Dear Colleagues 

Following today’s statement by the Scottish Government some changes have been made to the roadmap for lifting the COVID-19 restrictions.  

These proposed dates are dependent on continuing to supress the virus and the continued rollout of vaccines.  

Initially this ease of restrictions begins on the 2^nd April with the lifting of the “stay at home” rule.  This will be replaced by Stay Local (within your local authority) for an initial period of 3 weeks when it will then be reviewed. 

Then from Mon 5 more restrictions including the phased opening of non-essential shops will begin. Followed by further planned easing at the end of April. 

You can read the full timetable and the proposed dates for all restriction changes here.   

Even with this easing of restrictions we should all continue to follow guidance in place and remember to follow FACTS.  

• F – Face coverings in enclosed spaces – shops, public transport or anywhere else inside that physical distancing might be more difficult. 
• A – Avoid crowded places. Indoors, obviously, but outdoors as well. Avoid all crowded places. 
• C – Clean your hands and hard surfaces regularly. 
• T – Two metre distancing remains the overall advice.  
• and S – Self isolate, and book a test, if you have any of the symptoms of COVID. 

All Coronavirus guidance can be found on People Anytime. This is updated on a regular basis in line with any Government updates so please ensure you check the site on a regular basis. Wider Aberdeen City updates are also available on the external ACC website. 

Stay Safe  

Dear Colleagues 

Following today’s statement by the Scottish Government some minor changes have been to the COVID-19 restrictions in place.  You can read the full announcement here. 

• From Friday, up to four adults from up to two households will be able to meet outdoors, for social and recreational purposes, as well as essential exercise – meetings will be possible in any outdoor space, including private gardens. 
• From Friday for 12 to 17-year-olds, outdoor meetings will also be limited to a maximum of four people. But the two household limit won’t apply.  
• From Friday, outdoor non-contact sports and organised group exercise will be permitted for all adults, in groups of up to 15 people. 
• From 26 March – communal worship to restart from Friday 26 March. The limit on attendance at communal services will be increased from 20 to 50 – assuming 2m physical distancing is possible. 

Next week (16 March) it was suggested that an indicative timetable for the lifting of further restrictions will be announced. 

In the meantime,  we should all continue to follow the restrictions in place and remember to follow FACTS.  

• F – Face coverings in enclosed spaces – shops, public transport or anywhere else inside that physical distancing might be more difficult. 
• A – Avoid crowded places. Indoors, obviously, but outdoors as well. Avoid all crowded places. 
• C – Clean your hands and hard surfaces regularly. 
• T – Two metre distancing remains the overall advice.  
• and S – Self isolate, and book a test, if you have any of the symptoms of COVID. 

All Coronavirus guidance can be found on People Anytime. This is updated on a regular basis in line with any Government updates so please ensure you check the site on a regular basis. Wider Aberdeen City updates are also available on the external ACC website. 

Stay Safe

Dear Colleagues

Last week the Scottish Government announced the Scottish Government’s strategic framework out of lockdown, next week (Tuesday 9 March) the Scottish Government will confirm some changes to level 4 restrictions and consider whether it is possible to accelerate exit from lockdown with a careful and cautious approach.  

Today, the First Minister announced that competitive football can resume for Scottish Leagues 1&2, Scottish Women’s Premier League, and certain Highland League Teams  

The focus of the update today was Education.  

Following the return of primary 1-3 pupils on the 22 February, all p4-7 children will be back in school on a full-time basis from 15 March. After school and breakfast club services can also resume.  

Secondary school children can resume on a full-time basis after the Easter holidays and but from 15 March, all secondary school pupils in Scotland will have an opportunity to re-engage with friends and staff in school buildings before the end of term. Priority will be given to senior phase pupils to ensure they are well placed for certification 

The announcement confirmed that Local Authorities have flexibility on implementing phased return to make sure this experience is as safe as possible, with the safety of staff and children a top priority. The announcement confirmed that some restrictions will remain in place – observing 2m distancing and face coverings at all times in school for the remainder of this term national technical guidance will be published over the coming week and your child’s school will share detailed plans with you in advance of the 15 March. 

Teachers, parents and education staff may be interested to watch today’s full speech, as the announcement expressed her thanks to you for everything you have done to support home learning. 

Take heart from the improving data 

The data is improving, and we have cause to be hopeful, but it is important that we all continue to follow restrictions. Remember to:  

• Stay at home except for essential purposes 
• Do not meet people from other households indoors
• Follow the FACTS advice when you are out
• Work from home whenever you can 

As your employer, Aberdeen City Council continues to support all employees to work from home where possible. Childcare remains available for keyworkers and vulnerable children. Parents who believe they are eligible should contact their child’s school directly.  

If you need help, support, or advice – talk with your manager, and you will find a wide range of resources on People Anytime, including wellbeing advice. Wider Aberdeen City updates are also available on the external ACC website.  

Dear Colleagues

Following today’s COVID-19 restrictions update the Scottish Government have laid out a cautious strategic framework out of lockdown alongside an indicative timeframe. You can read the full strategic framework here.

This new framework of the priorities will allow for a progressive easing of level 4 restrictions following a minimum 3-week cycle.  It is important to emphasise that any indicative dates within the framework are just indicators at this stage and will be subject to certain conditions being met.

A further document will be issued mid-March with further details and the first of these phases.

If there are any significant changes before or after the next review we will let you know. In the meantime, Coronavirus guidance can be found on People Anytime. This is updated on a regular basis in line with any Government updates so please ensure you check the site. Wider Aberdeen City updates are also available on the external ACC website. 

With the continued roll out of vaccinations, the return of some school pupils to schools and now a roadmap for the easing of restrictions there is cause to be cautiously optimistic. However,  it is important that we do not become complacent and that we continue to follow the guidance laid out in the Scottish Government FACTS campaign:

• F – Face coverings in enclosed spaces – shops, public transport or anywhere else inside that physical distancing might be more difficult.
• A – Avoid all crowded places. Indoors, obviously, but outdoors as well. 
• C – Clean your hands and hard surfaces regularly.
• T – Two metre distancing remains the overall advice. 

In the meantime, stay safe.

Sent on behalf of:  Derek McGowan – Chief Officer, Early Intervention and Community Empowerment & Isla Newcombe – Chief Officer, People and Organisational Development

Dear Colleagues

In support of the city’s response to the pandemic, a new NHS Grampian facility for key workers without Covid-19 symptoms has begun offering lateral flow tests from yesterday, Monday 22 February. 

The facility will be co-located at the University of Aberdeen’s Butchart Centre on University Road, where testing for students will continue in parallel with eligible key workers who will be able to book a test at their convenience.  

It is estimated that one in three people with coronavirus do not display symptoms (are ‘asymptomatic’) and may spread the virus without realising it. This type of community testing can therefore provide additional protection for the families, friends and co-workers of key workers; who may be at increased risk of infection. 

Keyworker categories mapped against ACC critical services list for the purposes of eligibility for these tests are as follows and in this prioritisation order:  

You can check this in detail for your role is on our ACC critical Services list. 

If you are in a service that already has a system for distributing lateral flow testing please continue to access your tests in this way. 

Anyone  eligible to access the facility must book their test in advance and this can be done via the booking portal. Key workers can be tested twice a week three days apart. If you have any queries about how you should access your test please contact employeerelations@aberdeencity.gov.uk. 

You will be allowed time away from your work to take a test but this should be at a time that supports organisational needs, so please discuss this with your manager in advance.  

Lateral Flow tests are self-administered to give a quick results, are used for people who do not have symptoms. Test are self-administered by taking a swab sample from the back of the throat and nose. The process takes minutes and results will be sent by the NHS via text or email normally within 90 minutes. 

Anyone testing positive with a lateral flow test should self-isolate and will be asked to have their result confirmed using a PCR test  where necessary to help stop the spread. As an ACC employee you can request a test here or through the NHS direct.

PCR tests are mainly for people who have symptoms. They’re sent to a lab to be checked. Most people get their result the next day, but it may take up to 3 days.

For more information you can read the Community Testing FAQs from NHS Grampian

Dear colleagues,

Following today’s announcement from the Scottish Government it has been confirmed that there are no immediate changes to the current lockdown restrictions, with the limited exception of a phased and gradual return of schools.

Phased return of schools

From Monday 22 February, the following pupils will return to school:

• Early learning and childcare
• Primary 1-3 pupils
• A limited number of senior pupils who need access to school for essential practical work
• There will also be an increased provision for vulnerable children where schools believe this is essential.

Schools will write to families this week to share arrangements for the return with them.

The impact of this first phase of re-opening will be carefully monitored. It is unlikely at this stage that there will be any further return to school before 15 March. The First Minister will provide an update on the second phase of schools re-opening in two weeks’ time, on 2^nd of March.

A new strategic framework for easing restrictions – coming soon

A new strategic framework will be published by the Scottish Government in the next two weeks, which will set out when and how we’ll emerge from lockdown. It will continue to prioritise education, followed by greater family contact and the phased re-opening of the economy, probably with non-essential retail starting to open first.

The First Minister forewarned that the framework is likely to advise against booking Easter holidays – overseas or in Scotland – as hospitality is unlikely to reopen. In the summer, staycations might be possible, but this will depend on the data available nearer the time. 

Better days ahead

So we can look forward to seeing what the careful, cautious, gradual approach to easing restrictions will look like on the 2^nd of March. Until then, a reminder to us all:

• Stay at home except for essential purposes
• Do not meet people from other households indoors
• Follow the FACTS advice when you are out
• Work from home whenever you can

As your employer, Aberdeen City Council continues to support all employees to work from home where possible. Childcare remains available for keyworkers and vulnerable children.  Parents who believe they are eligible should contact their child’s school directly.  

If you need help, support or advice – talk with your manager, and you’ll find a wide range of COVID-19 resources on People Anytime, including wellbeing advice. Wider Aberdeen City updates are also available on the external ACC website. 

Best wishes,

Internal Comms

As the vaccination programme continues to roll out across Scotland, we want to assure you that, if your appointment is during your working day, we will support you with paid special leave. 

You’ll receive your appointment direct from your local health board, please follow any instruction given when they contact you.   As soon as you receive your appointment, it’s important that you let your manager know.  

As your employer, Aberdeen City Council currently have no influence on when you will receive your vaccine as the NHS / Health and Social Care Partnership are following the rollout schedule published by the Scottish Government and Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation. In the meantime, you can find details of the vaccination rollout schedule here . You can also find more information on the vaccine from NHSInform.  

The vaccine doesn’t start to protect you straight away and may not prevent you from being able to transmit the virus to others, so it is vital that you keep following the COVID-19 rules until they change. Please therefore continue to follow the current stay at home guidance, your local protective measures at work, and follow FACTS:  

• F – Face coverings in enclosed spaces – shops, public transport or anywhere else inside that physical distancing might be more difficult. 

• A – Avoid all crowded places. Indoors, obviously, but outdoors as well.  

• C – Clean your hands and hard surfaces regularly. 

• T – Two metre distancing remains the overall advice.  

• and S – Self isolate, and book a test, if you have any of the symptoms of COVID. 

You may have also seen in the press news of a vaccination scam which asks you to register and make a payment for your vaccination. Be aware that no registration for the real vaccination is required and the vaccine is free so you will not be asked for bank details.   

All Coronavirus guidance can be found on People Anytime. This is updated on a regular basis in line with any Government updates so please ensure you check the site on a regular basis. Wider Aberdeen City updates are also available on the external ACC website. 

If anyone experiences symptoms at work or tests positive for Covid-19 you can find guidance on how you need to respond here  

Sent on behalf of:

Isla Newcombe – Chief Officer, People and Organisational Development

Eleanor Sheppard  – Chief Education Officer

Dear Colleagues

Following the announcement on Tuesday it is hoped that week beginning 22 February the following can commence: 

• F/T return of early learning and childcare
• F/T return of primary 1-3 pupils
• P/T return of some senior pupils to allow them to complete practical work for national qualifications. 

Full details of the phased return will be announced at the next review date on 16 February.  

In the meantime, we wanted to assure you that emergency childcare for keyworkers will remain available until then and for those who are not part of the first return phase, spaces will still be available for the children of key workers. Please contact your school if you require one of these spaces.  

Childcare places for keyworkers are allocated where both parents fall within category 1 or 2 of the Scottish Government Key Worker definitions, or where a single parent falls within the categories. The category definitions can be found on the following link: Key Worker Categories. Unfortunately, it is not possible to offer spaces in school to all parents who are currently working out of the home but do not fall within category 1 or 2.  

For a reminder of how Aberdeen City Council’s critical service list relates to the categories of key workers please read here.  

We appreciate that not all of you will have received a space and that for many of you working from home whilst home-schooling can be difficult.  Support is available.   

If your children can’t go to school or to their usual early learning setting the best thing you can do is not to put too much extra pressure on yourself or them and do what you need to do to get through the period. The most important consideration is always the safety and wellbeing of anyone you care for. 

Please speak to you line manager to discuss how best to manage your time, whilst supporting those in your care.   

This may be though: 

• flexible working (i.e. temporarily flexing your working hours to enable you to work around home schooling/caring) 
• through the use of a proportionate amount of annual leave and/or special leave or  
• a combination of all options (for example you might reduce your hours on a temporary basis with the hours not being worked being covered by annual and/or special leave).  

We have produced a checklist which provides a full list of special leave for carers options which you and your line manager may find useful.  You can also find some additional information on the  FAQs on People Anytime.  

• Additional support and advice is also available through Parent Club Scotland 
• The Aberdeen City Council Digital Learning Hub provides support and guidance to parents in relation to digital supports. There are lots of really good hints and tips. These supports vary from family wellbeing, parenting support to adult learning opportunities. 
• Education Scotland also provide support for learning at home and additional information can be found at Parentzone Scotland | Parent Zone (education.gov.scot) 

Stay Safe

Isla and Eleanor

Following today’s announcement from the Scottish Government there will be no changes to the current restrictions; however these will be extended until at least the end of February.  The next review date is expected to be 16 February.  

Schools and Key Worker or Vulnerable Childcare  

Schools are hoped to be able to start a phased return from week commencing 22 February, with final confirmation at the next review. 

It is hoped, therefore, that week beginning 22 February the following can commence: 

• F/T return of early learning and childcare 

• F/T return of primary 1-3 pupils 

• P/T return of some senior pupils to allow them to complete practical work for national qualifications.  

• There will also be an increased provision for young people with additional support needs.  

Details of the next phase of return will be outlined in 2 weeks’ time at the next review. 

For the time being, childcare will remain available for keyworkers and vulnerable children.  Parents who believe they are eligible should contact their child’s school directly.   

Further information on emergency childcare and support available for anyone who is home-schooling will be issued as soon as we have it available. 

Stay at home  

Staying at home remains a legal requirement until further notice and you shouldn’t travel except for essential purposes – such as: shopping for essentials, exercise, caring responsibilities and work that cannot be done from home.   

Please remember you can talk with your manager, as well as access the resources on our wellbeing advice page, at any time.  

Should any additional changes be announced we will let you know. In the meantime, all Coronavirus guidance can be found on People Anytime  this is updated on a regular basis in line with any Government updates. Please ensure you check the site on a regular basis. Wider Aberdeen City updates are also available on the external ACC website. 

Dear Colleagues

Following today’s announcement from the Scottish Government the current restrictions are being extended to at least the middle of February – with a review due to take place on 2 February 

Schools and Key Worker or Vulnerable Childcare  

School buildings will not reopen on the 1 February .   A likely opening date is now mid-February however the situation will be assessed again by Scottish Government at the next review date on the 2^nd.   

Childcare will remain available for keyworkers and vulnerable children and parents who believe they are eligible should contact their child’s school directly.  

Working from Home 

In addition, the guidance on working from home has, this week, become statutory. As such all those ACC employees who can work from home should  do so.   If the needs of your service deem it is necessary for you to work from an ACC office/location every step will be made to ensure your safety and necessary risk assessments undertaken . You must ensure you are aware of all the required safety protocols . If you have a concern please speak to your line manager in the first instance or contact employeerelations@aberdeencity.gov.uk 

There continues to be  a legal requirement not to leave home for anything other than essential purposes, such as shopping for essentials, exercise, caring responsibilities and work that cannot be done from home. As such police are now stopping people out and about. If you are stopped on your way to work, showing your ACC pass should suffice. If you encounter any problems, please talk to your line manager and employee relations as soon as you are able.  

This is a worrying time for many of us and as we continue to live with the virus, it’s important to take time to look after your own mental and physical wellbeing. Please remember you can talk with your manager, as well as access the resources on our wellbeing advice page, at any time.  

All Coronavirus guidance can be found on People Anytime  this is updated on a regular basis in line with any Government updates. Please  ensure you check the site on a regular basis. Wider Aberdeen City updates are also available on the external ACC website. 

Should there be any further changes before the next review on the 2 February we will let you know.  

Kind regards

Internal comms

Dear Colleagues

In a statement given today by the First Minister, a number of new restrictions are being introduced which come in to force on Saturday 16 Jan and will remain in place until further notice.   You can read more about the restrictions here. 

Further guidance and legislation is expected later this week and should these have an impact on council services or your direct work your line manager will be in touch.  

Working from home remains the default position. Only those individuals who cannot practicably do their work from home, should be attending an ACC premises.   

If you have any concerns about how you are working, please speak to your line manager in the first instance or contact  

employeerelations@aberdeencity.gov.uk 

Further advice from the government is anticipated and we will be in further contact regarding developments or additional advice.   

Your wellbeing is important so if you are feeling anxious or worried at all you can find advice on our wellbeing pages or you if just want to talk you can contact Time to Talk or call them on 0800 970 3980  

Employee relations queries should be directed to employeerelations@aberdeencity.gov.uk 

Further guidance on COVID-19 can be found on People Anytime.                                                                                                                                        

A full list of reasonable exceptions to go out has been published by the Scottish Government here.

Also, anyone who has previously received advice to Shield, is now advised that if they cannot do their role from home they should not attend work, and the most recent correspondence received can be used as a Fit Note. Managers should be in touch with anyone in this scenario and support them to remain at home. 

Furthermore, school buildings will now remain closed- except for vulnerable children and children of Key Workers- until the 1^st February.

Further advice from the government is anticipated and we will be in further contact regarding developments or additional advice.  In the meantime, we must all continue to work from home wherever it is possible and practicable to do so.

Your wellbeing is important so if you are feeling anxious or worried about any of these changes you can find advice on our wellbeing pages or you if just want to talk you can contact Time to Talk or call them on 0800 970 3980 

Employee relations queries should be directed to employeerelations@aberdeencity.gov.uk

Sent on behalf of Isla Newcombe, Chief Officer – People and Organisational Development

Dear Colleagues 

Following our message at the start of the week around the changes to the Christmas guidelines and changes to school term start dates please find attached and below additional details around education, childcare and special leave.  

The attached letter from Education gives further details and guidance on how to apply for a space when the school terms restarts, and on eligibility. Please be aware that spaces are limited and reserved for children of essential key workers and the most vulnerable children. 

Please read the attached letter and check the ACC critical workers list to see if you are eligible to apply for a space and refer to this and the table below as an indication of the key worker childcare category that applies for you.  The link to the application form is found in the letter attached. 

Essential worker categories for ACC staff for the purposes of key worker childcare applications are as follows and in this prioritisation order:  

If you fall within category 1 or 2 the attached letter states that you should assume you have a space from the 6^th of January unless you hear otherwise 

Category 3 workers will only be given a space once cat.1 and 2 have been filled and should not assume that they have a space unless they are contacted. 

If you cannot see your service or category on the list but believe you are eligible as part of a critical service please contact your line manager in the first instance to clarify which category applies to you.  

Anyone in a service not marked as critical is not currently eligible to apply.  

Paid special leave arrangements are in place for those who cannot work flexibly around childcare requirements from home and cannot access any form of childcare.  This can be applied for through CoreHR under the code ‘Special Leave (Paid) incl COVID’ with the reason being Dependant/Family emergency (Paid). If you have any queries regarding your eligibility for special leave please contact Employee Relations on employeerelations@aberdeencity.gov.uk

Regards 

Isla

Sent on behalf of Isla Newcombe, Chief Officer – People and Organisational Development

Dear Colleagues 

Following our earlier message around the changes to the Christmas guidelines please find below advice for those who have previously been advised to shield. 

Full shielding is not being reintroduced; however if you were shielding at any point during the pandemic the following has been advised: 

• Minimise contact with people outside your own household if you can 
• You should not take public transport where it can be avoided 
• Whilst shopping strictly follow the guidelines when shopping, limit the number of times you go to a shop and shop during quieter times. 
• Children on the shielding list should not attend in person  
• Work from home if you can 
• If you cannot work from home  – risk assessments are in place to ensure workplaces have been made safe. If you have any concerns you should discuss these with your line manager. 

At level 4 the Chief Medical Officer will issue you with a letter which will last for as long as your area is under Level 4 restrictions, and which can be used as a Fit Note should you be unable to attend work, or while you are in discussion with your line manager about your risk assessment and precautions required to keep you safe whilst working. This letter can continue to be used as a Fit Note, for the duration of level 4 restrictions, and in the few cases where it is not possible to make your workplace safe. The Employee Relations team should be contacted to support you and your line manager if you continue to feel too unsafe to attend work. 

You can also call the Aberdeen City Support Line 0800 0304 713. 

You can find details of the level 4 restrictions being implemented on 26 December can be found on People Anytime.  You can also find further COVID-19 advice and guidance on our FAQs page.  

Your wellbeing is important to us so if you are feeling anxious or worried about any of these changes you can find advice on our wellbeing pages or you if just want to talk you can contact Time to Talk or call them on 0800 970 3980 

Stay safe 

Isla

Dear Colleagues  

Over the weekend the Scottish Government announced changes to the rules for the Christmas period and to the new term school starts date.   

Christmas Guidelines 

Rather than the original period of 23-27 December Christmas bubbles can now only be formed on the 25th December.  The safest way to spend Christmas is to stay in your own household, in your own home and your own local area. However, if you do decide to form a bubble, the updated guidance is available here.

Following the Christmas break from 26 December onwards – level 4 measures apply to all of mainland Scotland for a period of three weeks.  You can read the level 4 rules here.  

School Start Date Changes  

Additionally, the school term restart date has been amended.  

Schools were due to reopen from the 5 January with all council areas back by the 7 January. Instead the following will take place:  

• For the children of essential key workers school buildings will open as previously scheduled 
• They will also open as normal for the most vulnerable children 
• All school staff will also return to work as scheduled and as planned 
• For the majority of pupils, however, the holiday period is being extended until 11 January 
• From 11 January learning will be online until at least 18 January

Further information on the above, and on specific impacts for ACC staff of the move to Level 4, will be clarified shortly.   

Kind regards

Internal Comms

Dear Colleagues 

Following the weekly national review, the Scottish Government announced Aberdeen City Council area will move to Level 3 of COVID-19 restrictions from Friday.  To find out more about the restrictions in level 3, visit the local restrictions page on People Anytime. 

Whilst for most of you this will have no direct impact on your work please visit the Scottish Government website for full details of what this means for the city. You can find more detail of level 3 restrictions here. 

Your line manager will be in contact with you to discuss any direct impact the tier change has on working practices in your area. In some situations this may require a review of the COVID workplace risk assessment.   

We can also confirm that Aberdeenshire has also moved into level 3 whilst Angus remains in level 2.  

If you are affected by these levels, please look carefully at the restrictions in place for you on the Scottish Government website  and continue to stick to rules, abide with the restrictions and remember the FACTS.  

The next review is scheduled for Tuesday 22 Dec.  This will be the last review date until 5 January but the situation will continue to be monitored over the festive period.  Should the situation change during this time parliament may need to review tiers during the recess.  

No decision has been made as yet as to what tier areas will be placed in following the Christmas relaxation. A reminder if the Christmas arrangements can be found here. There is, however, a 4 nations meeting later today regarding Christmas arrangements and if this results in any significant change to the Christmas rules we will let you know.  

For local guidance and wider Coronavirus support please visit People Anytime.  

Stay Safe  

COVID-19 Restrictions update – 1st December

Today, the Scottish Government announced that there will be no change this week to the current restrictions level of any local authorities in the COVID-19 tiered strategic framework.

Aberdeen City Council remains at level two.

With a number of local outbreaks in Aberdeen City and Shire under close monitoring, the data from our region will be considered in more detail over next week and the levels of one or both will be reviewed on Tuesday 8th December or sooner if needed.

Please look carefully at the restrictions in place for you on the Scottish Government website and continue to stick to rules, abide with the restrictions and remember FACTS.

For guidance and support for managers and employees, visit People Anytime.

Today the Scottish Government announced that Aberdeen City will remain at level 2 in the COVID-19 tiered strategic framework. It is therefore vital that we continue to stick to rules, abide with the restrictions and remember the FACTS.

Colleagues living in Aberdeenshire will remain at level 2 and Moray will remain at level 1. Colleagues living in Angus will remain at level 3 restrictions. If you are affected by these levels, please look carefully at the new restrictions in place for you on the Scottish Government website.

Levels will be reviewed again next week.

For a full update and further details, visit the Scottish Government website. For local guidance and support, visit People Anytime.

COVID-19 Restrictions update – 10th November

Today the Scottish Government announced that Aberdeen City will remain at level 2 in the COVID-19 tiered strategic framework. The First Minister confirmed an improvement in the number of cases in our local authority area but no sustained decline – so we must stick to rules, abide with the restrictions and remember the FACTS.

Colleagues living in Aberdeenshire and Moray will remain at their current level of restrictions. Colleagues living in Angus will move from level 2 to level 3 restrictions due to sharply rising trajectory of infections. If you are affected by this change, please look carefully at the new restrictions in place for you on the Scottish Government website.

For a full update and further details, visit the Scottish Government website. For local guidance and support, visit People Anytime.

Dear Colleagues 

Following last week’s announcement on the new COVID-19 tiered strategic framework and a parliamentary debate you can now find full details of the framework and the level into which regions have been placed on the Scottish Government website.  

It has been confirmed that Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire will, from 6am on Monday 2 November, sit within Level 2 of the framework and this will be reviewed on a weekly basis.    Level 2 is summarised below, with the full details available on the above link:  

• No in-home socialising 
• You can meet up to 6 people from 2 household outdoors or in a hospitality setting 
• No non-essential travel to areas level 3 and above (exemptions may apply for work, education, health, funerals or weddings). 
• Avoid car sharing unless there is no alternative 
• No non-essential offices open 
• Work from home if you can  
• Wear face coverings in shops, public transport and communal area of work (canteens/corridors etc). Exemptions do apply, details of which are available here. 

If you are exempt from wearing a face covering an exemption card is now available. The purpose of this card is to support people to feel more confident and safe when accessing public spaces and using public services.  The card is available from Exempt.scot  

Don’t forget to download the Test and Protect app from www.protect.scot or your usual app supplier via Apple or Android. 

All Coronavirus guidance can be found on People Anytime. This is updated on a regular basis in line with any Government updates so please ensure you check the site on a regular basis.  Stay safe. 

Stay safe

Internal Comms

Dear colleagues  

Please find below a short round up of some of the latest COVID-19 updates.  You can find all COVID-19 on People Anytime. 

• Special leave arrangements: During COVID-19 we have allowed up to 14 days paid special leave to support parents/carers who have been unable to a Covid-19 related disruption.  This provision has ceased and we will revert to our standard special leave arrangements. You will now be encouraged to use other forms of leave such as annual leave, unpaid special leave and flexi leave – full details available at here. There will be some circumstances in which paid special leave is still available details of which are available on the link above. 
• Travel during the October holiday: Please follow Scottish Government guidelines on travel during the October holiday.  Details of the guidance are available here. If you are out and about remember to follow any guidance wearing a face covering and physical distancing.   
• Self-isolation for supply teachers and relief workers:   Please read the latest FAQs  for advice on payments as a result of being asked to self-isolate.   

In addition, we would like to remind you to update your working arrangements in CoreHR. As an organisation, we need to monitor the impact Coronavirus is having on our workforce so we have accurate information, on a day-to-day basis, about where and how people are working, whether they have symptoms, and if they are self-isolating.  By logging how you are working in CoreHR you can help us to track this. Find details and how to do this here. 

Finally, if you haven’t already done so, please download the Test and Protect app from NHS Scotland.  You can find out more information and download the app from www.protect.scot or use the buttons opposite or from your usual app supplier.  

Stay Safe 

Internal Comms

Dear Colleagues 

Since March the Coronavirus outbreak has had an impact on all of us across the organisation, whether this be working from home, undertaking alternative duties and/or those that are self-isolating.  

As an organisation, we need to monitor the impact Coronavirus is having on our workforce so we have accurate information, on a day-to-day basis, about where and how people are working, whether they have symptoms, and if they are self-isolating.  In addition, we are required to report to COSLA around our working arrangements during the pandemic. 

We are therefore asking all staff to: 

1. Look back and input missing data from March onwards. 
2. Ensure that each week you record their current working arrangements in the Special Leave section of CoreHR, using the codes listed below.  These codes allow us to record whether we are unable to undertake our normal role, attend our normal place of work during the outbreak or if we are self-isolating.  
3. Keep your records up to date.  
4. If you are performing alternative working arrangements will also need to update CoreHR using these codes.  

This data is also vital from a statutory duty of care perspective, so that we can offer appropriate support, where needed, to individuals based on their current working arrangements.  

For those staff with no (or limited) access to CoreHR, managers will be able to update this information on your behalf.  Please speak to your line manager if this is the case and you require their assistance.  

This week we are undertaking a data verification exercise around this, so require everyone to check that they have recorded their information in CoreHR as required.  Your assistance in this exercise is vital and greatly appreciated.  

You can find also find the codes on People Anytime here.

CoreHR Codes 

If you have any queries, please contact employeerelations@aberdeencity.gov.uk

In the meantime, please remember to continue to check People Anytime for further updates to Coronavirus guidance and advice.  

Thanks

Isla

Today’s announcement from the Scottish Government has confirmed that due to the increased rate of COVID-19 cases across the country, some restrictions are being re-introduced and/or increased.  Some of these restrictions may be in place for around 6 months although will be reviewed in 3 weeks’ time (13 October). 

These new restrictions do not constitute a full lockdown, instead they are carefully targeted at key sources of transmission. Further detail on the application of the restrictions is expected in the coming days but there is no direct impact to currently approved working arrangements across the Council at this stage. 

A summary of the announcement is set out below.   

• Everyonewho can work from home should continue to work from home. 

• A package of support will be available to those who are asked to self-isolate: including help with food deliveries and financial support for those on low incomes.   

• Inside people’s homes (from tomorrow, 23 Wednesday 2020). 
• Do not meet people from any other households in your home or another person’s home socially, unless they are in your extended household.  
• These rules also apply to children
• Children whose parents do not live in the same household can move between homes, as can non-cohabiting couples
• Limited exemptions apply for childcare, and for tradespeople.
• Private gardens or public outdoors spaces (from tomorrow, 23 Wednesday September 2020). 
• A maximum of six people from two households can meet in outdoor spaces.
• You should limit as far as possible the total number of households you meet in a day.

• • Under-12s do not count towards the maximum number of households or number of people who can meet outdoors. Under-12s do not have to physically distance. 

• A maximum of six 12 to 17 year olds can meet in outdoor spaces, with no household limit. Physical distancing is still required.
• Indoors in public spaces (from tomorrow, Wednesday 23 September 2020). 
• A maximum of six people from two households can meet in public indoor spaces such as cafes, pubs and restaurants.
• Children under 12 from those two households do not count towards the limits.
• Hospitality(from 00:01 Friday 25 September 2020) 
• Pubs, restaurants and all hospitality settings will be required to close at 10pm
• Table service will continue to be required in all hospitality premises
• Car sharing: 
• You should only car share with members of your own, or extended, household, and follow guidance when there is no alternative

• The First Minister also advised everyone not to book non-essential foreign travel for the October holiday. 

If you are in the Shielding category, there is no plan to reintroduce shielding at this time.  You can find advice here. 

Have you downloaded the Test and Protect app?  You can find out more information here and download it from www.protect.scot. You can also access the app view your usual app supplier via Apple or Android. 

With the increase in infections and the new restrictions in mind, it is critical that we continue to follow the guidance laid out in the Scottish Government FACTS campaign:  

• F – Face coverings in enclosed spaces – shops, public transport or anywhere else inside that physical distancing might be more difficult. 
• A – Avoid all crowded places. Indoors, obviously, but outdoors as well.  
• C – Clean your hands and hard surfaces regularly. 
• T – Two metre distancing remains the overall advice.  
• and S – Self isolate, and book a test, if you have any of the symptoms of COVID. 

The new restrictions are symbolic of a new sense of normal where we are routinely living with the impact of Covid-19.  Understandably, you may be feeling anxious. If this is the case, please remember you can talk to your manager or access the resources on our wellbeing advice page at any time.  (This includes how to access our confidential employee assistance partner, Time for Talking.)

The guidance is continually under review and we will monitor the situation. If there are any changes which impact ACC services or our workforce we will let you know. In the meantime, all Coronavirus guidance can be found on People Anytime. This is updated on a regular basis in line with any Government updates so please ensure you check the site on a regular basis.  

Wider Aberdeen City updates are also available on the external ACC website.   

Stay safe 

Fraser

Last week I confirmed that we are now shifting our focus to get to the next COVID phase of Recovery. Within this next phase, I anticipate that we will experience a new sense of normal where we are routinely living with COVID. I do recognise that some of us will be ready to move into this “next normal”, whilst others may not be ready and still feel worried about the future. We will enter and get through this next phase supporting each other as one team. We already see evidence of this ethos in action in the DERCs’ thoughtful and insightful webinar from Friday, where they shared their own reflections of the past six months.   

My reflections

As I look back over the last 6 months, I do with so with an incredible amount of pride in the contribution the council and its partners have made to the local response to a global pandemic. It seems to me that we have lived our Guiding Principles throughout:

• We have focused on our purpose

• We have worked as one team

• We have trusted and valued each other’s contribution to the response.

Martin Wylie and Gordon McDade have created a short video which showcases some of what has been achieved. This video is full of appreciation and recognition for the part every one of you has played in the COVID response and I hope as you watch it, you experience the same level of pride I felt in the organisation and every one of you.

As we take these gentle steps to the next normal, it is important that we also take some time to reflect on the time past…

Last week the First Minister confirmed that we will not yet move to phase 4, the final phase, of the Scottish Government’s route map through the COVID-19 virus. Moving to this phase would only have been possible if the virus were suppressed to very low levels and no longer considered a significant threat to public health. The reality is that we will have to continue to live with COVID-19 for some time.  Even when an effective COVID-19 vaccine is achieved, it will be many months before we will have the capacity to vaccinate everyone. Commentators are suggesting that countries will need to plan for a further period during which public health measures are the primary tools for saving lives. In the meantime, the world, including Aberdeen City Council, needs to move forward.

To do this successfully will need us, as a Council, to shift our focus.

Sent on behalf of @Gale Beattie (Chief Officer – Strategic Place Planning, acting as Duty Emergency Response Coordinator (DERC))

Dear colleagues,

Following a review on Thursday 10^th September, the Scottish Government confirmed that, because of an increase in cases of COVID-19, we are not yet able to move to phase 4 of the route map set by Scottish Government. Further lifting of restrictions that were planned for 14 September have been given a revised indicative date of Monday 5 October. Some restrictions are also being re-imposed. A summary of the changes are as follows:

• Seeing family and friends: There are increased restrictions on gatherings. From Monday 14 September, a maximum of 6 people from up to 2 households can meet socially – this applies to all locations for example at home, in hospitality or outdoors in a park or garden.
• Shopping, eating out and drinking: There are increased requirements on indoor hospitality. From Monday 14 September it will be mandatory for customers in hospitality settings to wear face coverings when not eating or drinking, i.e. when moving around. It will also be mandatory for staff working in hospitality settings to wear face coverings.
• Gatherings and occasions: Funerals and weddings can have up to 20 people in attendance. From Monday, wakes and receptions can also resume with up to 20 people in attendance, as long as they take place in regulated venues like hotels, with restrictions in place.
• Sport, culture and leisure: No relaxation to earlier guidelines, so no spectators for theatres, gigs and sports arenas. Outdoor events cannot restart either.
• Higher education: Continue to re-open in line with route map
• Schools and childcare: No changes
• Working or running a business: No changes
• Community and public services: No changes
• Health and Social Care: No changes
• Public transport:  No changes.

If you are in the Shielding category, there is no plan to reintroduce shielding, but further guidance will follow from the Chief Medical Officer in the coming days.

The First Minister has advised that we are likely to remain in phase 3 for some time yet, as we need to be satisfied that there is no longer threat to public health, which is not the case at this time.  The next review date is Thursday 1^st October. 

Read the full announcement and guidance on the Scottish Government website

Protect Scotland

Something we can all do right now to protect Scotland is to download and register on the new Test &  Protect app. You can find out more information here and download it from www.protect.scot

Please share with your friends and family.

With the increase in infections and the new restrictions in mind, it is critical that we continue to follow the guidance laid out in the Scottish Government FACTS campaign:

• F – Face coverings in enclosed spaces – shops, public transport or anywhere else inside that physical distancing might be more difficult.
• A – Avoid all crowded places. Indoors, obviously, but outdoors as well. 
• C – Clean your hands and hard surfaces regularly.
• T – Two metre distancing remains the overall advice. 
• and S – Self isolate, and book a test, if you have any of the symptoms of COVID.

Understandably you may be feeling anxious at this time. If this is the case, please remember you can talk to your manager or access the resources on our wellbeing advice page at any time. 

All Coronavirus guidance can be found on People Anytime. This is updated on a regular basis in line with any Government updates so please ensure you check the site on a regular basis. Wider Aberdeen City updates are also available on the external ACC website. 

Stay safe,

Gale

Dear Colleagues

Today’s statement from the Scottish Government has confirmed that the current COVID-19 restrictions on hospitality and on visiting other households will remain in place until a new strategic framework comes in to place on 2 November.   

Different local authorities will be place under different levels – this will be reviewed on a weekly basis.  We anticipate that the Scottish Government will confirm which level Aberdeen City will be placed into next week (w/c 26 October). 

Full details of the system can be found at here  – with a short summary below of what each level may look like in practice: 

• Level 0  – you can meet indoors in limited numbers (eight people from three households) and most businesses would be allowed to open. 
• Level 1 – indoor meetings were reduced to six people from two households. But still a “reasonable degree of normality overall”.  
• Level 2 – similar to those in place now outside the central belt – there are limitations on hospitality and there’s no gathering allowed inside homes 
• Level 3 – similar to what is in place in the central belt right now. These tougher restrictions include much of hospitality being closed completely restaurants should be able to open at least partially 
• Level 4  – will be used at times when the pandemic is putting pressure on the health service and running the risk of the NHS being overwhelmed. It would include non-essential shops closing but there will be no limit on outdoor exercise, and six people from two households will still be allowed to meet outdoors. 

 Out with this new framework, it is critical that we continue to follow the guidance laid out in the Scottish Government FACTS campaign:  

• F – Face coverings in enclosed spaces – shops, public transport or anywhere else inside that physical distancing might be more difficult.  
• A – Avoid all crowded places. Indoors, obviously, but outdoors as well.   
• C – Clean your hands and hard surfaces regularly.  
• T – Two metre distancing remains the overall advice.   
• and S – Self isolate, and book a test, if you have any of the symptoms of COVID.  

All Coronavirus guidance can be found on People Anytime. This is updated on a regular basis in line with any Government updates so please ensure you check the site on a regular basis.  Wider Aberdeen City updates are also available on the external ACC website.   

Have you downloaded the Test and Protect app?  You can find out more information here and download it from www.protect.scot. You can also access the app view your usual app supplier via Apple or Android. 

Stay safe 

As the additional restrictions in Aberdeen begin to ease this week,  NHS Grampian has published an Outbreak Control Plan for the city.  The aim of the plan is to: 

• Save lives
• Reduce and control the spread of infection as quickly as possible 
• Support and minimise the impact that the virus is having on our most vulnerable groups. 

The Plan sets out how NHS Grampian, working together with the Council and other partners, will manage outbreaks of Covid-19 in Aberdeen.  It builds on experience from the recent outbreak in the city and provides additional guidance on matters such as: 

• the sharing and monitoring of data regarding Covid-19 in the community
• the processes for managing incidents and outbreaks
• arrangements for Test and Trace  
• the approach to public communication. 

As we move to ‘living with COVID’, we’d encourage you to read through the plan to get a feel for how outbreaks will be managed in the future and for more information on how you can play your part in containing the virus. 

There’s an opportunity for you to feedback comments/improvements to NHSG to help inform Version 2 of the Plan – please do take that chance if you feel there’s a way to enhance it. 

As we move to living with COVID for the foreseeable future, the Corporate Management Team (CMT) recently reviewed the Council’s Emergency Response Structures for managing the pandemic.  As you may recall, in March CMT established two layers of oversight to manage the pandemic: 

• Strategic: a weekly meeting of the CMT chaired by the Chief Executive
• Tactical: a now twice weekly meeting of the Incident Management Team (IMT) chaired by the Covid-19 Duty Emergency Response Coordinator (DERC). 

In reviewing the response structures, CMT noted the progress made, including: 

• Approval of a financial resilience plan to address the financial challenges faced by the Council 

• Approval of a socio-economic rescue plan to support the place of Aberdeen

• The reinstatement of the Council’s full committee structure  

• The development of a surveillance function to monitor the relevant data re Covid-19 in Aberdeen  

• The development of risk management and business continuity arrangements across the city to reflect the new environment we now operate in

• The creation of new structures to manage the impact of the pandemic, including, for example, the multi-agency Spaces for People group. 

Whilst both the Council’s Incident Management Team and Service Reinstatement Working Group currently remain in place, taking into account the controls in place, the CMT agreed to keep these arrangements under review, in line with the Scottish Government’s Route Map, with a view to moving to business as usual when appropriate.    

Thanks and stay safe

Fraser 

Dear Colleagues

Scottish Government has recently issued guidance on the COVID-19 risk assessment process for staff. This process should include both a workplace and individual risk assessment for each employee.  (Please note that, if you are homeworking and will continue to work from home, this assessment does not need to be completed until you are likely to return to your usual workplace.) 

 These assessments recognise the combined risk of contracting COVID-19 in the workplace and an individual employee’s clinical vulnerability to the virus. 

The guidance is particularly relevant to the following groups:  

• staff members who are returning to work after shielding
• staff who are returning to normal duties after COVID-19 related restrictions
• staff returning to the workplace after working from home
• anyone who has a concern about a particular vulnerability to COVID-19.

Guidance has been included on the People Anytime pages for you to complete this assessment and follow up with your line manager. You can find advice how to complete these assessments here. 

As your employer, ACC is required to: 

• Complete a general workplace risk assessment and implement measures to reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19 as much as possible. These are in place for all critical services and are required for all services proposing to reinstate.  
• Support our employees to use the COVID-19 age Occupational Risk Assessment Tool to identify each staff member’s vulnerability level. This will be low, moderate, high or very high. This can be achieved by the manager and employee completing the form together or by an employee completing it and either sharing the form or advising their manager of their COVID-19 age. A word version of the form can be found here 
• Follow this up with a constructive conversation with each employee about how they can do their job safely.  

The guidance and forms and are also available on the Safety at Work page of People Anytime 

If you have any queries about these assessments, please contact speak with your line manager in the first instance.  

Regards

Health and Safety

Last week witnessed a one-minute silence throughout the country to commemorate those who lost their lives in the tragic rail derailment at Carmont, Stonehaven on Wednesday 12 August.  An online Book of Condolence has been set up to pay respects to those lost.  Please click here if you would like to leave a message. The families and friends of all those affected by the tragedy continue to be in our thoughts and prayers.

Phase 3 extended

On Thursday of last week , Phase 3 of the Scottish Government Routemap was  extended with some changes taking place. Currently there is no indication of when phase 4 will be implemented. Reviews will continue to be held on a 3-weekly basis, with the next review date on the 10 September.   

Aberdeen local restrictions

The additional local restrictions in place in Aberdeen were reviewed by the Scottish Government on Sunday 23 August. The First Minister confirmed the following for Aberdeen:

• A number of restrictions were lifted at midnight Sunday 23^rd August so that, on Monday 24 August, Aberdeen was broadly in line with the rest of Scotland. The lifting of restrictions includes the five-mile travel limit, restrictions on gatherings and limitations on hospital and care home visits.
• Businesses due to open on Monday 24^th August, in line with the national route map, can also reopen, with the exception of cafes, restaurants or any businesses with a hospitality element within them.  These, along with restaurants, pubs, casinos and other hospitality premises, will be able to open from Wednesday 26 August, only once an environmental health check has been completed.

Read more about this from our Duty Emergency Response Co-ordinator, Martin Murchie.

What we focused on last week

Colleagues in Protective Services, led by Andrew Morrison, undertook a huge amount of engagement with the hospitality sector to ensure understanding of the requirements of the latest Scottish Government guidance for that sector. My particular thanks go to Alison Robertson for her incredible hard work and effort in preparing a comprehensive partnership webinar, supported by Iain Hoey and Andrew Gilchrist from the Protective Services team. They were joined by Richard Sweetnam from City Growth to update businesses about the grants available to support them, and by colleagues from Police Scotland and Public Health. The recording and resources from the event will be available on our Aberdeen City Council website from later today (Tuesday).

Building on their previous collaboration to support the administration of the business support grants to city businesses, colleagues across City Growth, Revenues & Benefits and Finance ensured that they were ready to start receiving applications for the bespoke scheme established for Aberdeen in light of local restrictions.

Judith Mohammed, and her senior team at Oldmachar Secondary School, worked with Public Health colleagues who were investigating a single detected case of COVID-19 associated with Oldmachar Academy. As a precautionary measure, the school was closed to all pupils on Friday for cleaning and was re-opened on Monday. So I’d also like to recognise and appreciate Judith and her staff at Oldmachar for their care and commitment to pupil safety during a difficult time for the school.

To summarise last week, we focused on:

• Supporting the hospitality sector to be able to demonstrate its compliance with Scottish Government guidance for the sector
• Establishing, at pace, the bespoke business support scheme for Aberdeen
• Supporting Public Health’s investigation at Oldmachar

Our focus for this week:

• Environmental Health and Trading Standards colleagues, with the support of colleagues from across 12 councils, will complete the checks on the hospitality sector in anticipation of planned re-opening on Wednesday
• With Public Health, evaluate the learning from the local lockdown restrictions in Aberdeen to help plan any future response both locally and across Scotland
• Share the learning from the Public Health investigation at Oldmachar across all our schools

As we look forward to the city coming out of the local restrictions this week, Oldmachar is perhaps a symbol of the ongoing adaption we will have to do in light of COVID-19 and a reiteration of our ongoing reliance on our vital Environmental Health and Trading Standards colleagues to continue to enforce compliance with all the government guidance in order that we can all stay safe.

Following a review on Sunday 23rd August, the Scottish Government confirmed that the local restrictions in Aberdeen City have been partially eased. From midnight last night the five-mile travel limit, restrictions on gatherings and limitations on hospital and care home visits have been lifted.

Businesses due to open today, in line with the national route map, can also reopen; with the exception of cafes, restaurants or businesses with any hospitality element within them.  These, along with restaurants, pubs, casinos and other hospitality premises, will be able to open from midnight Tuesday 25^th August.

Read the full announcement and guidance on the Scottish Government website, which is updated with changes to the restrictions coming into effect from today (24^th August).

Further staff guidance on the local Aberdeen restrictions is available at Coronavirus restrictions in Aberdeen; this includes advice on shielding, test and protect and travel.

Even as the restrictions start to ease it is important that we continue to follow the guidance laid out in the Scottish Government FACTS campaign:

• F – Face coverings in enclosed spaces – shops, public transport or anywhere else inside that physical distancing might be more difficult.
• A – Avoid all crowded places. Indoors, obviously, but outdoors as well. 
• C – Clean your hands and hard surfaces regularly.
• T – Two metre distancing remains the overall advice. 
• and S – Self isolate, and book a test, if you have any of the symptoms of COVID.

You can find details of test and protect and what to do if you are contacted by the contact trace team here.

Understandably you may be feeling anxious at this time. If this is the case, please remember you can talk to your manager or access the resources on our wellbeing advice page at any time. 

All Coronavirus guidance can be found on People Anytime. This is updated on a regular basis in line with any Government updates so please ensure you check the site on a regular basis. Wider Aberdeen City updates are also available on the external ACC website. 

Stay safe 

Dear Colleagues

Following today’s announcement from the Scottish Government, Phase 3 has been extended with some changes taking place. Currently there is no indication of when phase 4 will be implemented. Reviews will continue to be held on a 3-weekly basis with the next review date on the 10 September.   

Specific guidance on additional local restrictions is available at – local restrictions in Aberdeen. These restrictions are being reviewed by the Scottish Government on Sunday 23 August. An announcement will be made following this review. You can find our most recent update on these restrictions on the intranet  or at Coronavirus comms. 

The First Minister confirmed some easing of restrictions within phase 3, these are subject to any local restrictions currently in place. These include:  

• From 24 August – outdoor live events and outdoor sports and coaching can take place. 
• From 24 August – indoor face to face advice services such as citizens advice can reopen with appropriate procedures in place 
• From 31 August – Gym facilities can reopen for non-contact activities only  

Also, working from home remains the default position. No changes will be made to your current working arrangements unless 

• Your service has been reinstated in line with the route map.  
• Necessary risk assessments have been carried out; and 
• Your line manager has shared these risk assessments with you.   

Find out more about how we are reinstating our services and how we are looking after your safety as we continue to live alongside COVID-19. 

Advice and guidance on working from home can also be found on People Anytime.  

Information and advice for employees on shielding, test and protect, annual leave and wider COVID-19 guidance can be found on the Coronavirus FAQs page.  

Details of any additional changes to individual services will be published on the council website on a regular basis.    

Every three weeks the government will review how the virus is being controlled and decide to what extent it can move from one phase to another. Not everything currently listed in a single phase will necessarily happen at the same time. The next review date for this is on the 10 September and we will provide another full update in line with that. 

Stay Safe

Martin , Isla, Stephen

The Scottish Government confirmed today that the local restrictions in Aberdeen City will remain in place, however there will be a mid-week review on Sunday 23 August. We will share an update with you following this review. A full review will be held on Wednesday 26 August and we will provide a further update at that time.  

The aim is to start lifting some restrictions next Wednesday but this will be confirmed at the next review.  

The advice issued last week (which you can read below) remains in place until the next review.  You can read the full guidance at Local Advice and Measures on the Scottish Government website.   

No changes have been made to the restrictions in place and they remain as follows: 

• Residents of the city should not travel more than five miles for leisure or recreational purposes. You can travel for work or education. 
• If you live out with Aberdeen, you should only travel in to attend work or to attend an educational establishment. 
• Indoor and outdoor hospitality will remain closed.  Take away facilities can remain open. 
• Hotel restaurants can remain open – but to provide food for residents only  
• Don’t go into other people’s homes unless they are part of your extended household. If it is essential that you visit households other than your own as part of your role, risk assessments will be reviewed to ensure that adequate controls are in place. If there is any change to working practices you will be contacted by your line manager. 

Further staff guidance on the local Aberdeen restrictions is available at Coronavirus restrictions in Aberdeen; this includes advice on shielding, test and protect and travel. 

As we continue to live with the virus, it is important that we follow the guidance laid out in the Scottish Government FACTS campaign: 

• F – Face coverings in enclosed spaces – shops, public transport or anywhere else inside that physical distancing might be more difficult. 

• A – Avoid all crowded places. Indoors, obviously, but outdoors as well.  

• C – Clean your hands and hard surfaces regularly. 

• T – Two metre distancing remains the overall advice.  

• and S – Self isolate, and book a test, if you have any of the symptoms of COVID. 

You can find details of the test and protect and what to do if you are contacted by the contact trace team here. 

Understandably you may be feeling anxious at this time. If this is the case, please remember you can talk to your manager or access the resources on our wellbeing advice page at any time.  

All Coronavirus guidance can be found on People Anytime. This is updated on a regular basis in line with any Government updates so please ensure you check the site on a regular basis. Wider Aberdeen City updates are also available on the external ACC website.  

Stay safe 

Dear Colleagues

The spirit of the city was tested last week as it reacted to the tragic train derailment, the impact of intense flooding and the ongoing reality of a COVID-19 spike. Where we grow up influences our sense of self and is instrumental in fostering our sense of belonging, purpose and meaning. I am thoughtful therefore about the dispiriting backdrop to children’s childhood created by these events.  The lockdown will have had a negative impact on some children and this may be very visible to our colleagues as the children return to school, some of it less visible perhaps. And so, there is as much hard work in front of us, as there is behind us, as we all work together to try and give the children a bright future.

The existing temporary public health measures re-introduced to the city are due to be reviewed on Wednesday this week. The purpose of the measures was to slow the transmission of COVID-19 in the city, following the spike in numbers. To be able to lift the localised restrictions, there will need to be a sustained reduction in the number of people infected by virus carriers.

On Thursday of this week, the First Minister will also make a formal announcement on whether Scotland can now move to Phase 4 of the Scottish Government route map through coronavirus. We will consider the decisions arising from Wednesday and Thursday and any advice that is issued and any changes to working arrangements will be communicated to you.

Ultimately the development and delivery of a safe and effective vaccine will enable the full transition from the current public health measures. Until that is achieved, the risk of a resurgence of the disease will continue, as we have witnessed in Aberdeen, and it will need to be sustainably controlled through the application of intermittent public health measures.

As we all worked our way together through the experience of these localised measures  and learnt to adapt, we’ll need to prepare for further cycles of the lifting and re-imposing of restrictions in the future – I’m confident we’ll be able to do that.

Someone once said, “hope is a feeling that life and work have meaning regardless of the state of the world around you”. Let us remain hopeful of the development of clinically validated treatments and tools to add to the arsenal in the global fight against COVID-19. While we face a future filled with some uncertainty, it remains filled with possibilities to serve the world in new and more impactful ways.

What we focused on last week

Colleagues in environmental health, led by Andrew Morrison, participated in the Aberdeen Cluster (COVID) Incident Management Team (IMT).  This multi-agency IMT was led by NHS Grampian and Andrew supported the decision making regarding the continuation of the localised measures for a further seven days.

Given the lessons learnt locally because of the COVID-19 outbreak in Aberdeen, we have been working with public health colleagues on an outbreak control plan and it is planned to publish this soon. This will guide our approach to future outbreaks.

Coordinating our response to the impact of the intense flooding on schools and roads across the city, which resulted in 17 school closures and 12 roads closed. I would like to express my thanks to Doug Ritchie and his team for the Roads team’s response and Andrew Jones, Malcolm Brown and Andy Campbell for the schools’ response. Whilst flooding is a regular weather pattern now, it is fair to say that the intensity of last week’s flooding was exceptional and as a result, the response effort from our colleagues is even more impressive.

Despite all the above, colleagues continued to support the return of children to school as part of an orientation programme to help the children adapt to their new environment. I would like to thank Caroline Johnstone, Gael Ross, Shona Milne, Alex Duncan and Fiona Lawrie and their teams along with all school-based staff for the huge effort that has gone into enabling us to support children return to school. Good luck for the return of all children today.

Fraser Bell, Martin Murchie and Eleanor Sheppard have been working with public health colleagues to ensure we are all linked up appropriately to undertake surveillance for potential COVID outbreaks in schools in the future.

Our non-COVID Duty Emergency Response Co-ordinator (DERC), Craig Innes, supported by Vikki Cuthbert, participated in the Grampian Local Resilience Partnership, which was quickly convened to co-ordinate the multi-agency response to the train derailment. A harrowing incident all, but the response effort of our colleagues in Police Scotland, Scottish Fire and Rescue, NHS Grampian, Scottish Ambulance Service and Aberdeenshire Council was excellent and of course, they worked closely with colleagues at Network Rail.

To summarise last week, we focused on

• Supporting NHS Grampian’s Incident Management Team and the implementation of the local restrictions to manage the spike in COVID-19 cases in Aberdeen.
• Activating an ACC short life incident management team for managing our response to the impact of the intense flooding on schools and roads across the city.
• Supporting children to return to school.
• Participating in the Local Resilience Partnership, in response to the tragic derailment of the Aberdeen train.

Our focus for this week:

• Continue to participate in the Incident Management Team, chaired by NHS Grampian, in readiness for the further review of the re-introduced measures on Wednesday 19^th
• Support the implementation of the decisions from the review on the 19^th August, both in terms of our enforcement responsibilities as a council as well as reviewing our own plans for the reinstatement of services.
• Subject to the decisions on the 19^th August, the COVID DERC (Martin Murchie) will consider the implications, if any, of the First Minister’s statutory review of Phase 3 of the Route map out of COVID-19 and whether Scotland is moving to Phase 4.
• To support the full return of all pupils on a full-time basis to school.
• To enable the re-opening of the remaining 4 schools, that were closed because of last week’s flooding.

COVID-19 has brought into focus the interconnectedness of our health and well-being and events of the last week are reminders that many of our colleagues are daily involved in supporting life, supporting the end of life and celebrating that person’s life.  Important we give thanks to all those colleagues and heed the words of the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, “None of us is safe, until all of us are safe”

Stay safe, Angela

Sent on behalf of:

Isla Newcombe, Chief Officer – People & Organisation

Jacqui McKenzie, Chief Officer – Customer Experience

Dear Colleagues

An update to Scottish Government guidance issued at the end of last week widened the list of locations where a face covering must be worn by customers. This now includes: 

• any premises open to members of the public and used for the retail sale or hire of goods or services, such as shops, takeaway restaurants, estate agents, beauty parlours (excluding include hospitality premises)
• aquariums, indoor zoos or visitor farms
• other indoor tourist, heritage or cultural sites
• community centres
• crematoriums and funeral directors premises
• libraries and public reading rooms
• museums and galleries
• storage and distribution facilities, including collection and drop off points

In order to respond to this new requirement customers of ACC entering our buildings will be asked to wear face coverings where appropriate and signage will be installed in any council buildings where face coverings should be worn.

Face coverings will now also be used by staff in the Customer Service Centre, as well as our other buildings listed above.

• Members of staff working within these premises listed above are required to wear a face covering where they cannot guarantee a 2 metre distance between themselves and members of the public.
• However, where a control is in place and staff are either able to guarantee 2 metre distance or a perspex screen separates staff and members of the public, there is no requirement for staff to wear face coverings. 

Service managers of those areas impacted are being contacted by the Health and Safety Team and are putting necessary arrangements in place. Service managers will be reviewing any impact the use of face coverings have on their risk assessments, amending them if necessary and contacting any impacted staff directly.

Where this has an impact on our staff in customer facing settings ACC will provide face coverings for use.

There is no requirement for staff to wear face coverings in back-office areas of our buildings or in buildings where there is no access to members of the public, although any member of staff is welcome to wear their own face covering in any setting that they choose to and a 2 metre distance must be maintained between members of staff as well as adherence to any other controls identified through the risk assessment for that setting. Face coverings worn by staff should be cloth non-medical coverings either provided by the individual or by ACC.

Spare face coverings will also be made available for members of the public that have forgotten or are visiting unprepared.

It is important to remember that while customers are required to wear face coverings in these locations ACC staff will not be expected to enforce this rule. 

Further detail can be found at face covering guidance and wider Coronavirus guidance can be found on our Coronavirus FAQs on People Anytime.  These are updated in line with Scottish Government guidelines so please check the site on a regular basis. 

If you have any queries about the use of face coverings please contact the Health and Safety Team by email on email HSW@aberdeencity.gov.uk.

In the meantime, stay safe

Isla and Jacqui

Sent on behalf of Fraser Bell, Chief Officer – Governance (Acting as Duty Emergency Response Co-ordinator)

Dear Colleagues  

It has been confirmed by the Scottish Government today that the local restrictions in the Aberdeen area will remain in place for at least another seven days.  

These restrictions will therefore be reviewed again on August 19 and we will provide an additional update at that time. 

You can read the full guidance at Local Advice and Measures  on the Scottish Government website.   

No changes have been made to the restrictions in place and they remain as follows: 

• Residents of the city should not travel more than five miles for leisure or recreational purposes. You can travel for work or education. 
• If you live out with Aberdeen, you should only travel in to attend work or to attend an educational establishment. 
• Indoor and outdoor hospitality will close remain closed.  Take away facilities can remain open. 
• Hotel restaurants can remain open – but to provide food for residents only  
• Don’t go into other peoples’ homes unless they are part of your extended household. If it is essential that you visit households other than your own as part of your role, risk assessments will be reviewed to ensure that adequate controls are in place. If there is any change to working practices you will be contacted by your line manager. 

Further staff guidance on the local Aberdeen restrictions are available at Coronavirus restrictions in Aberdeen this includes advice on shielding, test and protect and travel. 

It is important as we continue to live with the virus that we follow the guidance laid out in the Scottish Government FACTS campaign: 

• F – Face coverings in enclosed spaces – shops, public transport or anywhere else inside that physical distancing might be more difficult. 
• A – Avoid crowded places. Indoors, obviously, but outdoors as well. Avoid all crowded places. 
• C – Clean your hands and hard surfaces regularly. 
• T – Two metre distancing remains the overall advice.  
• and S – Self isolate, and book a test, if you have any of the symptoms of COVID. 

You can find details of the test and protect and what to do if you are contacted by the contact trace team here. 

Understandably you may be feeling anxious at this time. If this is the case please remember you can talk to your manager and view our wellbeing advice on People Anytime.  

All Coronavirus guidance can be found on People Anytime. This is updated on a regular basis in line with any Government updates so please ensure you check the site on a regular basis. Wider Aberdeen City updates are also available on the external ACC website.  

Stay safe  

Fraser

Following today’s announcement from the Scottish Government we can confirm that some Covid-19 restrictions have been put in place in Aberdeen City.   Should these restrictions change at anytime we will let you know. Should further guidance become available from Scottish Government which alters these restrictions, we will let you know.

As you may know a number of new cases have been linked to the recent outbreak in the city. This has meant it was necessary for the Scottish Government to put in place some restrictions.  From today these include the following:

• Residents of the city should not travel more than five miles for leisure or recreational purposes.
• If you live out with Aberdeen you should only travel in to attend work or to attend an educational establishment.
• Indoor and outdoor hospitality will close from 5pm today (5 August). Take away facilities can remain open.
• Hotel restaurants can remain open – but to provide food for residents only
• Don’t go into other peoples’ homes unless they are part of your extended household. If it is essential that you visit households other than your own as part of your role, risk assessments will be reviewed to ensure that adequate controls are in place. If there is any change to working practices you will be contacted by your line manager.

Further guidance on the local Aberdeen restrictions are available at Coronavirus restrictions in Aberdeen.

For those who have recently come out of Shielding, you are not being advised to start shielding again. It is however important to consider the number of people you are in contact with, and be particularly vigilant about following public health guidance on physical distancing and hygiene measures. If you have been in contact with anyone who tests positive, you will have already been contacted through the test and protect service and should therefore be isolating. Some further information can be found in these FAQs.

Annual leave – Please read our annual leave guidance –  this has not changed, however if you have concerns around booked annual leave, these should be discussed with your line manager.

Current Working Arrangements – no changes will be made to your current working arrangements unless you hear otherwise from your line manager.  

Test and Protect

To help control the virus it is vital that we are all aware of procedures which have been put in place should you develop symptoms or require a test.  You can read our full guidance on what to do if you have symptoms here but please be aware of the following:

• If you develop any of the COVID-19 symptoms, please request a test on the Test and Protect page. Testing is currently at full capacity so you should only be requesting a test if you are symptomatic.

The main symptoms of COVID-19 are:

• • high temperature or fever
  • a new continuous cough
  • loss or changed sense of smell or taste (Anosmia)
• If you test positive you must self-isolate for 10 days and anyone in your household must self-isolate for 14 days.  If they develop any of the above symptoms, they must request a test immediately. This can also be done through our Test and Protect page.
• If you are contacted by the NHS Contact Tracing Team to say you may have been in contact with someone with the virus, you must self-isolate for 14 days. The Contact Tracing Team will advise you what to do next.  If a test is required, this can be done through our Test and Protect page. Please ensure you follow any advice given by the Contact Tracers. You can read more about how contact tracing works on the NHS Scotland website.
• If you test positive you must self-isolate for 10 days and anyone in your household must self-isolate for 14 days.  If they develop any of the above symptoms, they must request a test immediately. This can also be done through our Test and Protect page.

If your result is negative no further action is required   However, you must still self-isolate for 10 days from the date you developed symptoms. 

Staying Safe

It is important as this continues that we follow the guidance laid out in the Scottish Government FACTS campaign:

• F – Face coverings in enclosed spaces – shops, public transport or anywhere else inside that physical distancing might be more difficult.
• A – Avoid crowded places. Indoors, obviously, but outdoors as well. Avoid all crowded places.
• C – Clean your hands and hard surfaces regularly.
• T – Two metre distancing remains the overall advice.
• and S – Self isolate, and book a test, if you have any of the symptoms of COVID.

While you are out and about it is important that we stay safe.  Follow the physical distancing procedures which have been put in place, wear a mask or face covering?? and if you are asked for your contact details please give them.  These details are vital to ensure the contact team can trace you should an outbreak occur.

For further advice and guidance, you can read the Coronavirus FAQs. These are updated on a regular basis and in line with the latest guidance from the Scottish Government.  You can also find advice on wellbeing here.

If you require any further guidance please get in touch with the Employee Relations team on   employeerelations@aberdeencity.gov.uk

In the meantime, stay safe.

Following today’s announcement from the Scottish Government Phase 3 has been extended.  Reviews will continue to be held on a 3-weekly basis with the next review date on the 20 August.  

The First Minister also confirmed today that schools across Scotland will return from 11 August with all pupils expected to be back in full time education by 18 August. In Aberdeen, staff will be reviewing arrangements on site on 10/11 August with pupil orientation days on 12-14 August. It is anticipated that schools will return fully on Monday 17 August. You can read more about the arrangements for Aberdeen Schools in our press release.  

From 1st August Shielding across Scotland will pause and anyone who is shielding may be able to return to work.  However, where you have been shielding no changes will be made to your current arrangements until you have had a discussion with your manager, a risk assessment has been completed and any agreed safety measures are put in place.   

It has also been announced that from 1 August the self-isolation period for those who test positive for Covid-19 symptoms has been extended to 10 days. If you show any symptoms, please remember to request a test.  

Non-essential offices will remain closed for the moment and working from home remains the default position where possible.   Advice and guidance on homeworking can be found on People Anytime.  

Any additional details of changes to individual services will be published on the council website on a regular basis.    

Every three weeks the government will review how the virus is being controlled and decide to what extent it can move from one phase to another. Not everything currently listed in a single phase will necessarily happen at the same time. The next review date for this is on the 20 August and we will provide another full update in line with that. 

Last week we moved to Phase 3 of the Scottish Government’s Route Map for getting through the COVID-19 pandemic. Looking ahead, we have potentially got just one more phase to work through and we will know more about this on the 30^th July, following the next statutory review by the Scottish Government. I do not underestimate the volume of work each of these phases has involved and, of course, the return of schools in August will require another herculean effort from us. 

I hope everyone is remembering to take some time off. I know many of your overseas holiday plans will have been cancelled and that you’re having to settle instead, for a midge-infested holiday on a Scottish campsite perhaps! But the temporary sacrifices we are all making ensure our collective well-being. And, who knows, perhaps we might grow to love our midges!?

I am signing off now as I go on two weeks’ annual leave and am certainly looking forward to getting some time to recover from the intensity of the last few months.  So whichever way you are spending your time off, please enjoy a well-deserved rest. Now that “bosies” are officially allowed for grannies and granddads – please make up for lost time!  And to those of you who have been coping with children at home for three months: enjoy the relaxation of rules for kids – you deserve it!

As ever, thanks for all you’re doing – it is much appreciated. And please ensure you continue to take care of yourselves and your families and enjoy a well-earned break, even if it is with the midges!

Stay Safe

Angela 

Sent on behalf of:

Fraser Bell (Chief Officer – Governance, Acting as Duty Emergency Response Co-ordinator)

Isla Newcombe (Chief Officer – People and Organisational Development)

Stephen Booth (Chief Officer – Corporate Landlord)

Read in Browser

This afternoon the First Minister announced that we have moved into Phase 3 and has issued an update to the Coronavirus Route Map.

You can read our press release and view the associated updates on our external webpage here.

Whilst phase 3 is a huge milestone on our road to recovery, it is important to also bear in mind that this is an ever-changing situation and local lockdowns – such as those in the Borders – can happen at any time. We cannot become complacent and, as an organisation and as individuals, we must continue to follow government advice on  physical distancing, washing our hands and wearing masks.

From this weekend that advice makes it compulsory to wear masks in any shops (as well as it being already compulsory on public transport).

It is similarly important to remember that, while there have been changes to the physical distancing guidance in some circumstances, the default remains 2 metres. The Scottish Government have made exceptions to the 2m rule for a limited number of sectors and settings which include: public transport, outdoor hospitality, indoor hospitality and retail (including personal retail services) and only when appropriate safety measures have been put in place.  Within Aberdeen City Council, our default physical distancing measures will remain as 2m. These distancing measures will be kept under review in line with further changes to government advice.

As we make our way through the phases of the route map and begin to bring more services back on stream, it is important to remember that not all these changes will take place at once and any impact this has on your individual service will be worked through with your Chief Officer and the Reinstatement Working Group (led by Stephen Booth) before any changes are made. You can read more about the reinstatement process here

You may also be aware that non-essential offices are part of phase 3, although not expected to be implemented before 31^st July – we would expect further guidance on this soon. In the meantime, Chief Officers are giving consideration to how this can operate for their individual clusters and will be in touch with you should any changes be implemented.

Any changes to the service in which you work will be made in line with government advice and only when the correct reinstatement process has been followed. 

Additional details of changes to individual services will be published on the council website  on a regular basis.  

Every three weeks the government will review how the virus is being controlled and decide to what extent it can move from one phase to another. Not everything currently listed in a single phase will necessarily happen at the same time. The review date for phase 4 is on the 30 July and we will provide another full update in line with that.

Stay Safe

Fraser, Isla and Stephen

Dear Colleagues 

As we begin to move though the Phases of the Scottish Government route map, and as begin to reinstate some of our services, it is important to emphasise that for a large number of us working from home should still be considered the default position.   

At this stage it is also difficult to determine how long these ‘work from home’ arrangements will be necessary so with this in mind we want to ensure you work from home safely with no increased risk of injury.  

To help you achieve this we have published working from home which includes:  

• How to set up your workstation 
• If you normally use specialist ergonomic equipment 
• Working at dining table 
• Working from a sofa 
• Interrupt sitting 
• Your working Environment 

To help us assess the needs of our ‘work from home’ workforce we are also asking everyone to complete this short the Homeworking Questionnaire by Friday 17th July.  This will help us monitor what additional support may be required across the organisation.  

Returned questionnaires will be reviewed week commencing 20th July and shared with your named line manager at that time. 

The web pages also include additional advice on getting the most out of working from home including:   

• Mental health and wellbeing 
• Top tips  
• Getting the most out of remote meetings 
• Using Microsoft Teams 
• Using your own device  
• Protecting your data  
• Online learning resources.  

Should additional support be required please contact HSW@aberdeencity.gov.uk   

Kind Regards 

Vikki Cuthbert , Assurance Manager  

Dear Colleagues

When the world was plunged into a global pandemic, it was hard for us to see a way out of it at times. Though the road ahead remains difficult, we are gradually shifting from a sense of “whether we can return” to “how we will return.” We will continue to confront cycles of disruption and adaptation, driven both by potential further outbreaks of the virus and our organisational recovery from the pandemic. Last week’s Urgent Business Committee – which you can read about in my previous post  – discussed some of those recovery measures for ACC. 

Thursday this week (9 July) is the next route map review date and we expect the First Minister to announce we are moving into Phase 3 of recovery.  This is also a crucial step on our own road to recovery as an organisation.  It is important to emphasise that any changes will not happen immediately and will be implemented in a way that ensures the safety of all concerned. I discuss this process further below.  

As we move through the different phases of the route map it is key that we seek opportunities within this to reconnect our social ties as a workforce and how we can best do this in the new landscape. 

I recognise that – as individuals – we will all be feeling quite differently about the concept of a return to the workplace, with varying levels of enthusiasm and/or concern.    

Many of our teaching colleagues will want to return to school because they miss their colleagues and students whilst on the other hand they will be thinking about their own health and that of their families if reopened schools were to become new vectors of transmission. 

I also recognise that, like many in the city, your loved ones may be facing long-term job insecurity because of economic impact of the virus.  And, I acknowledge that for those of you with children, you will be feeling uncertain about when and how your children will return to school. 

So, in recognising all of the above, it is important that we all continue to be sensitive to the impact the virus has had – and continues to have – on us in terms of our home and work lives. That we all respect everyone’s different anxieties and practical issues associated with returning to work and that, as a team, we provide each other with support – emotional and/or practical.  

While conversations about the emotional toll of the pandemic may at times seem uncomfortable,  many colleagues will value them. Alongside these more emotional conversations, those which recognise the contribution of everyone during the pandemic are also equally important. So, let’s reflect and ensure we are having both types of discussion.  

I’ve also been so cheered by hearing about some of the ways that teams across the Council have stayed connected socially and in a fun way during this time.  This has included creative ideas like Commercial and Procurement Services meeting for a virtual “pizza lunch”, the janitorial team having fancy dress Fridays for their Teams meeting, Creative Learning and their “creative hang outs” and People and Organisation getting together on Teams for a weekly quiz on a Friday after work.  These get-togethers can be so helpful in giving us all a boost.  

Return planning 

Last week I spoke about the decision made at Urgent Business Committee on the 30th June to return the council’s governance arrangements and reinstate the committee cycle. Alongside this will be the disestablishment of our COVID emergency response team – you can read about this in my previous post. 

Following the Urgent Business Committee, I also discussed the plans to return us to financial balance. You can read more about this on the link above and for more of the detail, please watch Jonathan’s second video message. 

Whilst governance and finance are vital elements of our return to ‘normal’ I thought it might also be helpful if I summarised some of the other return planning that is underway across the council. 

The return of the city schools 

The Deputy First Minister announced on the 23 June 2020 that preparations should now be made to enable school children to return to school full time from 11 August 2020. Previous planning assumptions had been that children would return to school on a blended model – part time at school and part time at home. The plans we made for this blended model are now our contingency plans and significant work is underway (led by Eleanor Shephard, Chief Education Officer, Stephen Booth, Corporate Landlord and all our head teachers) to be ready for the full time return to school for children.  

If we are advised that we can progress with a 100% return, and the updated Physical Distancing Guidance can easily be put in place, we will open for groups of pupils from Wednesday the 12 August. This will allow staff two days to review plans in light of the updated Physical Distancing Guidance on Monday 10 and Tuesday 11 August.  

This review is necessary to ensure the safe return of children and young people to our school buildings from Wednesday 12 August. Children will attend school in smaller groups for the first week as this will enable us to ensure that all children and young people are familiar with new processes put in place to keep them safe. All children and young people will attend 5 days a week from Monday 17 August. 

Reinstatement of services in line with the route map and your safety 

All changes proposed to services originally stood down due to the COVID-19 response are being considered by the Service Reinstatement Working Group, chaired by Stephen Booth. The working group ensures that proposals are in line with the Scottish Government’s route map and guidance; that appropriate arrangements are in place to ensure the safety of staff and customers; and that robust planning has been done to manage workforce, supply and asset challenges. 

Housing repairs; roadworks; waste & recycling; ground maintenance; and registrars are amongst the services approved so far for a level of of reinstatement (with appropriate safeguards). 

You can find details of our reinstatement process and those services which have been reinstated, or are in the process of reinstatement, on People Anytime. 

The safety of our staff and citizens has been the number 1 priority as we have continued to deliver services during lockdown and continues to be our number 1 priority as we start to reinstate more of our services.  

The reinstatement pages also contain a series of videos on how to keep yourself safe and how we will work to keep you safe.  Alongside these instructional videos you will also find videos of some our Chief Officers and Trade Union colleagues.   

We will continue to add to this video library as we move through the remaining phases of the roadmap and, as we begin to bring more services back on stream, we will include short videos to show you how different services are introducing their safety measure. There will be one appearing soon from the Customer Contact Centre and Registrar teams. I encourage you all to watch them. 

Managing our risk  

Throughout this period managers have been conducting COVID-19 specific risk assessments with support from Health and Safety colleagues and input from Trade Unions. As services look to reinstate, a key part of this process is the risk assessment element.  Again, full details can be found on here.  

PPE requirements have been captured and reviewed on a weekly basis – ensuring that procurement and health and safety colleagues have been able to support with any arising concerns at the earliest opportunity. 

Testing for critical workers has been available and promoted to those with symptoms or in a self-isolating household and will continue to be offered through the Test and Protect programme.

I must reiterate that even as we begin to reinstate services it is important that you continue to work from home if you are able to do so.  This is in line with Scottish Government guidance. However, for those services who go through the reinstatement process and begin to return to offices such as Marischal, some new measures you’ll see include:  

• Enhanced cleaning & cleaning materials 
• One-way systems & signage 
• Removal of hotdesking 
• Physical distancing measures  

Our Return: thinking about how we want to work and the next normal  

Not everyone will re-enter the organisation physically at the same time or pace, so it’s useful for us to think about the next normal. Of course, changes to current ways of working will be staggered and things can run differently than planned as we continue to adapt our approach. We should think about the routines and social contacts that we might currently be missing and how and when we might be able to reconnect or create new routines that give us a similar benefit.  Resurrecting some of those past routines and rituals which give us a sense of familiarity and reassurance which can help our sense of wellbeing immensely. The annual summer shopping spree for school uniforms to support the school fashion parade in our house, is a ritual I’ve historically dreaded but am looking forward to this year!  

So, whilst any changes to current ways of working must be in line with the reinstatement process above, my suggestion is that we start to look toward   the next normal, whatever that may be. The routine of school life is something we have all experienced and some of us continue to experience it through our children or grandchildren. So, let us start resurrecting some of our old normal routines and rituals whilst retaining some of the new ones we’ve created during COVID-19. These will help in reducing the stress we’ve all probably felt during this period – I know I have.  

Looking to future and embracing our new sense of purpose 

Before COVID-19 our core purpose as an organisation was to ensure the city and it citizens prosper.  Post COVID-19 this purpose hasn’t changed.  The citizens of Aberdeen have been at the heart of our response to COVID-19 and it will continue to be so as we begin to recover. By connecting the work, you are doing to the short and long-term recovery of the city, I think we can find meaning in what we’re doing and perhaps that meaning will helps us to move on in our move forward from the pandemic. 

In the meantime, if you have any questions about reinstatement please contact your line manager in the first instance. 

Stay Safe 

Angela

Sent on behalf of Isla Newcombe, Chief Office -People and Organisation

Reminder: All coronavirus staff and manager advice and guidance can be found on our dedicated pages on PeopleAnytime or linked from the front page of the intranet.

Dear colleagues

Since lockdown began in March, and as we started to move through the different phases of the Scottish Government Route Map, People Anytime has featured a number of Covid-19 webpages so that we can all keep up-to-date on the latest ACC guidance and advice.

These pages are updated on a regular basis, as well as in line with each release of new guidance from the Scottish Government or COSLA.

You can also find copies of all staff and managers emails and communications on Coronavirus blogs and communications.

These Covid-19 pages are available to all staff  on People Anytime from any device and you don’t need to be logged in to view.

They include links to the relevant NHS and Scottish government guidance and cover advice for managers and staff on:

• Symptoms and staying safe   – what are the symptoms and how to stay safe at work and home
• Self-Isolation – who should self-isolate and how
• Test and protect – how and where to request a test
• At risk and vulnerable groups  – physical distancing and guidance around shielding
• Working from Home  – tips and advice on how to make the most of working from home
• Mental Health and Wellbeing – resources and advice available to help with your mental health and wellbeing at this challenging time
• Financial Support – advice and support available for those whose finances have been impacted by Covid-19
• Online Learning resources – a selection of online training available, including our Learning Academy
• Travel Advice – advice on travel restrictions and government guidance
• Temporary movement of staff – how to volunteer for alternative duties
• Reinstatement of services – how we are reinstating our services and what we are doing to keep you safe.

Alongside this, there are a number of additional All staff FAQs which include detail on  annual leave, flexible working and pay.

The pages also include a number of Managers FAQs and guidance for managers on PPE and risk assessments at  Staying Safe While Working.

From next week, on the reinstatement pages you will also find a suite of videos from Union colleagues and Chief Officers.  Included here will be an instructional video on How to Keep Safe and advice on Test and Protect. We will continue to add more videos so please keep checking back. 

During this time, it is also key to remind ourselves about the importance of taking time off- to help maintain resilience and improve mental wellbeing and work-life balance.  There has been information shared with the organisation to encourage and remind staff to do this, with managers being asked to proactively encourage staff to take their annual leave breaks. Further information on annual leave can be found on our pages here.

If you have any questions, or can’t find what you’re looking for on these pages please contact employee relations at employeerelations@aberdeencity.gov.uk.

Stay safe

Isla

Sent on behalf of:

Martin Murchie (Chief Officer – Date and Insights, Acting as Duty Emergency Response Co-ordinator)

Isla Newcombe (Chief Officer – People and Organisational Development)

Stephen Booth (Chief Officer – Corporate Landlord)

Dear Colleagues

Following on from last week’s announcement that we are now in phase 2 of the Scottish Government road map,  today, the First Minister provided some further clarity on how and when changes within phases 2 and 3 will be implemented. Full details of which can be found here .

There will be no immediate change to any of our services or in the way in which we are currently working unless you are otherwise informed by your Chief Officer. If you are able to work from home please continue to do so. 

As we move through the phases, Chief Officers continue to work with the Service Reinstatement Working Group to ensure that services are reinstated in a planned way according to the Scottish Government Route map and Guidelines and are not reintroduced until we can ensure the safety of our staff and customers.  You can read more about the reinstatement process on people anytime. 

Additional details of changes to individual services will be published on the council website on a regular basis as FAQs.    

Stay Safe

Isla

Dear Colleagues

The Covid-19 pandemic has been characterised by much ambiguity and uncertainty.    I’ve talked previously about the fact that I try to cope with both the ambiguity and uncertainty of the Covid-19 situation by visualising 3 big boards in front of me every day. And these boards are covered with post-its and these post-its are repositioned as things change.  

I’m sure you are all your finding your own ways to navigate these waves of uncertainty and ambiguity, but I wanted to share this with you in case you find it of use. 

The 3 boards say: 

1. What we know 
2. What we don’t know 
3. When we will know.  

As at today, what do we know? 

• We continue to see promising signs that the virus has been slowed, although it has not been eradicated. 
• We know the numbers of Covid-19 related deaths have dropped significantly.  
• We know we have come through Phase 1 of the Scottish Government Route Map through the pandemic. This has involved the safe reinstatement of some services, and the introduction of some physical distancing measures across the city. 
• As a result of the statutory review date on the 18th June, we have now moved to Phase 2 and we know the next set of council services which are being reinstated.  
• We know which further physical distancing measures we’re planning to introduce across the city and we know how our regulatory functions will support businesses who have been permitted to open at Phase 2. 
• We know the statutory review date for Phase 3 is 9th July and the date for Phase 4 is 30th July. 
• We know the further extension of those “at risk” to be shielded until the 31st July. 
• We know how we plan to achieve the financial recovery of the council, with our revised budget proposals. Papers will be publicly available prior to the meeting of the Urgent Business Committee on the 30th June on the council website.  
• We know how we plan to transition back into the normal governance arrangements of council from August, as set out in our report for the UBC on the 30th June.  Our DERC’s are working out, in parallel , how we will step down our emergency management structures that we’ve had in place throughout the pandemic. 
• We know how we plan to support the short-term social and economic recovery of the city, through a series of action plans focused on economy, place and people.  

What we do not know 

• The outcome of the remaining statutory reviews for the move to Phase 3 and 4. 
• The decisions made by the councils Urgent Business Committee on 30th June.  

When we will know 

• We will know the outcome of the statutory reviews on the 9th July and 30th July.  
• We will know the outcome of the Urgent Business Committee following its meeting on the 30th June and I will provide an update following the meeting. 

When I compare the placement of the post-its, there is far more now that is certain. Until a mass immunisation programme is in place, it would be wrong to suggest that we are coming to the end of Covid-19 but certainly there is a growing sense of what “living with Covid-19” will be like.  

I think we have charted a course for both our organisation and the city through the “response” stage and we are clearly charting a course forward into the transition and recovery stages.   

We now appear to be through the anticipated surge and, as the health crisis turns into a lingering financial and economic crisis, we will need to remain resilient and to tap all our sources of hope, trust and optimism in order to unlock creativity and build momentum for the future. 

We must build a momentum for the future, and I think we can do that by channelling positive sentiments and by encouraging our sense of community within the council, with partners and with communities across the city.  

It is important that we start sharing positive stories and creating uplifting moments as part of our efforts to reignite our resilient spirit. It is important to acknowledge the loss we feel and we can also counter that loss by channelling positive emotions.   

It is heart-breaking to think of the loss that some families have experienced because of this pandemic and I know we all feel that. If we ever needed a reminder of the fragility of life, then this pandemic has done that, and I am sure we’re all re-addressing what’s important to us as a consequence of this reminder. 

The Star Awards ceremony are a way to share some positive stories from our pre-Covid-19 world and I hope they help to maintain your spirits.  

You can watch the pre-recorded Awards presentations via the intranet  or on YouTube on Thursday 25th June from 6.30.  This is the first time the event has been held ‘virtually’ and hosting it this way opens the event up to many more of you being able to attend.   

You can also read more about the event itself on a recent blog by the organising team. 

I hope you’ll take the time to log in and hear about some of the amazing work going on across the organisation.  I’d like also to extend my thanks to the team for organising our new ‘virtual’ awards, something we would probably have never done pre Covid-19. 

As always thanks to every one of you for all you’re doing – it’s much appreciated. 

Angela  

We are now coming to the end of Phase 1 of the Scottish Government’s Route Map Through and Out of the Crisis”. The government has confirmed that we are set to move to Phase 2 following the 18th June end-of-cycle review, if the evidence supports that.  Initial indications are that infection rates (and the R number we have read about) are falling but it is important to remain cautious.  As we move into  Phase 2, possible variations (which will be confirmed by the First Minister on the 18th) include:  

• permitting meeting outside with larger groups including family and friends with physical distancing 
• increased public transport services with physical distancing, but with travel at peak times possibly being discouraged. Employers are asked to look at staggering times and flexible working.  
• allowing people to travel locally for leisure purposes  
• remote working is likely to remain the default position for those who can. Non-essential indoor non-office-based workplaces may resume once relevant guidance has been agreed, with physical distancing in place. 
• construction sector to implement remaining stages of phased return. 
• planning for on campus university lab research to restart subject to physical distancing 
• permitting small retail units and outdoor markets to re-open with physical distancing in place 
• permitting pubs and restaurants to open outdoor spaces with physical distancing and increased hygiene routines 
• opening of playgrounds and sports courts with physical distancing, and a resumption of professional sport in line with public health advice 
• opening of registration offices to open for high priority tasks  
• opening of places of worship for private prayer with physical distancing and hygiene safeguards 
• planning to allow marriages, civil partnerships and other types of ceremonies to take place with a limited number of attendees 
• range of GP services, optometry and ophthalmology services and see an increase in availability of dental services 

During phase 1, Stephen Booth has been leading the Reinstatement Working Group to get our services ready for the anticipated moves to Phase 2 and beyond.  The group is responsible for overseeing the safe reinstatement of services as lockdown restrictions ease.   

Since Phase 1, we’ve introduced a further working group entitled “Places for People” and this group is being led by Gale Beattie, our chief officer for Strategic Place Planning. This cross-council group is overseeing all the adjustments we’re making across Aberdeen to help facilitate the requirements of physical distancing, as more people start moving around the city. 

Work is underway, led by Eleanor Sheppard our Chief Education Officer, in preparation for the return of children to school in August. On Friday, we published our overarching local phased delivery plan and this will now enable individual plans to be produced and published for all our school establishments, These plans will hopefully provide our staff and parents with re-assurance about the arrangements being put in place to ensure our compliance with the current public health measures. I’m grateful to Eleanor, the central team and all head teachers for all the preparations that are going on behind the scenes to enable the city’s children to return to a “new normal” after the school holidays.  

 I’d like to take the opportunity to express my thanks to another group of ACC colleagues. Throughout this challenging period the staff at building services have been carrying out emergency housing repairs, providing a service to our customers, some of whom were displaying symptoms of Covid-19; challenging for the staff as each piece of work has to be carefully planned to ensure the safety of our staff and our customers. They have also been working very closely with colleagues in housing to ensure there is a supply of properties available for the people who find themselves in the unfortunate situation of becoming homeless. From fixing properties, to providing fire warden cover for a multi storey where the fire alarm panel developed a fault in the middle of the night, the staff at building services have taken it all in their stride.  I would like to say special thanks to the emergency response and voids teams who have worked alongside Trade Union colleagues to ensure safe systems of work to protect both our staff and customers. 

The government will make a formal announcement on Thursday indicating whether we are now moving to Phase 2. We will consider any advice that is issued early next week and any changes to working arrangements will be communicated to you by your line manager. You should therefore continue with your current arrangements until you hear otherwise. Broadly, we expect that: 

• If you are currently working from home, you will continue to do so following Thursday’s announcement.  
• If you are at home self-isolating because you have underlying health conditions, you will continue to stay at home following Thursday’s announcement 
• If you are at home because you are not able to do your job because your work building is closed, you will remain at home. 
• If you are currently working in a community hub within a school setting, please continue to do so following Thursday’s announcement 

I hope that like me, you see this progression through the Route Map as a positive step forwards into our next normal and reminds us of how bonded we are by the services we need and provide.  But also, of how delicate a balance we strike between resurgence and recovery. So I ask you all to stay safe, look after each other, support each other to comply with the guidance relevant for the phase we are in. I know I can trust you to take responsibility for this.  

Angela 

The recent confirmation that we have now entered phase 1 gives us a renewed sense of hope and anticipation and gives us the opportunity to take stock of what a significant period of change we’ve just lived through in both our working and home lives.

So instead of my routine of reflecting over the last week and looking forward to the next week, I want to reflect this time over the last 11 weeks and share with you just a few of the ways we, as an organisation and as a team, have changed  over this time.

How we’ve changed over lockdown

We take pride in what we do and work to make things better

In many instances, necessity has been the mother of invention, with services rising to the challenge by swiftly introducing digital solutions to reduce physical contact whilst still providing human contact and care.

• In the Housing Service,we have been able to allocate properties in a contactless fashion out with normal working hours. We have started sending property offers to the customer’s named Support Officer to assist with preparation for moving home and we are now able to accept electronic signatures via text messaging for our client consent forms in the Financial Inclusion Team.
• Across the Council, over 50 Digital Champions have stepped into a new world of delivering online training to their teammates in Microsoft Teams. In the absence of a traditional classroom, they’ve been delivering live demonstrations by video call, taking their colleagues through the skills needed to stay connected and productive when working remotely.
• COVID-19 school closures led to a significant and rapid change in our operating environment.  We very quickly needed to introduce a digital platform to ensure our children and young people still receive an Education. Enhanced virtual support was also put in place for around 3000 school pupils who were recognised as needing more than simply access to an appropriate digital curriculum.  In some cases, the most vulnerable families are being contacted by school staff daily.  Around 2500 Chromebook and some WiFi dongles have been issued to families to support children to access a digital delivery.

We trust each other and take responsibility

In the past, many of us have been reluctant to work from home – or allow others to work from home. The huge surge in colleagues working from home as a result of lockdown, cut through all that reluctance. 

Thanks to the new technologies we have rolled out as part of the digital transformation, especially Microsoft Teams, the past few weeks have established that working from home or at a location remote from our usual office is not only possible but in many ways has worked incredibly well and increased productivity. Through feedback in the recent Office365 survey, it seems many colleagues are really finding the benefit from not having to sit in traffic, observing the environmental impact, having increased work-life balance through having the ability to vary their hours. But also feeling more trusted and empowered – this quote really resonated with me:  

“The feeling of trust from my managers that I will perform well unsupervised. I feel more empowered, although my line managers at ACC have, on the whole, empowered me to do my job the way I think best. I enjoy the working environment more than I have done for some years.”

This crisis has shown how going forward, even after we ‘get back to normal’ that for many of us working from home or remotely from our usual office is a viable or even preferable alternative to 5 days a week in the same place.  Of course, some work still needs to be done to ensure that if working from home becomes a more permanent feature for some of us that we take into account of health and safety of staff.

• How do you imagine yourself working after the complete exit from lockdown – do you wish to sustain home working more permanently?
• If we are to make home working sustainable, how do we ensure that work/life balance is preserved?
• And how we ensure that we build and maintain relationships and what role, if any, is there for support networks?
• Can the trust and confidence that’s been built up during COVID-19 see us experimenting with teams more permanently determining the flexibility of hours worked – can teams agree for themselves, what hours need to be covered and how they want to cover those hours – self managing teams?

Normally information is scattered across the organisation, during COVID-19 we’ve made a lot of use of the intranet, where regular and clear messaging has been provided. With a single focus on our purpose, as required by the pandemic, it’s felt easier to ensure everyone has the same information at the same time.

We’ve seen a range of communication channels used throughout this period – chat on Microsoft Teams, Whatsapp groups, etc – my sense is that email is becoming the old fashioned mechanism now.

• I’m curious about whether we could switch email off for all internal communications – could we try that for a month as an experiment – if it turns out to be unhelpful, we can reverse the policy in a month?

One Team, One Council

To make sure we continue to deliver critical services and protect the most vulnerable, over 2000 colleagues signed up to be considered for alternative duties during the outbreak and 542 have been assigned alternative duties under the Temporary Movement of Staff scheme. These include but are most definitely not limited to answering calls on the crisis helplines, prescription deliveries, care home support, education hubs, childcare, business enquiries helplines, supporting the crematorium, driving duties and supporting waste & recycling operations. I’d like to thank everyone who volunteered for the scheme for pulling together and for working together as ‘One Team’ to ensure we can continue to offer vital support to those that need it.

We’ve seen existing teams pivot from their ‘business as usual’ into new duties in response to the crisis and many teams adapt by using new or different platforms to engage customers.

• City Growth’s Employability & Skills team very quickly adapted their approach to make sure they can continue to support citizens from school leaving to retirement age with the support they need to get into and sustain employment or education.
• Fersand’s Community Project Youth Work team have adapted to working from home and have found innovative ways to continue providing services to young people in the area.

And during COVID-19 we have put together teams to deal with COVID-related problems, operating with a defined mission, a sense of urgency and only the necessary personnel at the table. Staff have moved quickly to solve problems, relying on expertise rather than rank.

• A good example is  the  Crisis Support team which continues to provide a 24/7 service for those hardest hit by the lockdown and who require welfare advice and emotional support, including what to do if struggling to get food, prescriptions or pay bills. To establish this quickly, the team embraced the challenge which took innovative thinking and collaboration across multiple service areas and partner organisations to deliver a fully operating service under very tight timescales. 

In the last 11 weeks we’ve seen ourselves, out of necessity, experiment with a more flexible workforce model through our approach to the temporary movement of staff. This has helped us to address the imbalance between demand and supply for labour.

• How could we develop this to become an approach to internal talent exchange?
• How could we develop our flexibility in order to balance peaks and troughs?

In the last 11 weeks we’ve also seen ourselves, out of necessity, create networks and agile teams operating beyond the old organisational lines of management and siloes. We’ve seen new teams form quickly and existing teams adapt to meeting the changed needs of their customers.

• How can we continue to operate in a more networked, agile and dynamic way going forward?

One Team, One City

Not just within Aberdeen City Council, but across the city we’ve seen a real pulling together of resources and a sense of shared purpose and working as One Team with our city partners.

CFINE is working in partnership with the Council to support the Crisis Support Line and deliver food directly to people in need. During April they delivered 5,720 emergency food parcels, 100 tonnes of free FareShare food and supported 160 people to navigate the welfare system.

Partnership working from Homelessness, Temporary Accommodation, Prison, and the Alcohol & Drugs Partnership has been very strong and has enabled a high levle of customer service during the Early Release of Prisoners. Additionally, partnership working with Turning Point Scotland, Aberdeen Cyrenians, Aberdeen Foyer and Grampian Women’s Aid has also had pivotal focus regarding care and welfare of vulnerable clients.

Volunteers and community groups have played an exceptional and critical role in response to crisis. The council has worked with Aberdeen City Health & Social Care Partnership, ACVO and the British Red Cross in particular to get full value from our volunteer effort. We’ve established new roles called ‘Neighbourhood Co-ordinators’. These are Community Learning & Development and HSCP staff that have been assigned a geographic area of city to support community group and volunteers working in the locality to support needs of community. Volunteer groups really have been worth their weight in gold during the pandemic. Working in partnership with them has been fantastic and you can see some stats below about what they’ve up to.

The Chief Officers for Aberdeen City, Aberdeen and Moray Health & Social Care Partnerships and the Acute Sector in NHS Grampian have created a video to talk about their work together across the North East and changing the way they work during the outbreak. 



Thank you to all volunteers

We Value Each Other

One great example of employee empowerment that has emerged through lockdown is The Blether, our new staff magazine, which has been launched by a small team of colleagues, headed by Cathy Lewis in Finance. The team really stepped up to the need for us to stay connected and celebrate the people of Aberdeen City Council. They are making great use of the available technology – showcasing feature stories on the intranet and keeping ongoing conversation through an open, all employee Microsoft Teams site. At times we can all get caught up in the day-to-day grind and the stories in The Blether are great reminder of the human face behind what we do.  

COVID-19 has demanded we focus on employee benefits, some of which we  may in the past have taken for granted eg. sick leave, protective measures (eg PPE) and the new norm of remote working. We have also placed a significant emphasis on employees’ Mental Health, building on the work we started pre COVID-19 to bring the same focus on mental as physical health.

As we look to the future, what changes should we sustain?

As we reflect on the changes and look to the future, we have decisions to make in terms of which changes we wish to sustain.  Of the changes I’ve referenced above, and of the changes you’re aware of that I am not, how would you categorise them using the following?

• Stopgap solutions we’ve put in place to get us through the crisis, but which may not continue post-lockdown.

• Practices from the old normal that may not be sustained.

• New, exciting, innovative practices that could be shared, accelerated and more widely adopted in the next normal.

• New customer/staff experiences with momentum and the potential to become cemented in next normal.

We now have a better sense of what can and cannot be done outside of our traditional approaches. The recent pace and depth of change has demonstrated what’s possible. We must cement the positive changes we have made since the onset of the pandemic and continue to push beyond the way things have been done in the past.

The 20^th century British explorer Ernest Shackleton once noted “Optimism is True Moral courage”. Optimism and courage are the qualities we need more than ever as we make the decisions about which of the​​​​​​​ above changes will shape the next normal.

Click here to read in browser

Dear colleagues,

Last week saw us move into Phase 1 of the Scottish  Government’s 4-phase “Scotland’s route map through and out of the crisis”.  Much work has been done across the council and our Arm’s-Length External Organisations, particularly Sport Aberdeen, to get some services back up and running and ensure appropriate measures are in place across the city to keep to social distancing rules. So well done everyone and thanks for all the hard work that went in to enable the transition to Phase 1. I’d particularly like to thank the following colleagues for getting our household waste recycling centres back up and running: Kris Hultman, Noel Taylor and colleagues from Suez, Colin Forshaw and Scott Williams; Kevin Massie and Terry MacLeod who have helped with traffic management issues.  In addition I’d like to thank the following from our grass maintenance teams: Graham McKay, Andrew Kinghorn, Neil Carsey, Alan Findlay, Norman Rose – a lot of preparations made and a lot of work to do to get all the overgrown grass cut back. Let’s hope it stays dry for you. You can read more about the reinstatement process and our initial changes here.

You will be aware that Test & Protect, Scotland’s approach to implementing the ‘test, trace, isolate, support‘ strategy, is a public health measure designed to break chains of transmission of Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the community.  Test & Protect is critical to Scotland’s ability to move through the four phases and as an employer we must play our part in ensuring our compliance with the approach and we will do that by following the public health guidance issued. We have also issued a call for volunteers to assist with Test and Protect – details can be found on People Anytime.

I thought it would be useful to set out for everyone the three main rules that we must adhere to:

1. If you become unwell with coronavirus symptoms at work – leave work to self‑isolate straight away and, if possible, wear a face covering on your way home, avoiding public transport. Please arrange to get tested by booking through our online process available here
2. Until you have been tested and told it is safe to leave home, you should stay at home. Follow the guidance for self-isolation and refer to People Anytime for advice
3. If you have tested positive for the virus then you will need to self-isolate for a minimum of 7 days. 

There are two further scenarios in which you may find that you have to self-isolate for 14 days:

• You have been informed by an NHS contact tracer that you have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive
• You live with a person who has symptoms or has tested positive

If you develop symptoms in either of the two further scenarios you should get tested straight away and would require to self-isolate for a further 7 days from the start of those symptoms. Where your test is negative you can return to work when you feel fit to do so.

Your manager will check in on you remotely just to make sure you’ve got help with all day to day essentials and if you feel able to work, then you can. Under no circumstances return to work before your period of isolation is complete. You may find that you are contacted by a contact tracer and have to self-isolate on more than one occasion – in which case the same rules apply.

More information is available on People Anytime​​​​​​​

The four phases of the route map suggest a series of systematic steps to reach some relatable version of the past,  yet the uncertainties that might scupper such plans continue to mount. It’s impossible to write a confirmed return plan because of:

• the likelihood of a resurgence in cases
• discoveries about how the virus is transmitted and whom it affects
• the nature and duration of immunity
• and the continued changes in the quality and availability of testing and contact tracing.

​​​​​​​The best possible plan today is merely that – a plan for today. It will need near continuous re-assessment and change as the circumstances around us develop. We should view the government’s route map in that way.

Therefore, we must think about coming through the pandemic more in terms of it being open-ended than a fixed time-point. A better mental model is to think about us developing a new “muscle” – a council-wide ability to absorb uncertainty and incorporate lessons into our operating model quickly, if required. We demonstrated our ability to do this during the lockdown phase – so let’s keep that organisational muscle strong in readiness, in case we need it.

As you may know, our response to COVID-19 has been guided by our three DERCs (Duty Emergency Response Coordinators) – Martin Murchie, Gale Beattie and Fraser Bell. To ensure we capture the organisational learning from the lockdown phase, the DERCs have instigated a lessons learned exercise and the findings of this will inform our “organisational muscle” – in the event we have to respond to a resurgence of the virus.

Our organisational muscle must be characterised by a willingness to change plans and base decisions on hypotheses about the future – supported by continually refreshed data about what’s happening. Our three DERCs have been thinking about our existing decision-making and risk management systems and approaches and thinking how these must adapt, considering any requirement to change our plans.

While we face a future filled with uncertainty, it remains filled with possibilities to serve the world in new and more impactful ways. As we continue to work through our Build Back Better approach, let’s think about those possibilities.

Let’s continue to look after ourselves, our families and each other by fully complying with the Test & Protect approach.

Best wishes

Angela

Please continue to find up-to-date Coronavirus advice and guidance on People Anytime

Dear Colleagues

Following today’s announcements from the First Minister and the route map issued last week Aberdeen City Council has announced plans for how it will safely steer the council and the city through Phase 1 of the easing of COVID-19 restrictions.   

Today also sees the launch of Test and Protect  – which will see testing carried out for anyone with COVID 19 symptoms, and the need to self-isolate for 14 days if you are contacted by a contact tracer.  

As we now move through Phase 1 of the route map the Reinstatement of Services Working Group will be working with Chief Officers and Service Managers, with input from Trade Unions across ACC to ensure that, as and when we reinstate services it is done in a manner which is safe for both staff and citizens.  

Gradual changes that adhere to physical distancing and hygiene measures, ensuring the safety and wellbeing of residents and Council staff will be put first and anyone who can work from home must continue to do so. 

You can find details of this process and the first services that have been through this process and are to be reinstated here .  Please take the time to read this post in full.  

As always you’ll find the latest Covid-19 advice and guidance on People Anytime

As decisions on reinstatement are taken we will continue to share updates and in the meantime – and until you hear otherwise from your Chief Officer or senior management team – please continue to follow your current working arrangements and everyone who can work from home must continue to do so. 

Thanks and Stay Safe 

Fraser Bell (Chief Officer – Governance, Acting as Duty Emergency Response Co-ordinator)

Isla Newcombe (Chief Officer – People and Organisational Development)

Stephen Booth (Chief Officer – Corporate Landlord)

The Scottish Government published Scotland’s Route Map Through and Out of the Crisis last Thursday. This is a welcomed document, as it describes the stages we will now go through as the current restrictions begin to be lifted across Scotland.

The document sets out the four phases by which the Scottish Government will aim to ease lockdown.  These phases are gradual and incremental and each phase will be triggered following careful monitoring of the virus.  The route map provides us with an indication of the order in which the government will seek to lift current restrictions but does not specify dates for all the different phases. Instead, every three weeks the government will review and report on whether, and to what extent, it can move from one phase to another.  It may be that not everything currently listed in a single phase will happen at the same time.

The government has confirmed that we are set to move to Phase 1 following the 28 May end-of-cycle review, if the evidence supports that. In respect of Phase 1, possible variations include:

• permitting people to use public outdoor spaces for recreational purposes.
• permitting of meetings of two households outdoors and with physical distancing.
• changes in guidance to allow for the planning of schools returning.
• permitting outdoor workplaces to resume with physical distancing measures in place following guidance approval.
• permitting the gradual opening of drive through food outlets and garden centres with physical distancing.
• permitting outdoor exercise adhering to physical distancing measures; and
• permitting the gradual resumption of key support services in the community subject to appropriate physical distancing and hygiene measures.

Over recent weeks, as you’ll be aware, ACC’s Covid-19 incident management team has overseen the development of scenario planning including the easing of restrictions.  As part of this, and as described in my communication last week, work is underway to prepare for the reinstatement of services through a Reinstatement Working Group.  The Working Group, led by Stephen Booth, will oversee the safe reinstatement of services as lockdown restrictions ease through our reinstatement process.  The group will seek to support and challenge the reinstatement of services to ensure the safety of staff and customers within a reduced building capacity.  The reinstatement of services will be fully aligned to the lifting of restrictions as set out in the 4 phases in the government’s route map and we will follow the timeline announced by the First Minister at each 3-weekly review, until we have reached Phase 4.

As you will be aware, even with the easing of restrictions, not all services should necessarily resume to pre-Covid-19 arrangements. Financial implications of standing up services or utilising buildings will need also to be considered as we look to manage the financial challenges flowing from the pandemic.

As per the government’s guidance, remote working will continue to remain the default position for those who can.   Our approach to remote working had to be swift in response to the suddenness of the lock-down.   As home working needs to continue to be the default position for those that can, I have asked health and safety colleagues to review home working arrangements in light of the prolonged timescale.

Phase 1 of the route map allows us to resume  outdoor workplaces  with physical distancing measures in place so colleagues are preparing for the return of many of our services which are delivered outdoors following the anticipated “go ahead” by the First Minister on Thursday the 28^th May. I do appreciate that there will be a backlog of work for these colleagues to deal with – grass levels at an all-time high – so thank you in advance for the work you’re about to do to clear the backlog; it’s much appreciated.

In addition to the publication of the route map, Scottish Government also published a document entitled “A Strategic Framework for Reopening schools, early learning and childcare provision in Scotland”. This document directs us to start to prepare for a blend of in-school and in-home learning from the start of the school year in August. Again, work is underway, led by Eleanor Sheppard our Chief Education Officer, in preparation for the return of children to school in August.

It is expected that the Scottish Government will issue a volume of guidance to support each of the 4 phases and therefore our actions will be fully in line with that guidance. Trade union representatives are being kept fully briefed on the approaches we are taking.

The government will make a formal announcement on Thursday indicating we are now moving to Phase 1. We will consider any advice that is issued early next week and any changes to working arrangements will be communicated to you by your line manager. You should therefore continue with your current arrangements until you hear otherwise. Broadly, we expect that:

• If you are currently working from home, you will continue to do so following Thursday’s announcement.
• If you are at home self-isolating because you have underlying health conditions, you will continue to stay at home following Thursday’s announcement
• If you are at home because you are not able to do your job because your work building is closed, you will remain at home.
• If you are currently working in a community hub within a school setting, please continue to do so following Thursday’s announcement
• If you normally work outdoors, you will be expected to return to work following Thursday’s announcement.   This will be subject to further government guidance and the approval of safe local arrangements by our Reinstatement Working Group.

Whilst accepting the desire to get back to normal, it is important that we move through each of the phases in a safe manner.  Ultimately the development and delivery of a safe and effective vaccine will enable the full transition from the current public health measures. Until that is achieved, the risk of a resurgence of the disease will continue and it will need to be sustainably controlled through the application of intermittent public health measures.

It will be important that we support each other to understand and comply with the guidance relevant for the phase we are in. I know I can rely on your support with this.

In the meantime, thank you for your continued support.

Angela​​​​​​​

Find the latest Coronavirus guidance and advice on People Anytime 

The mathematical models that have guided the world’s pandemic response have been portrayed as crystal balls. They instead describe a range of possibilities. When a hurricane or an earthquake hits, the danger is evident, the risk self-explanatory and the aftermath visible. It is obvious when to take shelter and when it’s safe to come out. But viruses lie below the threshold of senses. Neither peril nor safety is clear, despite these mathematical models.

We continue to see promising signs that the virus has been slowed although it has not been eradicated. It’s clear that as and when current restrictions are lifted, we can and should expect public health measures to continue to be in place in order to stop cases becoming clusters, clusters becoming outbreaks and outbreaks becoming an uncontrolled peak that would require a return to lockdown in order to avoid further loss of life and the health and social care system being over-whelmed.

If after easing restrictions the evidence shows that the transmission of the virus has not been contained, government will have to re-impose restrictions, possibly returning to lockdown. We must be prepared for the possibility of a cycle of lifting and re-imposing restrictions. As we all worked our way together through the experience of lockdown and learnt to adapt, we’ll do the same if we face a cycle of lifting and re-imposing restrictions – I’m confident we’ll be able to do that.

In terms of our continued contribution to the response, we should expect to support efforts to maintain physical distancing across the city as the city is gently released from lockdown and we should expect to continue to provide shielding support to those clinically at risk groups. In addition, as I mentioned last week, we must play our part in   the implementation of the “test, trace and isolate, support,” approach. We should think about all these activities in terms of “living with COVID-19” and that degrees of these activities will continue for some time to come, perhaps until an immunisation is available.   These measures will all be critical to keeping our families, neighbours and communities safe from this virus.

Just as we worked hard to try and ensure that no one was left behind during the lockdown, we must do the same as we look forward to the easing of the lockdown. Our shared responsibility for the security of the most vulnerable in our society will be a critical focus of our work going forward.

I’m uncertain when we’ll all be back together, as we were before COVID-19,  but I’m feeling hopeful as we start preparing for some return to normal in anticipation of an easing of lockdown.  Our priority will be the safety of colleagues and customers and   we will do that by following government guidance when making decisions for our organisation.

As an organisation delivering services to our customers and as an employer,

• we must be prepared to enable and enforce physical distancing,
• reinforce the importance of strong hygiene practices and
• ensure awareness of symptoms and the need to take prompt action

What we focused on last week

In preparation for the gradual easing of restrictions, colleagues within our Corporate Landlord function, led by Stephen Booth,  have been working on plans for how we will  open up council buildings, including schools, council construction sites, parks and open spaces and that we  do this safely.

In addition, colleagues in People & Organisation and the Corporate Health & Safety team have been working on plans for how we will ensure the safety of our staff and customers who will be physically returning to these buildings, sites and spaces.

People & Organisation colleagues continue to liaise with NHS Grampian regarding the testing of key workers and as our pool of staff returning to work gradually gets wider, we will be making full use of the local testing capacity available.  Colleagues from Environmental Health and other areas continued to liaise with NHS Grampian regarding the Test-Trace-Isolate-Support approach to be available for the easing of lockdown.

I would encourage anyone with symptoms, or who is self-isolating with a family member who has symptoms, to make use of the testing facilities available to all staff. It’s also critical for the health and wellbeing of all staff, as well as our ability to do effective workforce planning and keep critical services running, that we have a good understanding of each person’s current status – so please keep CoreHR up to date with details of whether you are unwell, self-isolating, working from home or making use of special leave. More details on correct use of CoreHR codes can be found here.

Colleagues from across Strategic Place Planning, Capital and Operations have been developing plans for how we will facilitate social distancing across the public realm, for example, footpaths bus shelters.

It’s important to stress that these are only our local plans, in anticipation of an ease out of lockdown. The Scottish Government will of course, undertake its normal 3 weekly review on the 28^th May and will determine how it wishes to proceed. Even if the Scottish Government indicates its intention to release lockdown – it is anticipated that this will be a gentle release and that those colleagues who can work from home will still be expected to do so.

To summarise last week, we focused on

• preparing council buildings, construction sites and open spaces for the requirements of social distancing
• preparing plans to ensure the safety of those staff who may be returning to work considering a gentle release from lockdown, including ensuring access to testing arrangements for staff
• preparing social distancing measures for across a range of public realm spaces
• understanding data held in CoreHR and helping colleagues to correctly utilise the self-reporting functionality to keep track on the status of all staff

Our focus for this week:

• continue our preparations for the easing of lockdown
• continue our work on the development of a financial recovery plan for the council
• continue our work on a Build Back Better approach to council services. Read more about what Build Back Better means here
• continue our work, as instructed from the Urgent Business Committee, on the development of a socio-economic rescue plan for the city and its citizens for submitting to June’s UBC.

As I take my daily walk outside, I’m struck that the world looks much the same as it did before, but of course it has been irrevocably altered by the pandemic. We read heart-breaking daily accounts of those who have lost loves ones and those who have been lost – I felt particularly shocked when the UK recorded over 30,000 deaths. But we don’t read about the losses that never occurred because they were averted – and these of course reach into millions of people who have been saved. Amid a future still filled with some uncertainty, we are able to look to the future and to start making plans with families and friends. 

Our “new normal” following the easing of restrictions will be characterised by continued public health measures and it’s important that we view these as life saving measures against a virus we can’t see as citizens and employees, when the time comes. Let’s continue to look after ourselves, our families and each other.  

Angela

You can find the latest ACC updates and advice on Covid-19 on People Anytime.

Dear Colleagues,

Following the Urgent Business Committee meeting last week, all Elected Members have asked me to express their sincere thanks and respect for the way you have all risen to the many challenges we have faced in the last few weeks.  Despite the Coronavirus pandemic and the challenges it has posed, each and every one of you has continued to do your best to provide vital public services to the City of Aberdeen.  You have all pulled together as part of an ACC team that, at a time of crisis, has reminded elected members once again that our employees are our greatest asset.

Coronavirus will continue to throw up new challenges, not least of which is our financial situation, and elected members are confident that our dedicated staff will continue to work together to ensure Aberdeen and its citizens can rely on the council to provide the services they need.

Angela

Dear Colleagues,

Pandemics and climate risk are similar in that they both represent physical shocks which then translate into an array of socio-economics impacts. The pandemic is sweeping the globe threatening lives and livelihoods at an alarming rate. It was only a couple of months ago that we were similarly watching lives and livelihoods being threatened as a result of extreme flooding.

Perhaps the current pandemic provides us with a foretaste of what a full-fledged climate crisis could entail in terms of the shock to supply and demand, disruption to supply chains and global transmission.  Addressing pandemics and climate risk require the same fundamental shifts. However, the timescales of both the occurrences and resolution of pandemics and climate hazards are different. The former is measured in weeks, months and years – the latter are measured in years, decades and centuries.

Climate change can contribute to pandemics according to researchers and conversely the same factors that mitigate climate risks are likely to help mitigate the risk of pandemics.  Across the world, the environmental impact of some of the public health measures taken to counter the pandemic, have been seen by some as a full-scale illustration of what drastic action can produce in a short amount of time. Satellite images of vanishing pollution in China and India during the lockdown are cases in point.

So, the lockdown potentially represents a crucial moment for climate action. Some of the temporary adjustments put in place such as homeworking and greater reliance on digital channels could endure after the lock down has ended reducing transport demand and emissions. Of course, a reduction in transport emissions can significantly improve the health and well-being of children and adults who currently experience respiratory conditions – those conditions, that put people at risk during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The unwinding of the existing restrictive public health measures will be worked through by government in preparation for the inevitable release from the lockdown (see here for update on latest position). Transportation patterns are going to have to be carefully planned in order to avoid a collapse of social distancing. There’s opportunity, for example, for us as a country to be thinking about introducing different commuting patterns. Different commuting patterns will also enable us to think about different working patterns in order to respond to the phased relaxation of social distancing. So, an opportunity to reshape our immediate future, one that every business and institution must be ready to explore, including our own.

What we focused on last week

At the Urgent Business Committee on the 6^th May, group leaders considered two reports on plans for the energy transition of the city and the city council. I’m grateful to colleagues across several clusters who have managed to stay focused on the energy transition agenda during the pandemic. Another big crisis on the doorstep of the world, that’s temporarily been overshadowed by COVID-19, but has not gone away. If you’re interested in reading these reports, you can find them here (see items 9 and 10).  If you’re passionate about tackling climate change and want to get involved in our organisational response to it, keep an eye on the intranet for our appeal for “green champions” – coming soon.

Whilst our priorities remain to help the rescue and recovery of the city from the impact of COVID-19, we face the further challenge of doing that as our own financial position is equally affected by COVID-19. Our Chief Financial Officer, Jonathan Belford, brought this to  our attention in a report to a meeting of the Urgent Business Committee and he has been instructed to report back to the next Urgent Business Committee on 30th June with proposals to ensure the council maintains a balanced budget for 2020/21. Jonathan has created a short video with more information on our financial position here.

Last week’s meeting of the UBC and the previous week’s planning committee, were enabled by colleagues from across committee support services and I’d like to thank them for the support they provided members and colleagues to enable council business to be conducted using the Microsoft Teams platform.

As part of Business as Usual, the year-end accounts for financial year 2019/20 have been finalised for both the council and the Integrated Joint Board (IJB). I’m grateful to Jonathan Belford and Alex Stephen and their respective finance teams, for the huge amount of work that’s gone in to getting the accounts closed – all at the same time as supporting the work underway to restore our 2020/21 financial position.

Colleagues in City Growth were successful in launching the Aberdeen COVID-19 Fund for self-employed recently. This funding is intended to relieve the hardship of people ineligible for other Coronavirus self-employment schemes. It is open to those who became self-employed on or after 6 April 2019 and who were actively trading up to March 2020.We are  now accepting applications from those who meet the criteria  and it is anticipated successful applicants will receive the funds in early May 2020.

It has been agreed that the operation of the chapel at Hazlehead Crematorium will be reinstated from Monday 11 May 2020, following consideration of the evolving COVID-19 situation.  This will allow us to support bereaved families, although the number of mourners will be limited due to the adherence to social distancing measures. The Funeral Directors will run the services at the chapel, while ACC staff will operate the facility.

To summarise last week, we focused on

• Setting out our vision and plans to enable the energy transition of the city and the council and doing this against the backdrop of a global pandemic recognising the inextricable links between climate action and health pandemics
• Setting out the uncomfortable truth about the impact of COVID-19 on the council’s financial position within financial year 2020/21 and securing agreement to bring plans back to UBC at the end of June
• Continuing with our Business as usual year end duties by closing the accounts for financial year 2019/20 for the council and the IJB
• Enabling the temporarily abbreviated decision-making structures of council to meet using Microsoft Teams
• Launching the COVID-19 Fund for self-employed
• Re-instating the operation of the chapel at Hazlehead Crematorium

Our focus for this week

A key aspect of the next phase of the response to the pandemic is the “Test, Trace, Isolate, Support” approach – you might see this abbreviated to T-T-I-S. The Scottish Government set out its approach to “test, trace and isolate, support,” last week and we will support the extensive work that is now underway to prepare for its implementation.

The approach  involves  testing  people in the community who have symptoms consistent with COVID-19,  using  contact tracing  to identify the close contacts of those cases, and to support those close contacts to self-isolate, so that if they do develop the disease, there is less risk that they will pass it on to others.

“When this is all over… ” is a phrase that many of us are probably repeating now. Committing ourselves to a whole load of things we’re going to do once the lock-down is removed. The phrase signals an intention to change. Let’s throw our imaginations forward and imagine what Aberdeen city council will be like when this is all over – this is critical if we are to address our present financial situation. One thing that is certain is that we will all have to adjust to a new, post COVID-19 normal.

Please continue to “Do what you can, with what you have and where you can”

Stay safe, we will come through this.

Angela

Dear Colleagues

I wrote to you last week, indicating that Jonathan, our Chief Financial Officer, was submitting a report to a meeting of the Urgent Business Committee on the 6th May, setting out the impact of COVID-19 on the council’s financial position. The report is publicly available, and I hope you have had an opportunity to read it – it does make for sobering reading. Group leaders met virtually and agreed the recommendations in the report. As a result, Jonathan has been instructed to report back to the next Urgent Business Committee on 30th June with proposals to ensure the council maintains a balanced budget for 2020/21.  

Within the report to UBC, Jonathan distinguished between what is known and what remains unknown/uncertain at this stage: 

• We have been able to quantify the direct impact of COVID-19 on existing expenditure and income streams, including our ability to deliver existing approved savings from the 2020/21 budget 
• We have attempted to best guess the duration of the impact, but this will only become certain once the government’s plans become clearer  
• And it’s unclear, at this point, how much further financial support the government will be able to give local government  

Now, we can quantify the scale of the problem, but we aren’t in a position yet, to quantify the scale of financial support we may receive from the Scottish Government. It is important that we recognise that the UK and Scottish Governments will rightly need to continue to prioritise projecting jobs, maintaining families’ income, and ensuring all families have food on the table as well as continuing to support the general welfare of the most vulnerable amongst us. But the competition for government’s funding is going to be fierce. 

We’ll start our work to develop proposals on achieving a balanced budget, assuming no financial support from Scottish Government, and we’ll keep revisiting that assumption over the next 8 weeks.  

We must now act with urgency. During the crisis, we have worked faster and more creatively than we perhaps imagined possible a few months ago. We must maintain that sense of urgency and possibility during the next 8 weeks. 

As I reflect on some of the wonderful and innovative approaches we have taken to respond to the lockdown, I recognise that it is these approaches that offer us a once in a century invitation to imagine something richer, truer, deeper, than normal ever was. After the war, people didn’t aspire to go back to the hunger and economic depression of the 30s – they wanted to build a land fit for heroes to live in. This isn’t a time for looking back, it’s a time for imagining the future and starting to live that future now.  This is our lifetime opportunity to Build Back Better. 

The senior management team have been working on our Build Back Better approach for several weeks and on their behalf, Jonathan will release a further video message tomorrow to take us all through the approach and timelines for our work. Please take the opportunity to watch the video when it is released.  From tomorrow afternoon you’ll be able to view the video through my blog.

Even the best-case scenario produces an eye-watering funding gap for the current financial year. But let’s collectively view the gap as an opportunity to continue our journey of innovation and learning. There’s a lifetime opportunity here to accelerate our current work to build a council of the future and for us to be bolder and braver in that vision than we were pre-COVID-19.  

I took the opportunity to remind myself of our organisational purpose recently – “To ensure that the people and place of Aberdeen prospers, but in the event of harm happening, to support the rescue and recovery of  the people and place of Aberdeen  from that harm.” And as I re-read it, I found a bigger meaning in the statement than it perhaps had for me pre-COVID-19. I think I found more meaning in our purpose as I reflected on all that you’re doing in response to COVID-19. I believe that our organisational purpose is currently our shared purpose as a community, not just as an organisation. 

In our pre-COVID-19 world, we understood our work and how to do it but perhaps not always connecting it to our shared purpose. As we undertake the important work to identify options for balancing our in-year budget, it’s important that we all truly connect with that organisational shared purpose and consider budget options against our purpose.  

We will find our way through this immediate financial crisis, but I do recognise its severity.  

This isn’t going to be easy, but I am confident about our collective ability to steer a way forward. I’m seeing all our guiding principles in action: 

• One Team, One Council, One City 
• We care about our purpose, our city and our people 
• We trust each other and take responsibility 
• We value each other and recognise 

And from me to you – I have a huge amount of pride in what you’re doing and the work you’re doing to make this situation better.  

Stay safe 

Angela

Dear Colleagues,

The global pandemic is creating a public re-awakening of the role of public services and the public servants who work with them. We’ve seen many who work in the public sector demonstrate huge acts of selflessness as they have risked their own lives in order to care for others and keep services going. 

Many of the services which councils and health & social care partnerships provide today can trace their roots back to the 1800s. This was a time of major infectious diseases, most of which have now thankfully been eliminated. In response to the spread of disease, the state became the guarantor of standards of health and environmental quality and provided resources to local councils to make the changes to achieve these standards. And the collection of waste as a core function of all councils was born!  

Councils’ waste teams continue to be a guarantor of health today, through preventing the resurrection of “old” infectious diseases and supporting the fight against “new” infectious diseases.  In fact, Martin Luther King is quoted as saying “sanitation workers ………their work collecting rubbish is as crucial as that of doctors in preventing the spread of disease”.

Sent on behalf of Isla Newcombe, Chief Officer – Organisational Development

Dear Colleagues

Since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak and the ‘stay at home’ instruction, many national helplines who support victims of domestic abuse have experienced a sharp increase in calls. Recent reports suggest an increase of 49% in calls to helplines and in the 1^st 3 weeks of the COVID-19 lockdown 16 people were killed as a result of domestic violence (an 11-year high).  There has also been an increase in calls to men’s helplines. 

This increased risk has been recognised by the Home Secretary who recently launched a new public awareness campaign on domestic violence – You Are Not Alone.  If anyone is experiencing domestic abuse during lockdown, we want you to know that help is available and if you or someone you know is in danger the strict “stay at home” message, can be relaxed. 

As an employer, Aberdeen City Council are fully in support of this campaign. We have a duty of care to all our staff which extends to when you are at home as well as when you are at work.  We want to be able to help anyone who finds themselves in this situation where we can. With this in mind, webpages have been built on People Anytime which signpost to the various agencies available to support people facing the possibility of domestic abuse. 

If you are in a situation of potential risk, the advice is to use the everyday phrase [Is Angela in today] to signal if you need assistance.   Contact your line manager or any manager you feel comfortable with and use this phrase. All managers have been briefed on the campaign and, on hearing this alert, your manager will offer the opportunity to attend a meeting at a Council building (ensuring that social distancing is complied with) if this would assist you to leave a potentially dangerous situation or your manager will offer to make contact with the police, a support agency or a friend or relative for you. If you think that this might be something you would helpful, please ensure that your emergency contact details on CoreHR are up to date with the number of whoever your “safe” contact would be. 

As an alternative to making your line manager aware, you could consider contacting one of the following for similar assistance:

• A People and Organisation Adviser (through calling 01224-523937 or e-mailing employeerelations@aberdeencity.gov.uk 
• a Council designated Mental Health First Aider
• your trade union representative (if a member of a union)

Below are a few quick shortcuts to additional local areas of support: 

Grampian Women’s Aid (AWA): 01224 593381  
Email: info@grampian-womens-aid.com  
Website: https://www.grampian-womens-aid.com/  

 Advocacy Service Aberdeen: 01224 332314  
Email: asa@advocacy.org.uk  
Website: https://www.advocacy.org.uk/about-advocacy-service-aberdeen/victims-of-domestic-abuse/  

 Aberdeen Cyrenians: 0300 303 0903  
Email: hello@aberdeencyrenians.org  
Website: https://www.aberdeen-cyrenians.org/get-support/dasap  
The national helpline is – 0800 160 1985  

Employees can also access Time for Talking, the Council’s confidential counselling service on 0800 970 3980 or visit the website  to chat online. 

 Further support organisations can be found on People Anytime.  

Kind regards and stay safe

Isla

Dear Colleagues,

Whilst our priorities remain to help the rescue and recovery of the city from the impact of COVID-19, we face the further challenge of doing that as our own financial position is equally affected by COVID-19. This might be an uncomfortable truth but it’s one that our Chief Financial Officer, Jonathan, is having to bring to the attention of council, in a report to a meeting of the Urgent Business Committee on the 6^th May.

I thought it important for you to hear directly from Jonathan, as the authority on the council’s finances. I hope you will take the opportunity to watch Jonathan’s recorded message to us all. Jonathan has agreed to do a further video, explaining the outcome of the decisions reached at the UBC on the 6^th May.

Jonathan has painted several financial scenarios within the report to UBC – ranging from best to worst case. Within these scenarios he has distinguished between what is known and what remains unknown/uncertain at this stage:

• We have been able to quantify the direct impact of COVID-19 on existing expenditure and income streams, including our ability to deliver existing approved savings from the 2020/21 budget
• We have attempted to best guess the duration of the impact, but this will only become certain once the government’s plans become clearer
• And it’s unclear, at this point, how much further financial support the government will be able to give local government

Jonathan is seeking an instruction to bring back options for addressing this funding gap to the next meeting of the Urgent Business Committee. By that stage, hopefully the level of government support will be clear. However, It is important that we recognise that the UK and Scottish Government will rightly need to continue to prioritise protecting jobs, maintaining families’ income, and ensuring all families have food on the table as well as continuing to support the general welfare of the most vulnerable amongst us. But, the competition for government’s funding is going to be fierce.

By June, we only have 9 months remaining in order to identify and deliver further savings. I hope that you can be involved in the identification, development and appraisal of budget options. As you know, we’ve chosen over the last few years to transform our operating model and as a result, largely through our digital transformation, we have been able to reduce our cost base. So, we will continue to progress our transformation ambitions by accelerating our planned work on further service redesign.

The best-case scenario does produce an eye-watering funding gap for the current financial year. It is important to be honest that the scale of change required to address this gap will be felt by all employees. I do appreciate that you have had to adjust to all the changes in response to COVID-19 and won’t necessarily relish more change. I do understand. 

I am determined that the council plays as full a part as we can in the rescue and recovery efforts in response to this health crisis and that we ensure that no one in Aberdeen is left behind. The COVID-19 health crisis is going to turn into a lingering financial and economic crisis here as well as the rest of the country for some time. So, the city will continue need us to for a long time to come and its incumbent on us to ensure that we come through this as an organisation, able to sustain a long recovery period for the city.

We do need to be prepared for this lingering financial and economic impact and I think we need to start this work now. I know this is an ask, but I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t think we could do this together.

Meanwhile, stay safe

Angela

Dear Colleagues,

A new weekly publication from the National Records of Scotland on COVID-19 related deaths in Scotland was made public this week. The publication breaks down the statistics for each local authority and lays out the settings in which people have died, including in hospitals, in care homes, those who pass away at home or in some other setting. For the first time, local authority and health board breakdowns are available for care home deaths. These figures show the indiscriminate nature of the COVID-19 virus on families, which is affecting all settings in all parts of the country. 

A virus has spread across the globe, affecting all populations. What we take from this pandemic will surely include an understanding that all of our lives, our health and well-being, are bound up with everyone else.

The Thursday night clapping now feels like a public ritual that brings us together – perhaps similar to the minute’s silence we observe in November for those who lost their lives in war and conflict.  The clapping represents a solidarity with all “care givers” and a remembrance of a different kind – for those who have lost their lives to COVID-19. It’s lovely that people want to break their isolation for a brief moment to give thanks and celebrate and remember life.

So, as you stand clapping on Thursday, or in a silent moment to yourself, let’s also clap for our own colleagues across the health and care system here in Aberdeen; including all our care home providers and Bon Accord Care.

The isolation demanded in response to this infection is preventing families and friends from being able to say farewell to loved ones in the way we’re accustomed to at the end of a life. I know that our colleagues in Registrar, Burial and Crematoria services are thoughtful about this and feeling the pain of families. I’d like to thank colleagues in those services for the care and attention they’re giving to families who have lost a loved one at this time.

What we focused on last week

Colleagues in the city’s Health & Social Care Partnership continue to provide support to all care home providers in the city. I’d like to record my own heartfelt thanks to all the care home providers and their staff for the commitment and care they’ve continued to provide to residents throughout this incredibly difficult time. I’d also like to thank the staff at Bon Accord Care for providing the same care and attention to residents in sheltered and very sheltered complexes across the city.

A digital school curriculum has been put in place at speed to support our young people. A questionnaire was issued to families, pupils and staff to get feedback on the approach put in place and initial responses have been positive with a high response rate.  We’ll continue to seek feedback on our approach in order to ensure we continue to develop it for our young people. This is a hugely uncertain time, particularly for all senior phase pupils and I’d like to put on record my thanks to all school leaders and teaching staff for the support they are providing to young people.

I also want to record my thanks to Education and Social Work colleagues for the joint work they have undertaken to identify children and young people who are thought to be vulnerable and for making suitable arrangements to stay connected with these children and their families either through the school or through the established vulnerable hubs.

The ability of our staff to continue to deliver critical services whilst remaining safe was further strengthened this week with all critical services (including BAC) completing risk assessments which take into account the latest government guidance.  Progress was also made this week to get our critical workers COVID-19 tested through NHS Grampian.

A significant amount of joint work has taken place between our Procurement and Capital teams to ensure that we do all we can to support the construction sector. Our work on project designs continues to ensure we’re ready to award work to the sector on the easing of the lockdown.

To summarise last week, we focused on

• Supporting fellow care workers in the cities care homes
• Welcoming back school pupils to their “digital schools”
• Remaining focused on vulnerable children as an integrated children’s’ service
• Completing all our risk assessments and getting colleagues access to key worker testing
• Engaging with the construction industry in order to be ready to award work when the lockdown is eased

Our focus for this week:

• Following the government’s announcement to allow for the early release of prisoners – work will get underway to accommodate this early release scheme
• Education and Legal colleagues will begin preparations for ensuring the council is ready to respond to the government’s extension to the deadline for school placing requests

Let me end by turning my attention to you. How are you doing?

In a crisis, our mental state often seems only to exacerbate an already extremely challenging situation, becoming a major obstacle. As the mind wanders, research has shown that it easily gets trapped into patterns and negative thinking. During times of crisis — such as those we are living through now — this tendency is exacerbated, and the mind can become even more hooked by obsessive thinking, as well as feelings of fear and helplessness.

The emotional and psychological response you may be experiencing to this crisis is natural and very human. But the truth is they often bring us more suffering by narrowing and cluttering our mind and keeping us from seeing clearly the best course of action.

The way to overcome this natural tendency is to build our mental resilience.  Resilience is the skill of noticing our own thoughts, unhooking from the non-constructive ones, and rebalancing quickly.

I’d like to draw your attention to Fiona’s blog on the intranet which brings together lots of useful sources of help if you’re struggling.  And  Cathy’s new online staff magazine will soon offer staff a place to come together as a community to stay connected, share your experience of work right now and swap ideas, hobbies and ways of working that you are using to keep yourselves well.

COVID-19 has brought into focus the inter-connectedness of our health and well-being. It also reminds us that many of our colleagues are involved every day in supporting life, supporting the end of life and celebrating that person’s life.  Important we give thanks to all those colleagues.

Meanwhile, Stay Safe.

Angela

You can find the latest ACC updates and advice on COVID-19 on People Anytime.

Sent on behalf of Isla Newcombe, Chief Officer – Organisational Development

Dear Colleagues  

To protect the people and place of Aberdeen, many of us are now working at home but many of our teams also continue to deliver frontline critical services throughout the Coronavirus crisis. Some colleagues, due to the nature of their role, require the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) at this time, but all colleagues need to be adhering to social distancing guidance.  

Safety and Risk Assessments 

Staff and customer safety is absolutely critical, and every one of us should feel confident delivering services, knowing that appropriate risk assessment has been undertaken, procedures are in place and -where relevant – we have access to the PPE that we need to do our job.  The latest guidance and procedures to protect the health, safety and welfare of colleagues can be found on staying safe while working pages.  The webpages also offer guidance on how to properly use any necessary equipment.  Additionally all managers have been undertaking risk assessments in conjunction with our Corporate Health and Safety Team to help ensure the safety of all colleagues.   

PPE Requirements 

Please be assured that close monitoring of PPE requirements is taking place for all areas across the organisation,  on a daily or weekly basis. In addition, for all members of staff, managers or service managers, if you cannot immediately access the PPE you need before commencing your task or feel unsafe in any way, you can use this escalation process to get the help and advice you need.   

Everyone has a role to play in ensuring that safe working guidelines are adhered to. 

Symptoms at Work 

Finally, if you or any colleague shows symptoms at a place of work – a reminder to please follow this guidance, found on People Anytime.  

Anyone with COVID-19 symptoms must not attend work and anyone displaying symptoms at work needs to return home immediately. 

Common symptoms of the virus are a high temperature or fever and/or a new continuous cough.  If an employee displays either of these symptoms at work, they should: 

• go home as soon as they notice symptoms and follow the stay at home guidance. They should note that any household members will also be required to follow stay at home guidance.  

• Where possible minimise contact with others as they travel home i.e. use a private vehicle to go home. If it is not possible to use private transport, then they should be advised to return quickly and directly home. 

• If they have no alternative to public transport, they should try to keep away from other people and catch coughs and sneezes in a tissue. If they don’t have any tissues available, they should cough and sneeze into the crook of their elbow.

If they are so unwell that they require an ambulance you should: 

• phone 999 and let the call handler know you are concerned about COVID-19.
• Whilst you wait for advice or an ambulance to arrive, try to find somewhere safe for the unwell person to sit which is at least 2 metres away from other people preferably in a separate room where they can be isolated from others. If another employee must remain with them then they should remain a minimum of 2 metres away.

If a member of staff has helped a colleague who was taken unwell with a new, continuous cough or a high temperature, or if they have been working in the same area as this person, they do not need to go home unless they develop symptoms themselves. They should wash their hands thoroughly for 20 seconds after any contact with someone who is unwell with symptoms consistent with coronavirus (COVID-19) infection. 

It is not necessary to close the business or workplace or send any staff home, unless government policy changes. Keep monitoring the government response page or the Government Guidance for Employers for the latest details. 

Remember that anyone involved in delivery of a critical service who is experiencing symptoms, or who is self-isolating because a household member is experiencing symptoms, can now apply for testing for them or for their household member. Information can be found here.

Cleaning and Disinfection 

If someone develops symptoms whilst in the workplace, they should leave the premises immediately and follow self-isolation guidelines as outlined above. Other colleagues should vacate the immediate area until cleaning and disinfection has taken place, work which will be undertaken by our cleaning team. The immediate area that had been occupied by the individual e.g. desk space, will be cleaned with detergent and disinfectant. Cleaning and disinfection will include any potentially contaminated high contact areas such as door handles, telephones, grab-rails, etc. Once this process has been completed, the area can be put back into use.  To request these services, or to seek advice, please contact the Cleaning Services Management team directly.  

Any public areas where a symptomatic individual has only passed through (spent minimal time in) e.g. corridors do not need to be further decontaminated beyond routine cleaning processes.  

This guidance is in line with Health Protection Scotland Advice.  

All our procedures will continue to be updated in line with the latest guidance.  You can find the latest ACC updates and advice on Covid-19 on People Anytime.  

Stay Safe 

Isla

Dear Colleagues

When I wrote to you last week, we were anticipating the impending government announcement regarding an extension to the lockdown. On Thursday the UK and Scottish Government confirmed the extension of the lockdown for a further three weeks. UK and Scottish governments acknowledged that the restrictions have resulted in a slowing down in the community transmission of the virus but were not confident that the transmission has slowed enough to ease up the restrictions.

The actions now being taken now to slow the transmission of COVID-19 will ultimately bring forward the day we can return to a pre-lockdown world. To be able to lift the lockdown, the governments will need to see the number of people infected by the virus fall for a prolonged period. Maintaining a steady and consistent rate of low or no transmission is an important part of the fight against COVID-19.

The one thing we can be certain of is that the lockdown will come to an end.  This week saw the German government announce plans to slowly ease restrictions, whilst they will see social distancing stay in place until at least 3 May, smaller shops are being allowed to open this week and German schools will re-open from 4 May. So while it’s still far from certain when the UK will come out of lockdown, we can see other countries gradually easing the restrictions and our government(s) will learn from the approach to easing of restrictions taken by other countries.

What we focused on last week

We supported the efforts to significantly increase capacity for COVID-19 testing across the country. Our Roads team helped to create an NHS testing facility at Aberdeen Airport’s Park & Depart on Wellheads Drive.  The site went live for testing on Saturday 11^th April.

Preparations were made for the extension of COVID-19 testing by NHS Grampian to other keyworkers, including Aberdeen City Council staff. Any member of staff who is identified as a critical worker can now request testing for COVID-19 by completing an online form.  Details of these can be found on the Critical Services list.

Work got underway to get ready for the testing of all symptomatic residents and staff in care homes and/or their symptomatic household members that are self-isolating.

The work of the ‘Shielding Support Team’ intensified with over 5,300 calls made by the team to citizens identified as having compromised immune systems. We continued to provide support for citizens in the non-shielded, “at risk” categories. And we supported the national phone line, which was launched on Tuesday by the Government, with calls being triaged back into our teams. Our own Crisis Support Line will continue to operate.

We responded to the changing guidance around the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) by revising our risk assessment approach and workplace procedure guidance. We are working with local suppliers, national frameworks and Scottish Government to ensure that staff have access to the PPE that they need.  For guidance visit the Staying Safe at Work pages on People Anytime.

Colleagues in City Growth and Finance began preparations to support the First Minister’s announcement on the extension of business grants to those with multiple properties and to support the self-employed. As of last week, over 500 payments had been made so far with more being processed.

To summarise last week, we focused on

• Protecting front line workers through the enhanced capacity for testing
• Protecting vulnerable populations by making over 5,300 calls to those in the shielding category
• Preparing for the extension of business grants and support to the self-employed.

Our focus for this week:

• Getting ready for our young people to return to our digital classrooms
• Launching Domestic Abuse Victim Support guidance for our staff, because there are specific challenges and potential risks for those experiencing domestic abuse as a result of staying at home
• Continuing our focus on sourcing and distributing PPE and providing clear escalation routes for all staff in case of shortages or concerns.

I appreciate that many of you will be getting frustrated at not being able to work, having to work at home or working in alternative ways but we must, as an organisation, heed the  governments’ advice and guidance at this time.

It is important that we continue to play our part in reducing the community transmission, including working from home where possible and adhering to our staying safe whilst working guidance, if you must attend a place of work or you work in a frontline service. Last week I shared a video message from home to thank you all for everything you’re doing – it’s appreciated and it’s making a difference.

With so much new guidance to follow in almost every area of our home and working life at this time, it’s worth remembering that the most important and most effective guidance is also the simplest – I recently read guidance issued by Walmart to its staff – it’s called the 6-20-100 guidance – stand six feet (2m) away to maintain a safe physical distance, take 20 seconds for good hand washing, consider a body temperature of 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 degrees Celsius) the signal to stay home from public activity.

Let’s all take care of ourselves and our families by adhering to the government advice, the 6-20-100 rule, and our own ACC guidance on People Anytime.

Stay Safe

Angela

Sent on behalf of Isla Newcombe, Chief Officer – Organisational Development

Dear Colleagues 

You may be aware that testing for COVID-19 is now available in Grampian and is currently being prioritised for people ill in hospital, colleagues working in Healthcare and within Care Homes. Where there is capacity in Grampian beyond testing for Healthcare workers, Covid-19 testing is now available for other Keyworkers, including Aberdeen City Council staff. 

Keyworker testing aims to allow staff to return to work quicker than current isolation rules allow. This helps organisations and their essential services to maintain their critical functions. Staff who are vital for the organisation’s or service’s critical function can now request testing for covid-19. 

Tests are being carried out at drive-through testing centres in Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire and Moray.  

If you are a critical worker and have a high temperature or new continuous cough and therefore must self-isolate for 7 days then you can request to be tested. A negative test result will allow you to return to work once you are well enough even if that is before 7 days. Those who test positive will continue to follow Government advice and self-isolate at home for the required duration of 7 days minimum. 

Testing is also available for household members of critical staff displaying symptoms for at least 48 hours. If a you are a critical worker and are in household isolation for 14 days because you live with someone who has high temperature or new continuous cough, then you can request a test be offered to your household member(s) with symptoms. A negative test result will mean the 14-day household isolation period is lifted immediately and you can return to work. 

Whilst capacity is expected to grow, the current constraints mean that we need to offer testing on a priority basis: 

Firstly, any member of staff who wishes to be tested must be identified as a critical worker.  

• Red – critical to the Local Resilience Plan response  
• Yellow – critical to protect vulnerable people  
• Green – critical digital technology  
• Grey – organisationally critical 

Full details about the roles identified as critical to the response can be found on People Anytime 

This also includes colleagues who have recently moved to undertake alternative duties that fall within any of the categories above through the Temporary Movement of Staff scheme. 

As a critical worker, you or a member of your household, must have had Covid-19 symptoms for at least 48 hours before you will be tested.   

Employees who meet this criteria can apply for testing by completing this online form.  

Managers can also complete this form on a behalf of someone they line manage, with their consent.   

Full details of the testing application process can be found on People Anytime.   

This is an important step forward in our ongoing battle to maintain critical services for the people and place of Aberdeen – I hope you will make use of the scheme and if you have any questions at all please contact EGHG@aberdeencity.gov.uk 

For additional advice and Coronavirus updates please visit  People Anytime – Coronavirus.

Dear Colleagues,

Television screens at home are instantly presenting us with images from across the world of how the pandemic is evolving and being responded to – in many cases, showing us the world that lies just around the corner for us. Countries like Spain and Italy report their rates of infection are beginning to plateau while others, such are Russia, are announcing record 24hour highs. At the time of writing there are 1.6 million cases worldwide, and 97,237 deaths. The life of all these nations and their people unfolding in front of us on our television screens.

However, we must remain hopeful. This week we saw China end the lock down of Wuhan, the original epicentre of the coronavirus.  As Wuhan re-opened its borders after 76 days, global figures also report that 366,409 people have recovered from this virus. We must also remain vigilant and resist the temptation to breach the lock down rules in place in this country. Chinese officials warn the threat of further infection remains far from over.

Someone once said, “hope is a feeling that life and work have meaning regardless of the state of the world around you”. I believe that the work we are doing as a council is making a difference. Our organisational purpose is to ensure that the people and place of Aberdeen prospers, but in the event of harm happening to the people or place, that we will be there to help with the rescue and recovery from that harm. That purpose is now full of much more meaning for me, and I know for many of you as well, in the light of COVID-19. Let’s keep harnessing our collective spirit and energy behind that purpose.

Many of you may be wondering what impending government announcements there may be about the current lockdown, given the initial 3-week period is due to expire today.  We expect the government to make a formal announcement this week and we will need to consider any government advice that may be issued.  This means that there will be no immediate changes to working arrangements.  If you are currently working from home, you should continue to do so.  If you are at home because you are not able to do your job because your service is stood down, you should remain at home.   If you are currently working in a community hub within a school setting, please confirm with your line manager what arrangements are made for you.   We will consider any advice that is issued this week and any changes to working arrangements will be communicated to you by your line manager, having been agreed with your chief officer. You should therefore continue with your current arrangements until you hear otherwise.

In our immediate response last week

The Crisis Support Line, which is staffed 24/7, handled approximately 400 incoming calls each day, facilitating a range of support.  The dedicated ‘Shielding Support Team’ made between 450 – 800 outgoing calls per day to those in the city with compromised immune systems. Both these teams are offering a lifeline to the city so a big thanks from me.

Thanks also go to the teams across Customer and City Growth who are processing approximately 1,600 applications received to date from businesses needing financial support.

Colleagues in Children’s Services responded to updated guidance from the Scottish Qualifications Authority setting out requirements for teacher estimates to support the certification model and awarding of qualifications. It’s Important that we work with SQA to minimise the impact of COVID-19 on our young people in the senior phase.

To summarise last week, we focused on

• Contacting and supporting those included in the “shielding” category
• Continuing to support citizens not included in the shielding category
• Supporting the business community by processing their applications for support
• Supporting our young people in their senior phase certification

Our focus for this week:

• Continuing to undertake our risk assessments of staff and ensuring the supply of the required PPE.
• Continuing with the mobilisation of our staff volunteers
• Continuing our provision of childcare for key workers over the Easter holidays

The dynamic nature of the situation continues to evolve and therefore we continue to adapt, changing our focus as required, whilst trying to chart a way through this. So, another busy week gone and another one in store.

It’s important to remember that this situation could go on for some time, so I’d encourage you to ensure you’re taking regular breaks throughout the day and that you use your annual leave too. I know many of you will have had holiday plans and be disappointed about the cancellation of these. But it’s still important to take a break, so please make sure you are taking some time off.

Thank you for all that you are doing, it’s much appreciated.

Please continue to “Do what you can, with what you have and where you can”

Stay safe, we will come through this.

Angela

Dear Colleagues,

The news coverage of the health crisis, over the last week, has featured more about the human impact of the virus. Whilst important issues like personal protection equipment for front line staff has featured highly, so too have the human stories of families who have lost loved ones. At the end of our lives, I guess we all expect to be with our close loved ones – to be able to say how much they have meant to us and to hopefully reflect on a happy life together.  The required isolation demanded in response to this infection, is preventing families from being able to do this. And wider family and friends are also being starved of the opportunity to say their farewells and share stories of happier times, because of the restrictions being placed on funerals.

These normal rituals of how we celebrate a life, at its end, are being prevented and it must make the loss of a loved one even more difficult to bear. Our thoughts must be with those families and our actions must be guided by our individual and organisational humanity – there was never more of time to bring our true selves to work.  Wednesday saw the highest day on day increase in deaths across the country. A cold reminder that the “anticipated surge” is drawing closer.

Even as public health authorities negotiate an unprecedented period of demand on the health and social care system, they are trying to design and build systems to prevent resurgence of the disease as we pass the peak. Let’s remain hopeful of the development of clinically validated treatments and tools to add to the arsenal in the global fight against COVID-19.

In our immediate response last week

A protocol was agreed with trade unions for the mobilisation and temporary movement of staff where the rescue response needs more capacity. Over 1,500 staff volunteered to be part of this mobilisation and employees are now being contacted to support areas such as call handling for the ACC crisis line, delivering PPE to those who need it most, the Grampian Coronavirus Assistance Hub volunteer co-ordination, waste services and the temporary hospital bed provision. As more requirements arise, more colleagues who have volunteered will be contacted – an update was shared last week and you can see the latest information here.

Legal colleagues digested the implications of the UK Coronavirus Act 2020 and the Coronavirus (Scotland) Act 2020.    Not all the legislation is currently in force and some powers may never be used. The Scottish and UK governments are empowered to issue regulations and directions bringing parts of the legislation into force. They will do so when they feel that the powers are necessary in order to effectively combat the coronavirus pandemic. 

City Growth have been playing their part in supporting the city’s business community. A specific grant help line has been set up: Tel 01224 346 146.  1,340 small business grants scheme applications have been received and are being processed.  

Work continued in our preparation for providing the support to those identified in the “shielding“ category and we hooked ourselves into the national volunteering platform, via our website last week.

Our Chief Social Work Officer worked through new Supplementary National Child Protection Guidance and, with colleagues’ support, has been adapting all local practice in line with the guidance.

And last week, plans were made for household brown bin and mixed recycling collections to resume in Aberdeen this week on a four-weekly cycle.  Household brown bin collections will resume from Monday 6 April and mixed recycling collections from Monday 20 April.  Each will then follow a 4 weekly collection schedule. The general waste bin will continue as at present with fortnightly collections.  The brown bin and mixed recycling collections will still be on a household’s usual collection day.  Recycling points are still available to use for those who can.  The ability to continue the service will be kept under review and any further changes will be communicated.

To summarise last week, we focused on:

• Beginning to mobilise staff who volunteered;
• Digesting the implications of the emergency powers legislation;
• Supporting businesses by processing applications for small business grants;
• Continuing our preparation for “shielding” arrangements;
• Adapting our local practice in line with new child protection guidance;
• Re-instating our waste services.

Our focus for this week:

• Working with the information we now have on the most vulnerable people in the city, including those in the “shielded“ category, we will be focusing on providing them with the support that they need;
• Work is underway considering guidance on the use and potential to carry forward of annual leave. The government have amended legislation to allow annual leave to be carried forward for those employees who have been unable, for practical reasons, to take annual leave due to the impacts of COVID-19;. .
• Revised guidance has just been issued (2/4) jointly by the UK and devolved administrations. It outlines what PPE front line and social care workers should be wearing in different settings. Risk assessments and guidance to staff has been updated accordingly and colleagues will need to consider whether further changes in working practices are required..

So, another busy week gone and another one in store. Important to remind everyone to try and take a break, if they can. As I’ve said, the duration of this pandemic remains unknown and so we must be ready for a marathon and not a sprint. Thank you for all that you’re doing, it is much appreciated.

Please continue to “Do what you can, with what you have and where you can”

Stay safe, we will come through this.

Angela

Dear Colleagues

Angela announced last week the launch of our temporary movement of staff process to support our city-wide response to COVID-19. This process relies on staff volunteering to undertake alternative roles or duties and being matched to where there is significantly increased need. This may be as a result of increased demand in an area critical to the COVID-19 response; new requirements to support the city with the response or critical areas experiencing reduced capacity due to the impacts of COVID-19 on their team or operations.  Last week Angela encouraged employees across the organisation to volunteer to move to critical roles or to do alternative duties to support the organisation at this time. 

We have had an overwhelming response from employees across the organisation and to date over 1500 employees have signed up to be considered for alternative duties, so a very big thank you to you all for this. 

We are now matching the requirements coming in from senior managers against the information which has been submitted from employees. This allows us to identify those who have the necessary skills, qualifications or other requirements, and then contact those people to confirm whether they are willing and able to move to that alternative role, confirming this move with their line manager.  As Angela indicated, some areas have particular requirements for those volunteering, so it might not be possible to match everyone who has volunteered to a position straight away. We know many of you are really keen to help and to get started as soon as possible, please be assured you will be contacted when there is a need that we hope you can fulfil and the desire to get moving is fantastic. Anyone currently undertaking a critical role is unlikely to be asked to move in the first instance, though we may approach you and your manager to see if there is the potential for flexibility to support demands across the organisation. 

You can see all the latest information about the areas that we are already matching and moving volunteers to on our webpages. For example, we are arranging training and movement of employees able to take on general support worker duties to give additional capacity to support clinical staff in NHS / IJB temporary ‘pop-up’ locations. This will provide extra beds for patients who are not critically ill or infectious and are able to be moved out of hospitals. This is a high demand area requiring support 24/7 and we would encourage employees to volunteer by completing the form below, especially if you already are a PVG scheme member (adults) and could provide support. 

The positive response from everyone is absolutely incredible, and is appreciated by the teams who need support and the impact will undoubtedly be felt by the service users and customers that this will affect. It proves that Aberdeen City Council is working as One Team to get us through the Covid-19 outbreak and that we are all working together for the good of our city.  

If you wish to sign up to support, please complete the employee questionnaire , it’s not too late, new requirements are coming in everyday and every little bit of help is valued and appreciated. 

Remember that you can keep up to date with all ACC coronavirus new on People Anytime. 

Thanks

Internal Comms.

Dear Colleagues,

Last week we witnessed another seismic shift in terms of both governments’ stepping up the public health measures in response to COVID-19 as the pandemic spread across the UK. At the same time, conversely, it was announced that the lockdown in Wuhan, the Chinese city where the global coronavirus outbreak began, will be partially lifted on 8 April. A single new case of the virus was reported in Wuhan on Tuesday following almost a week of no reported new cases.

So, as countries around the world have gone into lockdown or imposed severe curbs, including the United Kingdom, we must remain hopeful that we will receive the partial lifting of the lock down in due course.  It is important to remain hopeful throughout this pandemic and I was reminded of that by a colleague, who produced this video to remind us all.

Whilst it’s important to be hopeful, we must also be aware of the potential enormity of the harm coming towards the city and its citizens and our staff. It is heart-breaking to think of the loss that some families will experience as a result of this pandemic and I know we will all feel that. It’s important to bring our emotions and feelings into our work – that shows our humanity. And at the same time, the city and our colleagues need us to be calm, focused and practical in order that we come through this. So, let’s ensure we’re leaning in as a team to support each other.

Of course, amongst all the awfulness of the situation – the inevitable acts of human kindness and resilience continue to be displayed both across the council and the city more broadly. Never am I more proud than when I see or hear of our staff living our Guiding Principles and going above and beyond for the city.  Our colleague, Cathy Lewis, is keen to capture those acts of kindness and stories of colleagues going above and beyond. So please share details with Cathy – email clewis@aberdeencity.gov.uk or share via yammer

For those of you with children, and having to adapt to having them at home, I hope you survived the first week.  I hope a combination of Joe Wicks and of course, our brilliant Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire online teaching resource helped you get through. Across Aberdeen City there were 20,000 users of Google classroom a day  with 21,500 daily files being created.  Thank you to our teaching colleagues for keeping our children occupied!

In our immediate response last week

Last Monday, saw us well prepared to meet the need of category 1 key workers in terms of childcare.   Meanwhile all other children, were live on Monday, in our google classrooms and our senior phase pupils supported well in response to the announcement of the suspension of exams.

Given the volume of people working from home across the city, the collection of domestic waste is critical in order to avoid any further health protection issues, and the importance of the work of our waste collection teams as a critical service was highlighted by the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government in the daily Government COVID-19 briefing on Sunday. This week saw us adjust our provision in order to support a sustainable service. I’m incredibly grateful to colleagues for enabling this service to continue to operate.

Last week also saw us go live with our crisis helpline and I‘d like to express my  thanks to those colleagues who pulled this together at rapid pace.

There was strong messaging from both governments about the public’s use of public spaces following the scenes last weekend and this week saw us close play parks across the city.  Public spaces remain open at this stage.

An increased category of “at risk” was announced last week by the government, to protect the most vulnerable by asking 1.5million people to undertake ‘shielding’, and health and social partnership colleagues have been preparing for these arrangements we need to put in place.

And finally, we went live with our internal ACC temporary movement of staff questionnaire and saw over 1200 colleagues volunteer so far to help the rescue and recovery effort.

To summarise last week, we focused on

• Activating our childcare arrangements for category 1 key workers, minimising the risk of spread of infection for both our staff and pupils
• Getting all other children onto google classroom in order to maintain their learning – schools not out for Easter yet!
• Our waste service, and other critical services, were adjusted in order to support a sustainable response throughout the pandemic
• Activating our crisis helpline and aligning a fantastic bunch of colleagues to support the helpline on a 24/7 basis
• Preparing for “shielding” arrangements for those most vulnerable
• Capturing details of those who are in a position to volunteer to help the rescue and recovery effort.

Our focus for this week:

The Coronavirus Bill has now been enacted by the UK government (Coronavirus Bill) and we await to see whether there are any further elements enacted by the Scottish Government.  Last week saw the Police service start to use these powers and I would just take this opportunity to remind everyone to wear their ACC badges, if you’re travelling to and from work, across the city.  A number of the emergency powers directly relate to services provided by the council: registrar, crematoria and burials and colleagues in these areas will now be working through the implications of these powers.

The crisis team are working very closely with health and social care partnership staff in readiness to support the needs of those citizens identified nationally as being in the “shielding “category. Lots of logistics to work through, both nationally, regionally and locally and once these become clearer, we may be looking to activate some of those who completed the temporary movement of staff questionnaire.

Many of you might be concerned about continuing to perform a frontline, critical service. I want to reassure you that myself and the senior team have your welfare at the foremost of our considerations. As any further guidance on protective actions for frontline services emerges, we are committed to following this guidance and doing everything we can to support you to do your job safely.

Please continue to “DO what you can, with what you have and where you can”

Stay safe, we will come through this

Angela

Dear Colleagues,

Following Monday’s announcements by the Prime Minister and the First Minister, we can be in no doubt that the pandemic is escalating in the UK and that these latest measures are a very deliberate attempt to reduce both the spread and impact. As I watched the news with my own family on Monday night, the seriousness of the situation certainly came home to my two children and my ageing mother. But hope was also present in our home, as I hope it was in yours, that this situation will come to an end.  Covid-19 will become a marker for us – we will talk about our lives and behaviours pre and post Covid-19 I think.  But in the long lives we will lead, and those of our children, these short-term measures are worth the temporary inconveniences being caused by the measures. Nonetheless, I recognised the anxiety and concern on the faces of my own family Monday night, as I’m sure you did with your own families.

In anticipation of these measures, our Incident Management team has been working away in the background to identify which of our Council services are critical to the rescue and recovery efforts up to and through the anticipated surge of cases in the city. In addition we have identified services which must continue in order to ensure effective recovery and the ability of the organisation to keep running at this time. We have shared this list here for reference , but please be aware this will continue to be reviewed. This is not to say that other services are not important or won’t continue to be delivered, but we may need to think about how we prioritise our efforts over the coming weeks, and to take decisions to stand down non-critical services that cannot be done from home.

These services, and the staff involved in their delivery, are critical and we must ensure as a collective that we can continue to provide delivery of them throughout the next period – the rescue and recovery effort depends on them. Many of these services are very specialist and it is incredibly difficult to simply move staff to create further capacity, in the time we have available. So our priority is to really lean in behind these services, our staff and the buildings from which these services are delivered and to ensure we build in as much resilience as possible.

In pre-Covid –19 times, many colleagues across the council and the Health & Social Care Partnership were supporting our most vulnerable children, adults and families and of course, these colleagues must continue to support our most vulnerable.

So we have 2 immediate priorities:

1. ACC delivers the critical services required for the COVID-19 rescue and recovery efforts along with our business as usual responsibilities for supporting vulnerable people – meaning that colleagues involved in these services are critical.
2. At the same, because of the approach to lock down, many of our usual services are not a priority and may not be required at this time. Therefore our priority is to consider how to make best use of the spare capacity we have within the organisation

So there are 2 sides of a coin – one side with spare capacity and the other with not enough capacity. We need to work through this in as calm and careful a way as possible, whilst clearly wanting to embrace all your generous offers of support.

Can you help the response?

To try and help us take a methodical approach to this workforce planning and of course workforce protection, it would be incredibly helpful if we could build a picture of who can help and what your skills and circumstances are. I ask you to complete this questionnaire to record details such as your skills, qualifications and experience, as well as your personal circumstances including availability. Responses will be matched and considered against any urgent roles / tasks which arise across the organisation. We will also combine this data with data held in CoreHR to enable decision making.

If you are already in a critical service area  undertaking one of the essential roles to the response, or delivering critical business continuity activity essential to the organisation or to recovery, we will likely ask you to stay as you are – focused on helping the response and the organisation to keep running. If you aren’t currently delivering a critical task for the response effort, or you feel you have extra capacity to give, and you’re willing and able to support the broader response of council, please volunteer. If you have any questions, please contact the Talent team at talent@aberdeencity.gov.uk

There have also been questions arising since the announcement on Monday about who should remain attending their place of work and who should not. We have developed this decision tree to help with these decisions. If you have any doubts about whether you should be attending your place of work, refer to this guide, speak to your line manager and ask for support from employeerelations@aberdeencity.gov.uk. All the latest information for staff, including all communications, can be found on our coronavirus page on PeopleAnytime.

I removed some of the anxiety of my own family on Monday night, by sharing with them the exemplar examples of efforts of our colleagues responding along with the efforts of partners too, of course. So let’s continue to support the COVID-19 rescue and recovery by continuing to act as one team, one council, one city at this time.

Stay safe but also be hopeful that we will come through this.

Angela

Aberdeen City Council has launched a free crisis support line to prioritise support to its most vulnerable and at-risk customers during the coronavirus outbreak. 

This service is for crisis only. It is for those who are hardest hit by the coronavirus outbreak and unable to find the information they are looking for or unable to get help from their existing support networks, in these unprecedented times.

The telephone number 0800 0304 713 will be staffed from 8am-6pm Monday to Friday from Tuesday 24 March until further notice.  

Members of the emergency helpline team are ready to provide welfare and financial advice and support, including what to do if you are struggling to get food or pay bills.

Similar advice and information are also available on issues such as housing, health, food, heating, finance and schools on the Coronavirus (COVID-19) page of the Council’s website, which is being regularly updated. 

Following the latest Government Announcement, all staff who can do their work from home must do so.

We are awaiting further Government advice on what is to be considered essential work. Based on guidance provided on critical sectors this is likely to include the majority of our critical public sector services and will require to be put into the context of our operations. This will be done as quickly as possible and in the meantime staff who cannot perform their role at home, we ask that you continue to attend your place of work as needed unless otherwise instructed.

We will be in touch again shortly.

Best wishes,
Internal Comms

Dear Colleagues

At the start of a new week, I thought it would be useful to recap on where we are in terms of responding and adapting to the COVID-19 situation. In the space of a very short period of time, our lives have been altered very dramatically both in terms of our work life and our home lives.  We’ve been witnessing a developing public health crisis across the world with each government learning and adapting as the pandemic has spread from China, East Asia, the Middle East and Europe. 

The coronavirus crisis is a story with an unclear ending at this point. What is clear is that the human impact is already tragic across the world. The next phase of the outbreak is profoundly uncertain. The prevalent narrative, at the moment is focused on pandemic but there is a possibility of a more optimistic outcome.  And the scientific community across the world are all focused on the development of an immunisation. 

As the pandemic spread west, the UK and Scottish Government took significant measures in order to reduce the spread across the UK.  As an organisation, last week we prioritised our immediate response, following the advice and instructions of the UK and Scottish government  as well as following the pre-prepared major infectious diseases plan of the local resilience partnership. However, all crises are characterized by unfamiliarity and uncertainty and require elements of improvisation in order to ensure an effective response and we saw elements of that last week from all layers of government. And we should expect some elements of improvisation to continue as we work through the complexity of the situation we face 

In our immediate response last week, 

It was important to prioritise employee and customer safety and last week saw us take the  decision to close a number of facilities, including by the end of the week , the closure of all city schools. In addition, staff who fell within the definition of people within the “at risk groups” defined by government, were enabled to shift to remote working.   In recognition of the need to retain the ability of key public services to run throughout the pandemic, education colleagues moved quickly to provide care arrangements for key workers. Category 1 key workers have been prioritised in the first instance and colleagues will now respond to the needs of category 2 and category 3. I’d like to pass on the thanks of partners for the speed with which colleagues moved in order to have this provision in place for Monday. 

On Friday, the leaders of all the political groups, agreed to suspend a significant number of council committees until August.  An urgent business committee will be convened to enable any necessary decision- making. Group leaders all expressed their thanks for the response from all our staff.

To summarise last week, we focused on

• Activating ACC’s  “nerve centre” to steer the organisation through this pandemic whilst actively participating in the Grampian multi agency “nerve centre” and adapting our governance structures of council. 
• Workforce protection and planning
• Supply chain stabilization
• Customer protection and engagement 
• Financial resilience of citizens, business and the council

Our focus for this week:

We must continue to focus on our immediate response, most of which is to ensure that we’re fully compliant with all the government’s advice whilst prioritising our approach to supporting vulnerable people and families, and supporting businesses. Subject to guidance from Scottish Government, we may be looking to expand the child care provision for key workers in category 1 as well as category 2 and 3.   Many of you will have seen the strong messaging from both governments about the public’s use of public spaces and dependent on how well that advice is taken on board, we may or may not see guidance regarding closing public spaces.  And health and social care colleagues are working through yesterday’s announcement by Scottish Government regarding the requirement for “shielding” of those with specific health conditions. 

In order for us to be able to respond to the numerous actions required by the coronavirus pandemic, the legal powers of public bodies, in particular local government, have had to be reviewed. The UK Government has decided to do this by the creation of new legislation, to make sure the UK’s response is consistent and effective.  The Coronavirus Bill has now been published (Coronavirus Bill) This will apply to Scotland, and it’s been drafted by the UK, Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish governments working together. We expect that this Bill will be made law early next week.

The proposals set out in the Bill will significantly enhance the ability of public bodies across the UK to provide an effective response to the coronavirus pandemic. These proposals will have a major impact on many areas of our Council’s business.  The Council will be expected to do as much as it can to operate as normal during the ongoing situation. Many of the powers contained in the Bill will only be introduced where necessary – and may never be used. Our legal team are working closely with all our services and with the Scottish Government, to support on any changes that come from the Bill.  

Whilst we’re prioritising our immediate response, we are also trying to anticipate how this pandemic will develop, including how long it will run. We will be accessing the expertise of our own local public health experts within NHS Grampian as well as the national experts from within both governments.  I will keep you briefed on our approach and priorities on a weekly basis. 

In addition to this our priority as an organisation is to maintain critical services wherever possible. That means that over the next while, we may ask you, provided you are fit and able to work at this time, to support different teams and undertake alternative duties to support these critical services. Our People and Organisational Development team will shortly be in touch soon about how you can support these critical services and how you can provide the information needed for this to be organised. 

I know I’m asking a lot of you at this time. I fully understand that you will of course, be trying to manage the impact of all the public health restrictions on your own family and daily life, whilst trying to continue to deliver the critical services we provide to the city.  It is important that we work together as one team and it is important to support each other as we each wrestle with the conflicting demands of protecting our families and serving our city. 

These are unprecedented times, and I want to thank you again for your continuing support.

We will come through this.

Stay Safe

Angela

At the Urgent Business Committee on Friday 20th March, Members agreed the following arrangements to be put in place:- 

All Full Council, Committee, Sub-Committee and Working Group meetings are cancelled from 23 March to 21 August 2020 inclusive, with the exception of:- 

• Planning Development Management Committee; and 
• Appeals Sub-Committee, Business Rates Appeals Sub-Committee, Community Asset Transfer Review Sub-Committee and Licensing Sub-Committee.

Instead, Urgent Business Committee meetings will be arranged as required between 23 March and 21 August 2020 to determine business of an urgent nature which would have been otherwise reported to Council, Committee or Sub-Committees. ​​​​​​​

Chief Officers have considered the business planner and provided a list of business critical reports, however if you feel that there is a business critical need for your report to be considered, please discuss this with your Chief Officer in the first instance.  Likewise, if there is an item of business not currently on the planner which may need to be considered as a matter of urgency, please discuss this with your Chief Officer before advising Committee Services. 

Committee Services will be in contact with report authors who currently have reports on the business planner to advise them of the next steps. 

The Chief Officer – Governance, in consultation with Group Leaders, will review whether Full Council, Committee, Sub-Committee and Working Group meetings should proceed from 24 August 2020.  

Dear colleagues,

Please be aware that the decision has been taken today to close all libraries from 5pm tonight until further notice, in order to prevent the spread of Coronavirus.

All working arrangements remain under review to keep our people and city as safe as possible during this difficult time.

• For a full and up-to-date list of temporary venue closures, please see here.

Guidance has today been shared with managers on temporary provisions for flexible/homeworking, special leave and sickness absence in relation to Coronavirus. Please ensure that any absence, self-isolation or changes to normal working arrangements, including working from home, are recorded in CoreHR. If you have queries on any of these speak to your line manager in the first instance or refer to the pages below.  

• For the latest guidance and information for staff on Coronavirus, see People Anytime – accessible from all devices, anywhere, anytime.

Important updates will continue to be shared through all staff emails and on our Intranet and People Anytime.

To make sure we keep each other safe and connected please ensure all your personal details are up to date in CoreHR.

Best wishes,

Internal Comms

Dear Colleagues

From the end of today schools across the country will be closing until further notice.

It is, however, vital that Aberdeen City Council continue to provide essential services across the city. As such, where we can, we are making childcare places available for key workers.

340 childcare places are being offered to ‘key workers’ during the school closure period. We are also working on plans to increase this number should demand be greater.

In the first instance these places will be offered to key workers within the category 1 definition by Scottish Government today. These are identified as:

· Health care workers directly supporting COVID response, and associated staff;

· Health and Care Workers supporting life threatening emergency work, as well as critical primary and community care provision;

· Energy suppliers (small numbers identified as top priority already)

· Staff providing childcare / learning for other category 1 staff.

Provision will be supported by Education and Childcare Services staff with appropriate qualifications and training and offered in a range of locations across the City.

Pending final sign off by the Care Inspectorate, we hope this service could be operational by Monday 23rd March.

Key workers should apply for a place by completing this form- Emergency childcare provision.

Integrated Children & Family Services will prioritise these offers and make contact with you following allocation of places and confirm offer and placement of provision.

Any worker who is not Category 1 as defined above but who is one the list of Key Workers provided by UK Government will be regarded as a category 2 priority given the limited number of spaces currently available. If you fall under this category you can also make an application, however, priority will be given to category 1 parents/guardians in the first instance.

Please also be aware that registrations should be received by 2.30pm today (March 20th) for those that wish to start on Monday, however this will be a rolling application process so we will continue to take applications for days beyond that.

If a place is not made available to you at this time, please be assured that ongoing review of applications will take place to enable us to support as many key workers as possible.

Please complete the form or email contact our Education Support Team for further information. BuildingCapacityTeam@aberdeencity.gov.uk

Regards

Angela Scott

Chief Executive

There are important updates for everyone to be aware of – as we work to reduce the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19) – which impacts the way we interact with customers.

In all our customer interactions, to prevent further spread of the virus and to protect employee and public health, face to face contact is being minimised as much as possible.  Where face to face contact is necessary, discussion is taking place with the customer in advance of the appointment so that a risk assessment can be undertaken.  Customers will be encouraged to attend appointments alone and not to attend if high risk.

Frontline staff have been briefed on the importance of distancing and a 2m rule-of-thumb is  being taken with customers and colleagues, whenever possible.

Handshaking has ceased.

Alcohol free hand sanitisers have been distributed across frontline locations and procedures are in place to clean self service facilities frequently.

Further to Angela’s last message about temporary closures of many of our venues, we are now closing the Corporate Reception of Marischal College.

Corporate Reception (on your left as you enter Marischal College from Broad Street) is now closed until further notice.

We need everyone to now use an alternative entrance (Queen Street or Littlejohn Street) when entering Marischal College and avoid entering/exiting via the Customer Service Centre.  The Corporate Reception area will only be available to staff in an emergency exit situation.

Where essential for a visitor to meet at Marischal College, they should use the Queen Street entrance.  You will need to sign in your visitor using the sign-in sheet and issue a visitors badge (available on the ID-Badge counter).

Escorting your visitor out of the building is important. You must accompany them back to the Queen Street entrance when leaving Marischal College.

Remember to ask your guest to sign out and to return their visitors badge.

Dear Colleague

Today the First Minister announced that it is inevitable that mainstream schools will shut. The assumption is that they will be closed by the end of the week. What’s more, the First Minister has said that she cannot promise that schools will reopen before summer.

As a parent, I appreciate the disruption this may cause for colleagues who have children in city schools and further afield. I also very much appreciate the uncertainty this creates around future domestic arrangements.

However, I think I speak for everyone when I say that with respect to schools the priority must be the health and welfare our children, and that must come first when deciding the next steps. In particular, we need to give thought to how we protect the most vulnerable members of our communities and enable the ongoing delivery of vital services.

The Council will continue to follow government guidance, and we await an update tomorrow. As I write colleagues in education and other services are working on measures to keep children and indeed the wider community safe in what is an evolving situation. We are also looking for ways as an employer to support staff who have children of school age in the weeks ahead.

These are unprecedented times, not just for families, but for everyone. I thank you for your continuing support will update you when we have more details.

Dear Colleagues,

To prevent further spread of the virus and to protect employee and public health, we have taken the decision today to close a number of our buildings to the general public.

*Update: all libraries will close from 5pm on Friday 20th March*

A limited number of frontline offices will need to remain open for the time being, so that we can continue to deliver services to those who need us most. The Council will continue to monitor and review the situation in response to evolving government guidance and business critical needs. Updates on re-openings or further changes will be announced when available.

You can see here the full list of Venues closing (correct as at 17.30 on Wednesday 18 March) and up to date information will be available on the Aberdeen City Council website and our Intranet pages. All impacted colleagues are being informed and alternative working arrangements are being put in place.

The Council will also be cancelling lets on all Council buildings, including schools, community learning centres and civic rooms until the end of April, when the situation will be reviewed. The Council meantime is suspending new bookings.

Schools are expected to be closed by the end of the week in response to the latest Scottish Government advice.

Out of School Care provision operating within primary school premises will also close. This includes breakfast provision, after school care provision and holiday provision.

To enable Catering Services to maintain provision of statutory school meals we have had to take the decision to close these facilities with immediate effect. You will already be aware that the staff catering services at Town House and Marischal College are to close in the next financial year, having been selected as an option by Council at the budget setting meeting on 3rd March 2020.

We would like to reassure everyone that we are doing everything we can to reduce the impact of coronavirus (COVID-19) on our ability to deliver services, whilst also protecting your health and that of the public. We are working hard to ensure the critical and essential services that make a difference to communities every day continue to operate.

I thank you for your continuing support will update you when we have more details.

Angela

Dear Colleagues,

We each have a vital role to play in supporting the slow in the spread of Covid-19 (coronavirus) – as an organisation we will do this through the implementation of government guidance which we will continue to implement, and also through the continued practices of good hygiene in and out of work. We must recognise however, that this is a very dynamic situation and government’s advice will continue to develop. As you know, the multi-agency partnership resilience structures and plans are robust and well tested and prepared for incidents like this one. We approach this current incident prepared but ready to adapt.

Our organisational contribution to this situation is to balance the needs of supporting the multi-agency partnership’s response along with maintaining the delivery, as far as possible, of vital services for the people and place of Aberdeen. At times like this our community will be looking to us to demonstrate a measured and proportionate response which focuses on protecting those who are most vulnerable as well as maintaining critical services and business continuity. We will likely need to change our approach to how we work – whether that is through consideration of how we interact in an office setting, through the increased use of home working or by taking on alternative duties that help to reduce or remove contact with others.

As we face these new challenges as a local authority and a deliverer of crucial services I would ask you to support each other and work as one team, to work flexibly, and to stay up to date with guidance issued by myself and by my senior management team which may require you to continue to adapt. Let’s live the Guiding Principles and the behaviours we agreed within our behaviour framework. I know I can rely on you to support our overarching purpose which is to ensure that the people and place of Aberdeen prosper, but in the event of harm happening, to be there to aid the rescue and recovery of our citizens from that harm.

As we ensure that we play our part in meeting the needs of the city, please be reassured that your health and well-being are at the centre of my mind and our approach.

I’ll be keeping in regular contact over the coming days and weeks given the dynamic nature of this incident.

Outlined below, is the detail of the approach we are taking. If you have any questions, please direct these in the first instance to your line manager.

It is important that we all take care of ourselves, our families, our work teams and the people we serve at this challenging time.

Regards

Angela

Following revised government advice released this morning to the general public, please be aware of the following and from an Aberdeen City Council perspective, work with your manager to take the necessary steps to implement the actions below.

Scottish Government Advice:

To slow the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus) the general public are being asked to stay at home as much as possible and avoid unnecessary social contact. Those who cannot work from home should continue to go to work unless advised by their employer or if they display symptoms.

People over 70 and those who have high risk and underlying health conditions are being strongly advised to stay at home as much as possible and significantly reduce unnecessary social contact.

The advice is that people should:

· minimise social contact by avoiding crowded areas and large gatherings, including religious congregations and smaller gatherings such as restaurants, pubs, bars, clubs, cinemas and gyms avoid using public transport as much as possible

· work from home when possible

· follow the latest health and travel advice, and follow basic hygiene precautions, such as washing hands frequently, not touching their face and covering their nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing

People showing symptoms suggestive of coronavirus should stay at home for seven days and only contact NHS 111 or their local GP if their symptoms worsen during that period.

Members of a household where someone has suspected symptoms should stay at home for 14 days.

This package of necessary measures comes into force with immediate effect.

Schools will remain open for the time being, however the situation will be consistently monitored and reviewed depending on the spread of the infection.

These measures will be kept under constant review by the Scottish and UK Government as efforts are made to slow down the spread of the infection.

Aberdeen City Council Approach, in light of the government’s advice:

‘At Risk’ Colleagues

· Anyone with an underlying medical condition, who is over 70 or who is pregnant, should speak to their line manager and implement any necessary adjustments to working practices aimed at avoiding contact with other people.

· This may include working from home or working in isolation. A full list of those considered at risk as well as a description of social distancing can be found here.

Increased Home Working and Adjusted Working Practices

· Chief Officers will work with management teams to continue to develop and implement business continuity arrangements which are in line with most up to date Scottish Government guidance and remove unnecessary contact whilst continuing to deliver services. This includes ensuring that those with underlying health conditions have the option to work from home as well as identifying other teams or individuals who could also work from home.

· Your Chief Officer and their management team will give you further information on the availability and prioritisation of home working this week.

· Now that Microsoft teams is available to all, the use of this should be prioritised for our meetings.

· Places of work can be varied to reduce social contact, meetings can be changed to phone calls or the use of Microsoft Teams and social distancing.

· Good hygiene practices when in and out of the office need to be maintained.

Recording Absences

· Sickness absence or self-isolation as a result of COVID-19 must be recorded in CoreHR – new fields have been added for this purpose.

· When working from home you should maintain regular contact with your manager and other team members.