November 2023

1 November - January 2024 pay: key processing deadlines for four weekly pay*

Your January 2024 pay is due on 9 January 2024.

Due to the reduced number of days over the Christmas and New Year period to process this January pay - the deadlines for submitting information/changes to CBS, to be uploaded to the system in time for this pay, have been updated.  

Please be aware of the new cut-off dates:

Mileage deadline

• The deadline for submitting mileage information will now be Friday 8 December 2023.

Overtime deadline

• The deadline for submitting overtime, including overtime worked on the 9 and 10 December will now be accepted up until close of business Monday 11 December 2023.

Other changes - deadline

• The deadline for submitting all other changes/updates to CBS, such as change of hours, work schedules, leavers, recruitment and absence paperwork will now also be Friday 8 December 2023.

Approval in MyPortal deadline

• Note that all changes must be input and authorised in My Portal by Friday 15 December 2023.

*Please note - that anything that is not submitted within these deadline dates noted above, will not be paid in the January 2024 pay. These four weekly pay deadline dates are not applicable to teaching staff in our Education establishments - who are paid on a monthly pay cycle. Teaching staff will receive a separate communication regarding their particular cut off deadlines.  

1 November - It's hard to cope in a crisis: talk to us

Throughout our working lives many of us will have to deal with a crisis. It can often be very difficult to know what to do first and who to turn to for help. This can include just managing day-to day tasks or worrying about work commitments.

Whether the difficulties you have come from personal matters, or you are deeply affected by world events or concerned about loved ones, you can talk to your line manager to make them aware of your circumstances. You may need some flexibility around your work commitments to help you cope or need some counselling to get you through challenging times. The council has provisions to support you; your manager can often help to directly ease your situation or sign post you to other sources.

Employee Assistance Programme - completely confidential support

The Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) provided by PAM Assist, is a free and confidential life management and personal support service. You can contact PAM Assist for any concerns you have. This includes support for things like:

• Bereavement
• Emotional reasons
• Funeral arrangements
• Caring for relatives
• Anxiety and stress
• Dealing with an accident
• Terminal illness diagnosis

This list is just a few examples of support offered, go here for more information.

Support is available to you 24 hours a day, any day of the year.

• Free phone 0800 247 1100
• Webchat pam-assist.co.uk
• Email counsellingteam@pamassist.co.uk / info@pamwellbeing.co.uk

Register at www.pamassist.co.ukwith organisational code GCC.

Guidance for Managers

PAM Assist is also a useful resource for managers, find out more about guidance and resources for managers here.

Health and wellbeing handbook

Have you heard about this handbook? It's dedicated to supporting all staff - take a quick read here, you may find something useful for you right now.

Other support

No matter what you're dealing with, you'll find a range of support on our dedicated health and wellbeing web pages here.

1 November - Our City Chambers:take the virtual tour and learn more!

St Mungo's Primary School, based in the Townhead area of the city, recently worked with the Glasgow City Heritage Trust (GCHT) and our civic officers to help to create a fantastic digital learning resource for children.

The virtual resource has been created to help school children explore the architecture, design and social heritage of the City Chambers in George Square.

Andrea Reid, Senior Education Officer, Education Services explains: "This teaching resource is simply brilliant for helping our Glasgow pupils to learn more about the heritage of one of our most iconic buildings in the city. It is full of amazing facts and interesting information and brings the whole building to life as it takes them on a journey through key areas and rooms.  We are delighted to have been able to work with GCHT on this resource, which supports their amazing Gallus Glasgow work. It is a great resource to support any future class visits to the building and all our primary 7 pupils have received a leaflet with this information about how to access the site and take the virtual building tour.

"The detailed information will also be of interest to council officers as it could be used to support presentations on our city. We would encourage all staff to take time to check out the site and enjoy the virtual tour."

Please allow time for each section to download and then click through and learn as you go.

Take the virtual tour here and watch our civic officer avatar talk about the Chambers by clicking on about this resource.

1 November - About our Services: do you know how to contact us?

Glasgow citizens have more ways to contact us than ever before - we provide more online options that are available 24/7 and can be accessed from a PC, tablet or mobile device.  Our website, email, and live chat facilities are available to citizens as well as continuing to provide telephony and face to face channels for our customers who are unable to use online services.

If you need to direct citizens to our Registrars or Council Tax and Benefit services - you should refer them to the contact information below.

Registrars

Full details of the range of Registrars services, which includes death registrations; marriage and civil partnership ceremonies; British citizenship ceremonies, family history and ordering replacement certificates can be found by visiting our website www.glasgow.gov.uk/registrars

The Service Desk at 45 John Street is only open to the public for prearranged Registrars appointments to:

• register a birth
• produce and/or collect paperwork for a marriage/civil partnership ceremony
• complete an application for a re-registration of a birth/still birth

To make an appointment to register a birth, go to www.glasgow.gov.uk/birth

To order replacement certificates please visit www.glasgow.gov.uk/certificatesonline

If you have any issues accessing any of the Registrars services, after visiting our website, you can contact our Customer Call Centre on 0141 287 7655.

Council Tax and Benefits Services - including Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction.

Our Council Tax and Benefit Services can be accessed online at www.glasgow.gov.uk/payit and at www.glasgow.gov.uk/ct.

Online you can:

• Report, pay or make an application 
• Manage your claim and upload documents
• Manage your account
• Submit an enquiry form
• Use our "Live Chat" facility on the Council Tax website to speak to an advisor
• Use our telephone call back service where our customers can arrange a call-back themselves on the web or a third party on their behalf at Contact Us

How to contact us if you do not have internet access or cannot interact online

• For citizens who do not have internet access or cannot interact online and are experiencing financial difficulties a priority council tax telephone service is available four half days per week.

Details of the telephone number and hours of operation are:

Priority Telephone line                     0141 276 1118

• Monday                                   9:00am - 12:00pm
• Tuesday                                   9:00am - 12:00pm
• Wednesday                              1:00pm - 4:00pm
• Friday                                      9:00am - 12:00pm

Glasgow Life offer a face- to- face service from 19 Libraries across the city - this service provides citizens with assistance to:

• navigate our online services on the council website
• complete forms
• sign up for customer self-service
• set up direct debits for council tax 
• report a change of address.

This service is based in the Universal Credit Hubs in Libraries across the city and appointments can be made by calling the free phone number 0808 169 9901

For all other services

We are available to help with all other services online at www.glasgow.gov.uk

1 November - Council iPhone user? Fantastic new app available for download

We are pleased to let council iPhone users know that our Let's Get Communities Connected App* is now available from the Company Portal on your council iPhone if you wish to download it.

Let's Get Communities Connected is a partnership between Community Justice Glasgow and the Glasgow Girls Club - born from a shared desire to make it easier for people affected by a crisis to be able to connect with positive networks and opportunities quickly. Let's Get Communities Connected is a fantastic directory of interventions mapping more than 800 support services across Glasgow.

As Margaret Smith, Policy, Planning and Development Officer, Community Justice Glasgow, explains: "The information web directory was originally developed for use within the Community Justice community to help Services refer citizens to the right service within their area to support a reduction in the risk of re-offending. We then realised that it had immense benefits for our colleagues as a one stop shop to help them refer and connect people they may be working with, to wider support in their own communities. So, it was further developed into an App for use on council iPhones.

"It really is quick and easy to use, and you can search available services for each Glasgow Ward area - or by category. There are more than 800 dedicated service support routes listed including categories such as family services, housing and homelessness, arts and creativity, health and wellbeing, relationships and addictions and recovery services for example. I would encourage all staff who use a work iPhone to download it and browse its contents - as you never know when you may need the information to help support someone. If you don't have a work phone you can still get all the details online at Home | let's get (letsget.scot) or download it for free to your own personal device from the Apple Store or Google Play Store."

*Please note that as the App was originally developed for linking out to the web, it has a few limitations for council iPhone users. It is useful in identifying supports and calls can be made directly from within the App to those services.  However, you will be unable to link directly to websites from within the App due to data restrictions.

More information

• Understand more about the work of Community Justice Glasgow and the development of the App in this article  and their Annual Report for 2023.  
• Learn more about Glasgow Girls Club by visiting their website.

1 November - Remember remember the impact of fireworks: staying safe and the law on fireworks

While fireworks can be great fun, they can be dangerous if not used properly. During the bonfire season, most firework injuries treated at emergency departments happen at informal private displays. Over half of those requiring treatment are children.

Rockets are responsible for the majority of serious eye and hand injuries, however sparklers, fountains and firecrackers are also frequent sources of injury.

David McGill, Lead Clinician for the Care of Burns in Scotland (COBIS) network and Consultant Plastic Surgeon at Scotland's Burn Hub said: "Unfortunately we see a rise in burn injuries around Bonfire Night, in both adults and children. We carry out an annual audit of firework injuries across Scotland, and last year there were 41 injuries recorded over the four-week period around Guy Fawkes night.

"The majority of these occurred at private properties. Injuries reported ranged from minor, such as burns to the fingers, to severe including loss of fingers and complex eye injuries with loss of vision. "Children are frequently burned with sparklers. There's a misunderstanding of how hot they can get. They can cause severe burns to fingers and hands, or catch clothing alight. Sparklers should never be given to children under the age of five.

"Great care should be taken around fireworks, especially when children are near. To minimise the risks to you and your family, a publicly arranged event would be by far the safest way to view fireworks."

This Bonfire Night make sure you know the law and rules around the use of fireworks, which are in place to reduce incidents and injury.

This year a campaign by The Scottish Government, in partnership with The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, highlights the dangers associated with fireworks misuse:

The law on fireworks - know the rules

• It is illegal to buy, attempt to buy, give or in any way make a firework available to someone under the age of 18, other than category F1 fireworks.
• It is illegal to set off fireworks before 6pm and after 11pm.
• This extends to midnight on 5th November and 1am on Hogmanay, Chinese New Year and Diwali. It is illegal to set off fireworks in public places, including streets and parks.
• It is an aggravated offence to use a firework against an emergency worker.

Think of others- be considerate

• Scotland's fire and rescue crews are up to four times busier than usual on 5 November, wasting time and resources attending unsafe bonfires.
• Fireworks can be particularly distressing to pets and animals.
• Fireworks can be distressing for some people who experience sensory impairment.

Stay safe - acting responsibly around fireworks

• Most firework injuries treated at hospital happen at informal private displays.
• Over half of those requiring treatment are children.
• Sparklers can get five times hotter than cooking oil. Ensure you follow all safety guidance and never leave children unattended.

o   Never giving sparklers to a child under 5
o   Supervise children with sparklers
o   wear gloves
o   Light sparklers one at a time
o   Place used sparklers in a tray of water to cool before disposing of them
o   Find advice on how to keep your loved ones safe
o   Attend a local organised fireworks display- View a list of local organised displays across Scotland.

• Always follow the Firework Code and read the safety instructions on each firework.
• Not all fireworks are suitable for use in private gardens.

Anyone who is planning a private display at home is urged to reduce the risk and follow the Firework Code. View fireworks safety guidance.

1 November - For the Love of Baking: Janet's bakes raise money for charity

Since February, Janet Strain, Revenues and Benefits, Financial Services has been selling her homemade baking and chocolates to raise money for charity. Everyone looks forward to her bake sales and her home baked goodies sell out fast!

Janet's bake sales have raised an amazing £1754.94 with donations going toBreast Cancer UK, the Strathcarron Hospice and for the remainder of this year donations will go to the Teenage Cancer Trust.

Janet said: "I always enjoyed baking and taught myself how to make chocolates and lollipops. I started bringing baking into work and my colleagues said I should sell them - so I decided to do just that with all the money raised going to charity."

"I couldn't do all of this without the support from my colleagues who not only purchase my bakes but also bring me in baking supplies to make sure I don't run out as well as help to promote the bake sales within the George Street complex." 

"I want to thank all my colleagues and everyone who has contributed to help raise money for these great causes".