September 2021

29 September - Former Botanics manager honoured at awards

Former General Manager of the Botanic Gardens, Ewen Donaldson has been recognised by the Royal Horticultural Society for his services to horticulture throughout his career.

Starting his career as an apprentice gardener, recently retired Ewen worked in the Botanic Gardens for the past 43 years. As well as managing staff and developing the gardens Ewen was responsible for the glasshouse at Queen's Park too.

Ewen said "I was proud to receive the 'Associate of Honour' award from the Royal Horticultural Society, especially as only three are awarded each year.

Keith Weed, the President of the Royal Horticultural Society, presented my award at a ceremony in the Lindley Hall in London, it was a fantastic event"

Seamus Connolly, Group Manager at Neighbourhoods, Regeneration and Sustainability said "We are delighted that Ewen received this prestigious award, he has been a true ambassador for the gardens and service throughout his career. His passion for horticulture and commitment to the service will be missed by all his colleagues and we wish him all the best for his retirement."

29 September - Power of Attorney Day 30 September 2021

Every year thousands of people across Scotland lose capacity - it could be an accident, a head injury, a stroke or an ongoing progressive illness. Over the last year, Covid-19 has had a huge impact with people of all ages incapacitated while being treated. The only way you can plan for your future is to appoint someone with Power of Attorney.

Power of attorney is for when you are still here. If you are in hospital for example, on a ventilator, or a care environment or even your own home, no one can act for you. Even simple things like paying bills or managing utilities can be difficult. Your next of kin does not have power to act or even manage your welfare decisions unless you have made your plan.

30 September 2021 is national Power of Attorney day, so check out how to make sure you, and the people you care for, have your say when you're not able to speak up for yourself at https://mypowerofattorney.org.uk.

Thanks for helping us start the conversation, and for keeping it going.

29 September - MacMillan Relaunches In- Person Support in Libraries

Macmillan @ Glasgow Libraries has relaunched 'in- person' support across six of the city's libraries. In addition to the current telephone support service, a team are now available in the library to offer free information for people living with or beyond cancer including family, friends or carers and people who are bereaved.

Weekly in person appointments as well as drop-in sessions offering support and space to talk confidentially are available at:

• Mitchell Library
• Dennistoun Library
• Pollok Library
• Royston Library
• Castlemilk Library
• Partick Library

Appointments and referrals can be made in the libraries, by phoning 0141 287 2903, by emailing macmillan@glasgowlife.org.uk or by visiting NHS Inform.

Pip Lawrenson, Macmillan's engagement coordinator for Glasgow Life, said: "We're so glad to be back and to be able to see people again.

"Cancer is very tough at the best of times, but throughout the pandemic it's been even tougher for a lot of people trying to cope with the illness and unable to see their friends and family for comfort.

If someone needs to talk or needs information, we're here to give them emotional, practical and financial support."

In line with Scottish Government guidelines and existing procedures in place across all Glasgow Libraries, spaces have been rearranged to allow for social distancing. Hand sanitiser and face coverings are being used to keep a safe environment.

Find out more about the look and feel of the relaunched Macmillan Cancer Support and information services at https://vimeo.com/585846962 and to find out more about Macmillan @ Glasgow Libraries visit www.glasgowlife.org.uk/macmillan

29 September - Support our city during COP26 - opportunities

To help support COP26 we have a number of cleaning and catering requirements at both the Riverside Museum and Emirates Arena between 10 October and 18 November - as well as at a number of other locations across the city.

Please share with any family and friends who may be interested in these opportunities.

How to register: Anyone who would like to register their interest, should phone 0141 287 6440. The line is open from 9.30am to 4pm, Monday to Friday. Please register by Wednesday 13 October.

22 September - Majority of Glasgow's Spaces for People Measures Set to Stay

Last week, a council committee voted to keep the majority of Spaces for People measures, following consideration of an independent review which highlighted that much of the infrastructure can deliver lasting benefits including encouraging active travel, and their potential to contribute towards meeting the council's wider sustainability goals.

Introduced by Neighbourhoods, Regeneration and Sustainability (Technical Services) at the start of COVID-19 to suppress the spread of the virus - Spaces for People has delivered a significant number of temporary travel interventions across the city to ease physical distancing in public places, mainly through widening footways, closing roads and creating pop up cycle lanes.

Key report recommendations that will now be taken forward include:

• The retention of all Spaces for People segregated cycle lanes which offer around 40km of additional dedicated cycling space
• To keep footway widening measures and urban greening around George Square and Merchant City, as well as infrastructure that supports physical distancing around city centre transport hubs and bus stops
• That the 'People Friendly Streets' measures at Dennistoun, Shawlands and Pollokshields East should be made permanent
• The removal of all footway widening measures within city neighbourhoods, except for the road closure and associated infrastructure on Kelvin Way

In undertaking the analysis, cycle count data was considered, as was the outcomes of a consultation which showed a 'strong skew' towards the retention of all measures. There was also an assessment of how Spaces for People interventions could support the council's existing active travel and sustainability goals. 

Christine Francis, Head of Technical Services (NRS) said: "Spaces for People schemes were introduced by a dedicated, multi-skilled NRS team at the height of the pandemic to support physical distancing. It's clear however that many measures have proved popular and if made permanent can enhance our transport network and encourage active travel. It was pleasing to note that many of the temporary measures put in place have been recognised independently as having longer-term value that can help the council meet sustainability goals. My team will now go on to progress the work required to make those measures recommended to be kept, part of our permanent active travel infrastructure."

The independent analysis report can be found here.

22 September - Support your colleagues and vote for them in the Scottish Health Awards (People's Choice Awards)

Glasgow City HSCP's Homeless Health and Asylum Service is one of six finalists in the People's Choice Awards of the Scottish Health Awards 2021. The winner is decided by a public vote which closes at 5pm on Friday, 8 October.

You can show your support and vote for the team at https://www.scottishhealthawards.com/

This team provides health and social care assessment and treatment to some of the most vulnerable and complex patient groups in Glasgow. At the start of the COVID19 pandemic, the service changed its model of delivery away from clinics to outreach and more face-to-face contact.

Every element of the service was reviewed in response to the rising numbers of homeless people and asylum seekers in the city. During the pandemic, Glasgow accommodated over 600 newly homeless people in hotels while dealing with ongoing pressures in finding homes for asylum seekers.

22 September - Home Carer Completes Charity Sky Dive

Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) Home Carer Colin McKechnie recently completed a 10,000ft sky dive raising £900 for the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow.

Colin said: "In addition to my job as a Home Carer I also work as a Healthcare Support Worker in the Children's Hospital. I previously spent nine years in the army and was diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

"Upon leaving the army I discovered that helping people was what inspired me, I volunteered with Child Line for three years before starting my job in the hospital working in adult A & E before recently moving to Children's A & E. Working there has saved my life, it is like therapy to me. I absolutely love it.

"I wanted to give something back to the hospital so decided to complete the skydive at St Andrew's Parachute Centre. I've done some scary things during my army career, but this was different. I hate flying so had to fight my fear to even get up there.

"The jump was initially delayed for four hours because it was overcast and we had to wait for the clouds to clear, so I had to sweat it and not let my nerves get the better of me in the run up.

"However, it was an amazing experience and I'm glad I did it. The money I raised will be donated to the Schiehallion Ward which treats children with cancer."

Colin's manager Angela Currie said: "Colin's Home Care colleagues are very proud of him. Well done Colin, what a fantastic achievement for such a worthy cause."

If you would like to donate to the Glasgow Children's Hospital Charity visit http://www.glasgowchildrenshospitalcharity.org/donate

15 September - Countdown to COP26 - the city is getting ready

Work is now underway at the SEC to get the city ready to host the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) taking place from 31 October to 12 November 2021.

Get Ready Glasgow

The Get Ready Glasgow Team - a partnership of Transport Scotland, Police Scotland, The Cabinet Office, the council and Glasgow Chamber of Commerce - are engaging with local businesses and citizens to prepare for operational changes across the city before and during event time. Drop-in community sessions and webinars are advertised in advance to help people prepare.

As a key partner we are responsible for helping to keep the city moving and front-line services delivered in the run up to and during the event. This is alongside delivering the COP26 Volunteer programme.

More information

Over the next few weeks we will bring you key COP26 updates and information on how you can help make changes to live more sustainably.

To help you plan ahead when moving around the city, visit https://www.getreadyglasgow.com/ to read the latest news and planned road closures - this is your one stop source for up to date timely information.

15 September - Climate Week, 13 to 19 September - we can all make a difference

Scotland's Climate Week is taking place this week, celebrating the action being taken across Scotland to reach net zero emissions, in the run up to the 26^th UN Climate Change Conference of Parties (COP26)  - taking place in Glasgow from 31 October to 12 November.

Climate change and nature loss are the greatest global threats we face. This isn't a distant, far away problem; it's here in Scotland and we're already seeing the impact.

Do nothing, or do net zero?

The Scottish Government are encouraging us to aim for net zero.

We are living in a global climate emergency. Our climate is changing and we're seeing the impact in Scotland. As we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic we have the chance to take action to combat climate change and work together to reach zero emissions. Let's do net zero.

We can all make a difference - support Scotland's Climate Week

There are many areas of our lives - personal and business - where we can make changes.  On the netzeronation website, you can find a wealth of useful information on the following topics: active travel; businesses, eating greener; electric vehicles; home energy; nature and the outdoors, public transport; reduce, re-use, recycle.

Glasgow's Climate Plan

Climate Change is greatest challenge of our lifetime. Recognising the magnitude and urgency of this challenge, Glasgow recently developed and adopted a Climate Plan - setting out a framework for action. The Plan prioritises 61 key deliverables for addressing the climate and ecological emergency in the city, while also supporting a green recovery for the COVID 19 pandemic.

The Plan supports the council's strategic priority and long term ambition to become a sustainable, low carbon city, but also a city that is well governed and responds. 

The Climate Plan puts people at its heart, working to ensure a just transition towards our target to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2030.

Gavin Slater, Head of Sustainability, Neighbourhoods, Regeneration and Sustainability said: "The council acknowledges that we have a key role to play in enabling the city to address the global climate and ecological emergency. But climate change is not an isolated challenge. We all have a role to play both in supporting transformative and effective local action to address it, while also benefitting from the multiple benefits that it can provide in building a more equitable, healthier and safer city for all."

The purpose of this plan is to set out the city's approach, pathway and strategic actions towards net zero carbon emissions, healthy biodiversity and climate resilience in Glasgow by 2030, and to further develop the conversation across the city as to how we co-create solutions.

This plan aims to achieve an improved quality of life for our citizens and communities, support biodiversity and habitats improvement, and supporting a sustainable, circular economy to thrive in the city.

More information

Find out more about Scotland's Climate Week and what you can do at netzeronation.scot

You can view the council's Climate Plan at glasgow.gov.uk

15 September - Climate Change training for COP26 Volunteers

As Scotland's Climate Week 2021 gets underway and COP26 draws ever closer, the council has announced the roll out of a special climate change training programme to some of its COP26 volunteers.

The Climate Literacy Course allows volunteers to think green and up their environmental knowledge in time for the global summit. It was developed by Keep Scotland Beautiful in collaboration with Sustainable Glasgow - a city-wide partnership which aims to make Glasgow one of the greenest cities in Europe.

This course, which is independently accredited by the Carbon Literacy Project, will provide a pool of volunteers with an introduction to climate change, its scientific basis, what it means both globally and for the city of Glasgow and what they can do to help reduce carbon emissions and help others do the same.

Taking place over four weeks, a cohort of volunteers will undertake a mixture of weekly live sessions and self-study homework tasks across four modules covering areas such as climate change impact, reducing emissions and taking action, before completing a short course assessment.

Attendees will receive a certification of completion, certifying them as 'carbon literate', meaning they have a level of climate change awareness that allows them to create a positive shift in behaviour.

The pool of volunteers will then train other volunteers in climate literacy and share their learnings with their peers ahead of COP26, which takes place from 31 October - 12 November.

Gavin Slater, Head of Sustainability, Neighbourhoods, Regeneration and Sustainability said: "Carbon Literacy training will have a crucial part to play during COP. The course will give volunteers a unique understanding of the challenges we all face in tackling the climate emergency and the positive steps we can take as individuals. Furthermore, we hope that the training will encourage the COP26 volunteers to become climate ambassadors in their local communities post-event, particularly as the city looks to net-zero carbon by 2030."

15 September - Glasgow's Smart Canal Scoops National Award for Public Service Excellence

The council scooped top honours at this year's APSE Public Service Excellence Awards for work on Glasgow's Smart Canal - a pioneering digital surface water drainage system that works to mitigate flood risk and unlock development potential in the north of the city.

Glasgow's Smart Canal combines the traditional Forth and Clyde canal infrastructure with modern technology to dynamically manage its water levels, providing a drainage system that helps with significant rainfall events. This innovative technology reduces the likelihood of localised flooding - opening up regeneration opportunities across five key development sites in the surrounding area.

More formally known as the North Glasgow Integrated Water Management System (NGIWMS), the drainage system uses sensor and predictive technology to provide early warning of wet weather before moving excess rainfall into stretches of the canal. Glasgow's Smart Canal has created 55,000 cubic metres of extra capacity for floodwater which is the equivalent to 22 Olympic swimming pools.

Carol Connolly, Divisional Director, Neighbourhoods, Regeneration and Sustainability said: "Glasgow's Smart Canal is a truly innovative design that is a first in Europe, and its delivery shows the strength and power of partnership working. This intervention will unlock areas in the north of our city where development and regeneration was constrained due to drainage capacity. Our team has worked diligently to help deliver this complex project and I'm absolutely delighted that they have been recognised at national level for achieving public service excellence."

The £17m project, has been delivered by the council alongside Scottish Water and Scottish Canals through the City Deal backed Metropolitan Glasgow Strategic Drainage Partnership (MGSDP). The wider project also benefitted from ERDF grant funding via Scotland's 8^th City - the Smart City and Green Infrastructure Intervention programmes.

A short animation showing how the Smart Canal works can be found here.

15 September - New Road Safety Campaign - don't get distracted

The Road Safety Unit, Neighbourhoods, Regeneration and Sustainability (NRS), in partnership with Police Scotland, is running a 'Distraction' campaign to target all pedestrians and drivers distracted by mobile phones.

The purpose of the campaign is to highlight the dangers of using mobile phone technology when crossing the road and more importantly when driving. Both pedestrians and drivers will be targeted over the course of four weeks from 6 September until 4 October.

The 'distraction' message will be promoted on bus sides and outdoor digital boards, on a Radio Clyde and Glasgow Times advert, and through social media channels.

• The driver image will display the message: "Don't be a clown put your phone down"

• The pedestrian image will display the message:  "Don't be fatally distracted Heads Up Phones Down"

Research and statistics gathered by Police Scotland show that 'failing to look' is the top cause in all pedestrian / driver collisions.

Data from the European Commission also suggests that up to 25% of road crashes are due to distraction, with 25-30% of total driving time spent on distracting activities. A distracted driver who looks away from the road for just 2.3 seconds while travelling at 30 mph, will have travelled 100 feet without seeing what was on the road in front of them - quite a scary thought!

This new campaign aims to inform and influence drivers and pedestrians to adopt safer road user behaviour as well as increasing awareness of this road safety issue.

Look out for the campaign

Two images are being used for the campaign; one shows the pedestrian with the reflected 'bandaged emoji' whilst the other shows the driver with the reflected 'clown emoji.' The idea was based on the fact that the police can sometimes see the reflection of the phone on a drivers face when they try to conceal it away from view and look down.

The innovative campaign will encourage pedestrians to take care when crossing, but more importantly, remind drivers of the dangers and possible serious consequences of using a mobile phone whilst driving - which includes a minimum £200 fine and six penalty points. Drivers could also be charged with more serious offences, such as dangerous driving, if involved in a collision whilst using a mobile device.

The Road Safety Unit have also engaged with Glasgow's schools to encourage them to share the messages across their social media platforms. This has become one of the main sources of school information for most of the school community and the team hope that posting regular messages from various sources, will have a good impact on both parent and child. This will help spread the campaign message to the wider school community and hopefully make the messages more prominent and re-occurring on school newsfeeds.

George Cairns, NRS Road Safety Development Officer said: "Mobile technology is part of our everyday life. This is a reminder for all road users, particularly drivers, to keep their heads up and phones down when negotiating Glasgow's streets."

15 September - New City of Glasgow College workshops for managers

Managers are invited to attend a range of new workshops delivered by City of Glasgow College in October and November. The workshops will be delivered on Microsoft Teams

Working from Home Effectively

Friday 1 October 2021, 1.30pm to 4.30pm

The COVID-19 crisis has accelerated a move that was already underway, towards an increasing number of people working from home. While this mode of work has many advantages, it does bring its own set of challenges as people adjust to working in an environment very different from a formal workplace. This course will look at these and other issues by exploring topics including:

• Planning and managing your time while home working
• Staying connected
• Motivating yourself
• Looking after your self

Compassionate Management

Friday 8 October and Friday 5 November 2021, 9.30am to 4.30pm

This course will be a customised one-day training session for council staff, covering the following points:

• Building a confident compassionate manager
• Finding empathy with others
• Active listening skills
• Balancing with the business needs
• Coming to an agreed solution on ways ahead on return to work

Who can attend?

All staff with line management responsibilities are invited to attend.

Sign up now

To book your place email Organisational Development  (on Outlook).   

8 September - Glasgow's Executive Director of Education announces retirement date

Maureen McKenna OBE, the council's Executive Director of Education has announced her intention to retire from service at the end of this year.

Annemarie O'Donnell, Chief Executive said: "I don't need to set out Maureen and her team's successes in learning and teaching over the last 14 years - those successes have been well documented and I know that you will agree with me that Maureen's passion, determination and commitment to our children and young people shines through in everything she does.

"There have undoubtedly been challenging times during Maureen's tenure - but they always handled with a smile and she always finds a solution no matter how difficult the problem.

"Maureen's legacy will have an impact on our children, our young people and their families for many years and I know that Maureen will not be able to stay away from education for very long.

"As Maureen said in her email to education staff- her heart will always belong to Glasgow's children and as it should be, they have been central to every decision that Maureen and her team have made over the last 14 years.

"I want to take this opportunity to thank Maureen for the transformational changes in learning and teaching in our schools which have resulted in significant increases in attainment and achievement with more young people leaving to go to higher and further education than ever before and a monumental drop in exclusions - down 94% since 2007.

"I know you will be as sad as me to hear that Maureen is leaving us and I know that you will want to pass on your own best wishes. I will be beginning the very difficult process of recruiting a replacement for Maureen this week and we hope to have someone in post by the end of the year."

Recruitment for the new Executive Director of Education opens on Friday 10 September with national adverts.

8 September - Workforce wellbeing - amazing free sessions for our staff

Over the past 18 months, throughout the most challenging of times, our dedicated workforce continue to deliver for our city - working hard to support the diverse needs of our citizens and keep services moving.

As Robert Anderson, Head of HR explains: "We have all felt the impact of the pandemic since the start of last year in one way or another. We recognise that it may have been an immensely difficult time for some staff and as an organisation we are so proud of the resilience and dedication you have shown. You have kept our city serviced and helped to protect the most vulnerable in our communities whilst we navigate this global pandemic - which is not over yet.

"Your health, safety and wellbeing has been of paramount importance during this difficult time and as we move forward, we want to continue to support you. With this in mind, we are bringing you some fantastic free online mental wellbeing sessions which will give you the tools to feel confident in balancing work commitments alongside your personal life and help you to flourish."

Free sessions

In partnership with Lifelink, a Glasgow based mental health and counselling service, we are offering you the opportunity to attend free online mental health and wellbeing support sessions.

Previous popular sessions have included 'The Art of Relaxing' and 'Re-assessing your Stress.'  For our next series we are pleased to include a session on 'Returning to the workplace post Covid - which will offer practical tactics on how to cope with any anxiety and concerns you may have and how best to support one another.

Register - first come first served

• To book your place view our timetable of events at Get Involved (September) here - select your preferred session and date.
• Click the link to register your attendance and reserve your place.
• Please speak to your manager if you need time and resources to attend.
• Spaces fill up fast so don't delay - book your session today.

Staff who attended our previous sessions said:

• "thoroughly enjoyed the informative session - made me realise I don't take time to look after my own wellbeing. I have learnt how to improve and maintain my own wellbeing."
   
• "gave me a better understanding and helped me realise I am not alone with my fears and anxiety - whilst also giving me tools and skills to help gain a better wellbeing."
   
• "I found it really valuable being provided with tools to look, feel, react and ultimately, do something different for yourself. I liked the 'helicopter' view of what my life looks like and how I can begin to make even small changes. I now know that it's okay to be a negative wizard and selfish; and that I can be positive at the same time when a negative part of me is in the background and that it does serve a positive purpose."

More information

• Health and wellbeing support available on our dedicated staff page.
• Timetable of Lifelink sessions can be viewed on our Health and Wellbeing Get Involved page  (Get Involved / September).

8 September - Meet the Leadership Team Event - COP26 and Sustainability

You are invited to attend our first new regular Meet the Leadership Team event launching in October.

The first event will focus on COP26 and the council's strategy for making the city greener and more sustainable.

This informal event will provide the opportunity for participants to ask questions and hear from:

Annemarie O'Donnell - Chief Executive

George Gillespie - Executive Director, Neighbourhoods Regeneration and Sustainability

Colin Edgar - Head of Communications and Strategic Partnerships

Michelle McGinty - Head of Corporate Policy and Governance

Event details

• Tuesday 5 October 2021, from 1pm to 2pm

• The event will be held on Microsoft Teams and is open to all council staff

Sign up now

To book a place email Organisational Development  (on Outlook)   

8 September - Creating Liveable Neighbourhoods

Teams at Neighbourhoods, Regeneration and Sustainability (NRS) are working hard to deliver the first phase of the Liveable Neighbourhoods Plan (LNP).

This is a new and creative piece of work which emerged from the Connecting Communities activity, which last year involved a city-wide public conversation. The conversation gave residents an opportunity to have their say on how Glasgow's transport network should function in the next decade and beyond. The outputs of this work also include a new Glasgow Transport Strategy, an Active Travel Strategy and a City Centre Transformation Plan.

The vision of LNP for Glasgow aims to reduce the city's dependency on cars and make walking, cycling and public transport the first choice. It's essential that residents benefit from safer, quieter streets that facilitate play, walking and cycling.

Through an area-based approach, the LNP will help to develop an inclusive network of accessible and revitalised neighbourhoods designed for the benefit of all, with integrated green infrastructure and enhanced public spaces.

The council recognises the need to build climate resilience into our city to help us face the climate emergency. We have to respond to the rapid changes we're experiencing in the way we live and work in the wake of the pandemic. The LNP has a role to play in both of these.

Alex Robb, LNP Project Officer, said: "The LNP will empower communities to collaborate with the council in reallocating space to people, and make it easier for people to make their everyday journeys through walking, wheeling and cycling.

"This is an exciting development for the city which will blend the 20-minute Neighbourhood Concept and the Scottish Government's Place Standard in a way which will allow communities to influence changes best suited to their local area."

The work will be undertaken throughout the city in six phases. Work recently commenced with site visits, where the Liveabale Neighbourhoods (LN) Officersand Project Management and Design (PMD) joined Councillor Richardsonfor a cycle tour of Langside, Mount Florida and Toryglen (pictured); followed by a cycle tour of the Ruchill and Possilpark LN area.

Alex added: "These visits were invaluable to understand the challenges and opportunities of delivering the LNP in these neighbourhoods."

Derek Dunsire, Group Manager Liveable Neighbourhoods, said: "It was great for the team to carry out site visits recently to help us progress the first phaseof liveable neighbourhood activity.

"This is an exciting programme for Glasgow which will deliver place-based changes taking account of the particular conditions and opportunities that exist within local neighbourhoods.

More information

Find out more about Liveable Neighbourhoods through the LN Storymap and Toolkit.  

8 September - Moving Forward with Spaces for People

Ahead of the APSE Public Service Excellence Awards ceremony tomorrow (9 September 2021), the Neighbourhoods, Regeneration and Sustainability (NRS) team who delivered Spaces for People are continuing to drive the programme into its next stage. They are exploring the potential for some of the temporary schemes delivered through the programme to become permanent.

Last year and in response to the pandemic, the NRS Technical Team which led on Spaces for People submitted a detailed funding bid to Sustrans to deliver temporary travel infrastructure to suppress COVID-19. After securing the highest grant award in Scotland, the Technical Team went on to design and deliver schemes across the city that would provide additional public space for walking, wheeling and cycling.

To implement the vast array of Spaces for People measures planned, NRS drew together a highly skilled, multi-disciplinary team of technicians and civil engineers from design and roads maintenance backgrounds, horticultural staff, blacksmiths, cleansing operatives, road workers and external contractors. The core team worked closely with other colleagues across the council including Legal Services, Procurement and Communications. Much of the early work on Spaces for People was undertaken at the very start of lockdown which presented significant challenges for staff; including remote working limitations, contractor unavailability and a surge in demand for materials such as barriers and planters.

A determined but flexible approach was adopted to deliver interventions, such as working with unfamiliar materials such as the Zicla planters (pictured). A lack of materials available was also partly overcome by working with a local charity specialising in wood recycling who were able to manufacture and supply a sustainable solution that helped deliver physical distancing projects and allowed for urban greening in our neighbourhoods and across the city centre.

Christine Francis, Head of Technical Services, NRS said: "I'm delighted that Spaces for People has been acknowledged in this way by APSE. It comes off the back of the hard work, tenacity and sheer determination of the team to deliver projects that have helped to suppress the virus as well as providing extra - and in some cases greener space - that's now being enjoyed by the public.

"I'm very proud of the work of all those involved and that many of the measures implemented were so well received and could, if approved, become part of our permanent active travel offering."

A report making recommendations into which Spaces for People measures should be retained will go before a council committee for consideration in the coming weeks - offering a great opportunity for measures designed initially by NRS staff to supress COVID-19, to become permanent infrastructure and supporting the council's wider active travel and sustainability ambitions.

1 September - Learn the 'power of hello' and how it can help to save lives

The Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure has developed a video training module to help frontline staff understand how being vigilant can help to prevent a hostile attack.

The short informative video is available for all staff to watch and is a great follow up to our ACT training. The SCaN - See, Check and Notify video gives guidance on raising awareness in detecting and disrupting suspicious activity.  

• See - understanding what hostile reconnaissance is and how to spot it

• Check - knowing what to do if you suspect hostile reconnaissance or identify suspicious activity

• Notify - who should you tell and what should you tell them

It covers key topics for front line staff such as:

• how a hostile thinks and feels when undertaking hostile reconnaissance as part of attack planning
• how the power of hello can disrupt hostile reconnaissance and suspicious activity

• what a security operative can and cannot legally do, if they suspect hostile reconnaissance or identify suspicious activity

• the importance of having and maintaining good situational awareness

• what to consider when communicating with a face covering.

This module will support staff knowledge from our recent ACT training - a core course on GOLD that all staff have been encouraged to take. Remember that we all have a part to play to keep our staff and citizens safe. Find out how you can make a real difference to deny, detect and deter a potential attack by being vigilant to suspicious activity.

More information

Visit our #Safe Glasgow page and watch the video at the bottom of this page on Connect so you know what to do:  Glasgow Intranet - Stay Safe - how to prevent / what to do in the event of an attack

1 September - #Safe Glasgow - treat it like your toothbrush!

Your council network login password is the key to our corporate systems which can hold both your corporate and personal data.

Choosing a secure and strong password is paramount to keeping our data secure and reducing the risk of our IT network being compromised.

A recent IT health check carried out by CGI, our IT provider, identified that a lot of staff have weak login passwords. Although at this current time you are not being asked to change your password as often, you should still always make sure that you create a strong password and regularly update and change it.

If you have a weak password, sophisticated software can crack this within minutes. This puts both yourself, the council and our citizens at risk as personal identity information could be stolen.

Weak versus strong

All staff with access to our network should read our staff guide on managing your password - it gives some great top tips on how to create a strong password for both work and personal life.

It shows how you could create a strong password using your favourite song, movie or a phrase you like as the code using different characters to intensify it.

For example:

• I think that Coca-Cola is better than Pepsi would give you 1ttC-CibtP!

• Jack Nicholson in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest would give you JN1FOtCN

You should treat your password like your toothbrush:

· Don't share it with anyone

· Change it every 3 months

· Make sure it's a good (strong) one

· Don't recycle an old one.

· One toothbrush per bathroom! Don't be tempted to use your council password on other systems, particularly if you use your council email address as a username.

An alternative approach is to use three random words - but you will need to add numbers and special characters to these to meet our complexity rules, giving something like lamp1Heater&washing.

You should avoid using any of the following in your password:

• Names of any kind - such as your username, your first or last name, your spouse's or child's or pet's name. Names of sports clubs - particularly football clubs - should also be avoided
• Any kind of easily obtained information - such asyour address, birthday, telephone number
• Sensitive information - such as your bank card PIN number.
• Obvious words - such as "secret" or "password"
• Obvious substitutions such as "p@$$w0rd"
• Physical keyboard sequences such as "1qaz2wsx"

Password Security

A social engineer is a person who will try to manipulate a computer user by using trust rather than exploiting computer security holes. Be aware of anyone who wants to log on to your machine to send a quick email or anyone who claims to be an administrator and requests a password for various purposes. If you are working from home, this may be a call from someone claiming to be from your Internet Service Provider.

Never send your password through email. A new trick that hackers use is to try to get people to give away their passwords and other personal information through email. Reputable companies will never ask you to send a password through email. If you receive such a request, verify the company's real phone number or email address and notify them immediately by phone or through their website (without disclosing your password. No-one, not even your legitimate bank or our ICT provider, will ever ask you for your login password.)

Phishing Scams

A phishing scam is when someone attempts to acquire your personal information by pretending to be a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication. Every day thousands of people fall for a phishing scam and voluntarily give away their personal information, including their passwords, to a criminal.

Phishing warning signs

• Non-personalised greeting such as "Dear User" or "Dear Customer."
• Urgent/threatening language such as "Your access will be blocked if you do not..." or "Your account will be terminated if you do not..." is often used to elicit a response from you.
• URLs that don't match and are not secure - if an email has a link, be cautious. If you're not on a touch device, hover over the link with your mouse. Does the URL displayed match what you're expecting? Never log into a website that's not secure -- look for "https://."
• Poor grammar/misspellings or the subject matter doesn't relate to the title.
• Request for personal information.

Why should you change it every three months?

A strong password is one that you change on a regular basis. A good practice is to change your password at least every three to six months.

There are several reasons for this. First, passwords are often stolen without the knowledge of the victim, and stolen passwords often aren't used immediately. They're collected, sold to organised crime, rebundled and resold, and left unused for some time. Even if you're not aware your password was stolen, if you change it periodically you may change it before a thief has an opportunity to use it. Second, computers are always getting faster. It's possible to guess your password through sheer persistent computer effort. With current technology, this takes months if you have a strong password. If you change your password every three months, any brute force attack that takes longer is ineffective. You can check your own account at Have I Been Pwned: Check if your email has been compromised in a data breach

Simple password rule always keep it secret and keep it safe.

More information

Read our staff guide on how to set a strong password - if you don't have access to Connect please speak to your manager.

Visit #SafeGlasgow for more detailed information and staff support on how to protect our information.

1 September - ChoiceWorks Employability Programme

A small team at Neighbourhoods, Regeneration and Sustainability are responsible for delivering an innovative employability programme called 'ChoiceWorks.'

The programme aims to change the behaviour of participants who have a history of offending behaviour and are not in employment, education or training. Participants must be aged 16 years and over, reside within the city boundary.

The European-funded programme was established in 2016 and to date has supported around 370 people to reach a more positive outcome.

The initiative provides appropriate and proportionate interventions, allowing the individual to make positive choices in their life by making the most of their potential to gain employment, training, education, or to stop or reduce their offending

Participants can self-refer or can be identified through a range of referral routes including Social Work, Housing Associations, Community Payback and other agencies working with this group.

The programme is delivered by the ChoiceWorks Team in NRS, consisting of Intervention, Case Management and Training and Employability Officers. The team deliver tailored action plans and also work with each individual to help resolve issues such as mental health, addictions and housing, which can be a barrier to progression.

Derek Brown, Service Manager, ChoiceWorks said: "Before the pandemic, we delivered the service face-to-face. As a result of Covid restrictions we've adapted and have been providing an online service to maintain contact and engage with our clients. Now that restrictions are eased we'll assess what option is best for each individual and for the team.

"It's been a challenging 18 months for everyone - both our service users and our officers. But I believe the team have continued to make a real difference to the lives of those we work with who have limited opportunities to move forward to a positive destination."

Over the next few months ChoiceWorks will be hosting Interactive sessions on MS Teams to provide more information on the service they deliver.

Online interactive sessions:

• Wednesday 27 October 2021 at 11am

• Tuesday 9 November 2021 at 2pm

• Wednesday 10 November 2021 at 11am

• Tuesday 7 December 2021 at 11am

  More information

• If you would like to sign up to one of these sessions or discuss the programme in more detail, please email commsafetychoiceworks@glasgow.gov.uk

• or phone Derek Brown, Service Manager, on 07823525982

• For more information about the ChoiceWorks programme visit glasgow.gov.uk

1 September - Shawlands Farmers Market reopen

City Property Markets are relaunching the Shawlands Farmers Market on Saturday 4 September. The market will take place outside Langside Halls from 10am to 2pm - offering shoppers variety of fresh produce and foods from around the world.

Tom McIntyre, Manager at City Property Markets said: "We are delighted to announce the reopening of this southside market which has been missed by many people."

Suzanne Pettigrew, Assistant Market Officer, said: "Our farmers market at Partick and our other small retail markets were vitally important during the pandemic as they provided a safe, outdoor place to shop.

"The Partick Farmers Market is very popular for both customers and traders and has recently been named as one of Scotland's seven 'must-visit markets' by the Daily Record.

"We hope that Shawlands Farmers Market will be every bit as successful as Partick when its returns this week."

City Property are also responsible for the wholesale market at Blochairn which provides fresh fruit, vegetables and fish to traders from throughout Scotland, Northern England and even the Faroe Islands.

Suzanne added: "We managed to keep the wholesale markets operational throughout the pandemic - making sure that the supply and distribution of fresh fruit, veg and fish continued as near normal as possible.

"Also based at the Blochairn campus is the popular Sunday Car Boot Sale which we aim to open as soon as practically possible on completion of construction works rebuilding a section of the campus that was destroyed in 2017 due to fire."

Market dates to look out for

Shawlands Farmers Market - 1^st and 3^rd Saturday, 10am to 2pm

Partick Farmers Market - 2^nd and 4^th Saturday,  10am to 2pm

Bridgeton Retail Market - every Tuesday and Friday,  9am to 3pm

Partick Retail Market - every Wednesday, 9am  to 3pm

Govan Retail Market - every Saturday,  9am to 1:30pm

Blochairn Car Boot Sale - keep up to date on social media and our website for reopening

More information

• Find out more about City Property markets at citypropertymarkets.co.uk
• https://www.citypropertymarkets.co.uk
• Stay updated and follow us on Facebook and Twitter: @GlasgowMarkets @GlasgowMarketsOfficial
• You can read the Daily Record article about the seven 'must visit markets' at dailyrecord.co.uk