 new home carers being recruited into the service.

"Following the success of the campaign we repeated it in September to recruit an additional 150 home carers to support the service during the pandemic."

5 January - Volunteers needed to help 'champion' the use of Teams

As a result of the pandemic, more and more of us are working from home. The use of Microsoft Teams has been a huge success over this time with over 3,500 staff members now having access to Teams on a daily basis.

Brendan Murphy, Head of  Digital Innovation, Strategic Information Technology (SIT) team, Chief Executive's Department said: "We've been piloting the use of Teams since 2019 and the feedback from staff who use it has been very positive.

"To help develop learning and knowledge, we have established a network of 'Microsoft Teams champions' who will work with us, and with staff in their area, to promote the benefits of collaborating using Teams.

What's involved?

• Represent your Service or ALEO on an informal group

• Voluntarily contribute only a small amount of time each week

• Twice monthly meetings - using Teams to learn about Teams functionality and to talk about experiences in the workplace and to share ideas

• Access to specialist training, and to Microsoft presentations to enhance your knowledge of Teams

Brendan concluded: "This is a great opportunity to get involved with something new and which will undoubtedly play an increasingly important role in the way we work.

We currently have 50 champions, but hopefully we can increase this to around 100 by Spring 2021.

"It's really important that we have a good cross-section of Services, teams and roles. By sharing our experiences, we can work together to make the most of this new innovative way of working."

How to get involved

• If you would like to get involved, please contact Gordon Hay by email Gordon Hay (on Outlook)

• To find out more about Microsoft Teams: http://connect.glasgow.gov.uk/article/25449/Microsoft-Teams

5 January - Make your resolution something that lasts a lifetime!

Since 2007, MCR Pathways and council family staff have been empowering young people in the city's secondary schools through mentoring.

MCR recruits and trains volunteer mentors to meet with a young person for just one hour a week - to listen and encourage them.

As we begin a new year full of hope, and focused on recovery, MCR is determined to build a more positive future for our young people. MCR are asking you to #BeTheBridge and sign up to help a young person reach their full potential.

Graeme McEwan, MCR Pathways CEO, said: "This year we're putting all of our efforts into reaching and supporting even more young people across the city.

"There are so many pupils in all areas of Glasgow who would really benefit from a mentor; someone who's there for them simply because they care and want to help.

"We'd be delighted to hear from council staff who can offer just a little of their time each week to make such a powerful difference."

How to get involved

MCR have adapted their sign-up journey, bringing the process online, from info session through to training. If you are interested, simply visit www.mcrpathways.org to register

Join a live information session via Zoom this month on:

• Thursday 14 January, 12.30pm

• Tuesday 26 January, 4.30pm

• Thursday 28 January, 12.30pm

  Email mentor.services@mcrpathways.org for the links to join or visit them @MCRPathways on Facebook.

• If you would like to get involved, please discuss with your line manager.

  More information

• Visit www.mcrpathways.org

5 January - Could you mentor young people for 12 weeks?

We are once again supporting the Industrial Cadets Bronze programme (formerly known as the Go4set Competition).

The Neighbourhoods and Sustainability team at the Glasgow Renewable Energy Centre (GRREC) are working in working in partnership with Viridor and the Engineering Development Trust (EDT) to deliver the Industrial Cadets Bronze Project to secondary school children in Glasgow.

The team are looking for staff - from across the council family - to become mentors to support secondary school children for this 12 week programme - commencing on 17 February, 2021.

The aim of the programme is to encourage pupils to pursue further education and careers in science, engineering and technology subjects and we are actively seeking council staff to get involved and use their skills to provide mentor support to pupils enrolled in the programme.

What's involved

Your role will be to inspire young people - to encourage ideas and help guide the development of their project.

Mentors do not require to hold any specific project management experience or expertise although a science, engineering, technology, environmental or financial or business background is beneficial.

Mentors will be provided full training and support throughout the programme.

Find out more Connect at http://connect.glasgow.gov.uk/industrialcadets