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Glasgow City Council

2020 Updates

December

Update 22 December 2020

As you will have seen in the recent Scottish Government announcement at the weekend, from Boxing Day the whole of mainland Scotland will be in Tier 4 level of restrictions.

As with all recent announcements this will have an impact on how we provide Catering & FM services across the council. Consequently, we are currently working closely with all our stakeholders on how best to deliver the required levels of service provision over the next 3 weeks and beyond.

As we are approaching the Christmas period we may feel it's appropriate to continue to text updates so that you can be made aware of the most up to date information which will allow you to understand any operational matters that are important ahead of coming back to work.

In the event that we have any reduction in service demand then there will be an opportunity to take any leave that is carried over from 2020. We would encourage you to speak to your manager to arrange this.

In the meantime and despite all the current restrictions have a good Christmas and best wishes for 2021.

Catering & FM Management 

Update from Chief Executive, Annemarie O'Donnell

Christmas message of thanks and update on change in Covid restrictions

Colleagues

As you will be aware the Scottish Government announced changes to the Covid restrictions in Scotland on Saturday 19 December. This is in response to the identification of a new variant on Covid-19 which can spread more quickly.

Along with the rest of mainland Scotland, Glasgow will be placed into Level Four restrictions from midnight on Christmas Day - to help manage the spread of the virus. Today I issued a managers' briefing and your manager will let you know what is changing and when.

Please be reminded that it is still safe to come to work if you are required to do so - this announcement has not changed who should and shouldn't be at work. 

The health, safety and wellbeing of our staff is paramount. If you are feeling anxious and worried at this time please watch our staff video to remind yourself of the key changes we have made to our workplaces to keep you safe. If you need to chat to someone about any issues you have you can contact Workplace Options in complete confidence, 24/7. 

Let's all continue to support each other and keep up the fight for Glasgow and our local communities. Follow the rules and help protect our most vulnerable in our communities. Our city relies on each and every one of us to keep doing our day to day jobs on the frontline or in support services.

Thank you to everyone for all their hard work this year - you can watch my message of thanks here.

Wishing everyone a safe Christmas.

Annemarie O'Donnell

Chief Executive

November

Council Family Review - changes to the council family structure

Message from Annemarie O'Donnell, Chief Executive

I wrote to you all in September to tell you about the ongoing work of the council family review and I'm now in a position to give you an update on the outcomes of that work and the recommendations that the council's City Administration Committee is being asked to consider.

The council family review aims to make sure that we have an operating model that can meet the city's challenges and ambitions, respond to emerging changes, avoid duplication and deliver best value for the city.

City Parking

We're recommending to committee that services delivered by City Parking (Glasgow) LLP be transferred into the council to join the new integrated service, described below, and that support functions are managed by the council's corporate support functions. These services can be delivered more efficiently from within the council and better aligned to the council's priorities. City Parking can then be wound up.

Jobs and Business Glasgow

We're also recommending that the functions delivered by Business and Enterprise in Jobs and Business Glasgow transfer into the council to join Economic Development to provide more joined up business support services for the city.

If the committee approves both recommendations then all staff involved will transfer into the council by summer 2021. Terms and conditions will be protected under TUPE legislation.

You can read the committee report here

I will update everyone on the committee's decision on 3 December.

New Service - Neighbourhoods, Regeneration and Sustainability (NRS)

We will also make the following operational changes to the council's structure. As you know, we've been reviewing the aims and objectives of Development and Regeneration Services (DRS) and Neighbourhoods and Sustainability (N&S). We've concluded that the majority of services in these areas can be better delivered together to meet the council's priorities and the needs of the city, by creating a new integrated service - called Neighbourhoods, Regeneration and Sustainability. The new service will be led by Executive Director, George Gillespie.

Economic Development and Inward Investment will transfer to Chief Executive's Department and Catering and Facilities Management will transfer to Financial Services to support the ongoing reform programme.

The changes will be in place from 1 April 2021 including the staff moves.

A vision statement and objectives for the new service will be developed alongside the new service's governance arrangements and management and operational structures. The key areas in the new service will be:

  • Neighbourhoods and Place, which includes Cleansing, Parks and Fleet
  • Housing and Regeneration
  • Community Safety, Regulatory and Business Services, including Public Health
  • Property and Land Services (Development and Operational)
  • Planning and Building Standards
  • Infrastructure and Sustainability, which includes Roads and Transportation
  • City Deal.


What does this mean for staff in the new service?

The implementation phase will develop new operational models and internal structures that will bring teams together across the new service to work more efficiently together. There may be some changes to line management and teams for some staff as we work through the detail but you'll always be given plenty of notice if this is the case.

What won't change during this transfer is the jobs that staff do on a day-to-day basis for the city. It's really important to remember that during this period of change the people of Glasgow are still relying on you to support them and Glasgow's businesses, particularly at this extremely difficult time.  

As our work to establish and deliver the new service progresses, we will look for ongoing opportunities to reform, make efficiencies to support our financial challenges and consider the impact of Covid-19 and our renewal plans.

There will be future opportunities for your involvement in how we reform services in your areas once the structural changes have been made. Of course, in the meantime, I'd be happy to take any ideas that you think will support better outcomes for the city and I'll make sure these are passed onto the relevant managers for consideration.

You can email your ideas to Ask Annemarie

We will continue to keep everyone updated throughout the implementation phase and most of this information will come from your line manager and senior management teams.
 

Information Reminder about Level Four Restrictions

Message from Annemarie O'Donnell, Chief Executive

As you will now be aware, from Friday 20 November at 6pm, Glasgow will be in level four restrictions for three weeks (until Friday 11 December) under the Scottish Government's new Strategic Framework for managing the spread of the virus.

Under level four restrictions the majority of services currently delivered by the council will remain unchanged and therefore so will the jobs you do on a day-to-day basis. Everyone should continue to go to their workplace or continue to work from home. Yesterday's announcement does not change that advice. There may be a few exceptions and your manager will be in touch with you if this affects you directly.

Glasgow Life is more impacted by today's announcement and they will be communicating the details of this to everyone once the full guidance becomes available.

The health and safety of our workforce and citizens is paramount and I want to remind you about the changes we've made in our workplaces, following workplace risk assessments, to keep everyone safe. The capacity in our buildings has been reduced to maintain physical distancing - keep following the signs and stay two metres apart, wear your face covering in communal areas and maintain good hand hygiene by washing your hands regularly or using the hand sanitiser provided. This short video explains the safety changes in our workplaces in more detail - watch it here.

There may also be are other safety measures in place locally where this has been determined by a service specific risk assessment. If you have any particular individual concerns about your safety in the workplace then you should talk to your line manager and go through an individual risk assessment.

Under level four you should reduce any non-essential travel and not travel outwith your local council area, however, you can still travel for work purposes and use public transport to travel for work, unless you are in the shielding category. Remember to avoid car sharing where you can. You do not need to carry any identification to travel to work.

I'm sure you're all acutely aware of the potential impact of these restrictions on Glasgow's economy and the jobs that could be lost, as well as the personal sacrifices we all continue to make by not seeing our friends and family. It is absolutely vital that we all stick with the rules and reduce social contacts to stop the spread. Reducing the spread will safeguard the city from being under level four restrictions for any longer than it needs to be and protect the NHS for those who really need it this winter.

Keep up the fight for Glasgow and your local communities. Check the Scottish Government fact sheet on level four restrictions for the rules, if in any doubt.

I know I've said this many times recently but I want to remind you once again, the people of Glasgow will need you even more during the coming weeks to look after the vulnerable, educate our young people and keep the city clean and moving. They rely on each and every one of you to keep doing your day-to-day jobs on the frontline or in support services.

Finally, remember, nobody should come to work with symptoms, if they have tested positive or have been asked to self-isolate by Test and Protect. This will not be recorded as sickness and you will still be paid as normal.

Questions and answers about level four restrictions

The health and safety of our workforce and citizens is paramount and it's vital we all play our part to reduce the spread of the virus by reducing social contacts as much as we can.

  • Are there any travel restrictions that affect me going to work?

Under level four you should reduce any non-essential travel and not travel outwith your local council area, however, you can still travel for work purposes and use public transport to travel for work. You should travel outwith peak times if you can and you are reminded that over the next three weeks public transport could be quieter as people are being asked to avoid non-essential travel.

You do not need to carry any identification to travel to work.

If you are in the shielding category you are being advised to avoid public transport.

  • If I am in the formal Shielded category, can I still come to work?

Yes, the Scottish Government guidance advises that if the workplace arrangements can provide adequate protection, you may continue to work. As you know risk assessments have been carried out in all our workplace and the relevant safety measures have been put in place.

You do need to consider how you travel to work because the advice in level four is that if you are shielding you should not use public transport and therefore must not attend work if you can't travel to work independently or with the support from someone in your bubble. If this is the case then you should stay at home for this period, and work from home if you can. If you cannot work from home then for this period your absence will not be counted as sickness absence but COVID related absence.

If you have any particular individual concerns about safety in the workplace then you should go through an individual risk assessment to determine any additional measures that need to be taken and your manager will adopt an individual case management approach to each instance, including reference to HR, Health and Safety guidance and if required HR will advise on a referral to Occupational Health Services, PAM.

If you are in in this category you should already have shown evidence that you are required to Shield.

  • If I have childcare responsibilities for children who are in the Shielded category - what should I do?

The Scottish Government's guidance advises that children in the Shielded category should not attend school or nursery in person. To support you we will provide Special Leave for this period if other arrangements for childcare are not possible. If you are in this situation then you should share any relevant documentation with your manager to confirm this.

  • Can I ask for an individual risk assessment?

Yes, it is the council's position that if you ask for an individual risk assessment to be undertaken your manager should support you with the completion of this and take the appropriate actions as a result. As has been the case for some time, if you were asked not to work because you were in the Shielded, UHC, Over 70 and pregnant - you should have completed an individual risk assessment and you should revisit this if you feel your circumstances have changed.

Level four does not in itself change this and you are asked to continue to consider your own personal circumstances against individual risk assessments. HR and Health and Safety Advisors can provide additional assistance and guidance to you.

You should use the Scottish Government's individual risk assessment digital tool and guidance.

 

October

Help stop the spread of the virus - test and protect

You must take personal responsibility and follow all the rules and guidance in place.

You can read the latest guidance on NHS Inform. For the Scottish Government guidance on Test and Protect and information for people who are asked to self-isolate go to www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-test-and-protect/pages/summary/

Some areas have additional restrictions in place and you need to keep updated at www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-local-measures/pages/overview/

A summary of the current information on self-isolation is below.

You will need to self-isolate at home if:

  • You have symptoms of COVID-19 or you have tested positive for it, you will be asked to self-isolate for 10 days
  • If you live with someone who has symptoms or has tested positive, or you have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive, you will be asked to self-isolate at home for 14 days
  • You are contacted by Test and Protect Service by phone or an alert from the app and asked to self-isolate. Close contacts are defined by Test and Protect Service as people who have been within two metres of someone who has tested positive for 15 minutes.
  • If you live in a restricted area and are contacted by Test and Protect and identified as a close contact of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, you and everyone in your (extended) household should self-isolate for 14 days.

You don't need to self-isolate if, for example:

  • You've heard that someone who attends your workplace or your child's school has coronavirus. You don't need to take any specific actions as long as you and your child remain well and you haven't been contacted by Test and Protect. If you are identified as a close contact, you will be given further advice by Test and Protect.
  • Someone in your household without symptoms is self-isolating as a close contact of person who is a confirmed case, other people in the household will not be asked to self-isolate - unless they have also been in close contact with a person who is a confirmed case, in which case they will informed by the NHS.

Symptoms at work

If you develop symptoms at work then you should leave work to self-isolate straight away, inform your line manager and, if possible, wear a face covering on route and avoid public transport. In these circumstances, your manager will contact the COVID Incident Response service who will appropriately clean the area.

Reporting self-isolation

You should continue to report any period of self-isolation absence in the normal way and to your line manager. If you can, you should send an isolation note to us as proof you need to stay off work because of coronavirus, Get an isolation note. You don't need to get a note from a GP.

If you need to self-isolate because you are following the government guidance or told by NHS Scotland Test and Trace service to do so, then this will not affect your salary or your sick leave record.

For support and advice read staff guidance on test and protect.

 

September

July

June

May

April

March

27 March 2020 - Message for Staff Carrying Out Essential Tasks:
 

  • If you have been identified as an essential worker during this period, you will soon receive a letter from the Chief Executive which you can use as proof to show your status.
  • This letter can be used during your working day if you are stopped by the Police to ask why you are outdoors.
  • It is important that you carry this letter with you when you are working.
  • You will also need to have photographic proof of your identity with you to go with the letter - such as your passport or driving licence.
  • If you don't have a piece of identity with your photo on it, then you should carry a payslip, bank card or a bill with your name and address on it. 

Receiving your letter

  • If you work for the Homes for the Elderly - your letter will be delivered to your place of work.
  • For staff working in all other areas of Catering and FM - your letter will be posted to your home address.

 

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