Coronavirus (Covid-19) staff bulletin 28 May 2020

Visit https://www.nhsinform.scot/coronavirus and https://www.gov.scot/coronavirus-covid-19/ for the latest guidance on COVID-19.

By the time you read this edition of the staff bulletin we will more than likely have moved into the first phase of the ‘route map’ to emerge from lockdown. I wanted to split up my message into a few sections – what the tentative first steps might look like for you when you aren’t at work and our communities and what it means for our services and how they might be delivered in the months ahead. As ever, I don’t have all the answers so please let me know your thoughts in an upcoming Team Talk or send me an email.

 

The first phase sees the easing of restrictions on activities and work which can be done outside, this includes being able to go fishing, play tennis or golf where physical distancing occurs naturally. 

Restrictions on the use of outdoor space have been lifted which means you can now enjoy visiting parks and other outdoor spaces. Whilst, I am sure they will be idyllic in the (hopefully!) warmer weather, anyone venturing out should bear in mind that the clock hasn’t been turned back to the time before the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. Many facilities such as toilets that you might expect to be open won’t be. If you go to a larger park visitor centres will more than likely be closed too, so take sensible precautions such as taking plenty of water, a packed lunch and a fully charged mobile phone with you. Similarly, if you are planning a trip to the beach remember to ensure you adhere to physical distancing requirements, be aware that many facilities you might expect to normally be open will not be, and if you do go swimming in the sea and get into difficulty there may not be a lifeguard immediately on hand to assist. Please remember to keep 2metres apart so that physical distancing is maintained. The message is simple – don’t put yourself at risk.

In general, to be really clear the initial stage of easing lockdown does not mean things have returned to the way they were a few months ago. We still have to be vigilant and mindful of our actions and others to stop the spread of Coronavirus. This means staying local where we can, using a face mask when it is advisable to do so, going out for essential shopping and exercise but being aware of physical distancing when doing so. As the First Minister said working together and using good judgement will be increasingly important as the messages become more nuanced, so please play your part in helping Aberdeenshire stay safe.  

Over the next few months there may be changes to the way our services are delivered as we go through the phases of the emergence from lockdown. Next week will see the reopening of our household waste and recycling centres. A new online booking form has been launched to prevent congestion and meet demand. 

This is just an example of how quickly our services are having to adapt and readapt to the ever-changing world we currently live in. We all have an important role to play in our communities receiving the support and guidance they need during this most challenging time. 

We also need to consider how our working habits may change in the future. The First Minister has made it clear homeworking is to be encouraged and where it is not possible colleagues start and finish times should be staggered and flexible working patterns given consideration.  If the presumption is that we work from home for certainly the near future, do we need any offices? What about those colleagues who are unable or find it hard to work from home? How are they going to be supported in future? What about our opening hours? Is the assumption that a building opens at 9am and closes at 5pm gone for good? If so, how are the staffing arrangements going to work? Are people happy working outside what are considered usual working hours? Certainly a lot of questions there, and, as I have said before, I don’t have a manual or guidebook. Respectfully and humbly I am asking you to think about how these questions apply to your team and your service. Come up with the innovative solutions that work for you. Applying the One Aberdeenshire principles in all we do is perhaps never been more important as we all strive to make sense of what the ‘new normal’ actually is. 

I would like to give a final shoutout to our partners and a few of our unsung heroes. Many of our teams will play a key role in keeping our communities safe by working with our colleagues in Police Scotland and Environmental Health as well as the business community. Partnership work will be invaluable over the coming months, so I am grateful for their assistance. I would also like to mention services such as our cleaning service who may not always receive the recognition they deserve, but I am sure you would like me to give them a collective pat on the back for their willingness to adapt and change to current climate by keeping our buildings clean thus helping with infection control. I don’t want to get into trouble for missing anyone out, but you are all doing a grand job and I am sure communities across Aberdeenshire really appreciate your efforts. 

Stay safe, stay well. 

 

 

Test and Protect is NHS Scotland’s approach to controlling the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the community is being rolled out across Scotland from today (Thursday, May 28). 

Everyone aged five and over who has Coronavirus symptoms of a new continuous cough, temperature or loss or change in sense of taste or smell should go to NHS Inform online or call 0800 028 2816 to book a test.  

Under the system, people will need to isolate with their household as soon as they have symptoms and, if they have a positive test result, they will be asked to provide details of all recent close contacts to NHS contact tracers.  Those people will be contacted and asked to isolate for 14 days.

What to do if you have symptoms?
You and your household should not leave home, will need to request a test and, if the result is positive, help NHS Scotland to identify who you’ve had contact with. (This will be done confidentially.)

What happens when you are phoned by the Test & Protect service?
If you are told you have been in close contact with someone with Coronavirus, do not leave home for 14-days. A test will be arranged if appropriate. Also, the other members of your household do not need to isolate unless they have also been contacted by Test and Protect service or you start to develop symptoms.

Here are links to short videos offering additional guidance:

• Test and Protect (60 seconds)
• Reporting symptoms, what to do if you have symptoms (30 seconds)
• Stopping the Spread, what to do if you have been contacted (30 seconds)

Test and Protect guidance is also available for all employees. If you have tested positive for Covid-19, please discuss with your line manager and arrange for this to be recorded as Diagnosed with Covid-19 via this notification process. Likewise, if you are contacted by the Tracing Team, again please discuss this with your line manager but instead use the Self-Isolation (14 days) reason.

Detailed guidance on the practical measures to allow schools to reopen has been published by the Scottish Government.

Teachers and other school staff will be able to return in June to prepare for a new model of learning from August. The plans are contingent on scientific and medical advice that it is safe to proceed and public health measures being in place.

Key contents of the guidance include:

• Local plans: education authorities and schools should draw on this national guidance to work in partnership with trades unions, staff, parents and children to develop local plans.
• Physical distancing: With some limited exceptions, physical distancing of two metres for staff and pupils will be implemented. Physical distancing measures will be kept under review as the public health position evolves.
• School transport: Schools will work with council transport teams to inform their local planning, particularly in respect of options to minimise and, where possible, stagger the use of public transport. Active travel - walking and cycling - by parents, carers, staff and pupils will be encouraged.
• Determining capacity: Local authorities and schools are encouraged, where necessary, to take an innovative approach to the use of alternative facilities to bring as many children back on a safe, phased basis as possible (subject to risk assessments), while maintaining a positive learning environment.

Separate guidance for Early Learning and Childcare settings is being developed.

Further information is available on the Scottish Government website.  

During these challenging and constantly changing times, Chief Executive Jim Savege and the Directors are setting aside time for regular Team Talks. 

Jim said: “As long as there is enough demand I am going to take time out of my diary to hold regular Team Talks to give you the opportunity to share, put forward ideas or take a moment to brighten a colleague’s day. 

“As I have said before I don’t have all the answers so let me know your thoughts and what plans your teams are working on.”

The next Team Talk will take place between 2pm and 3pm on Tuesday, June 2. Here is a link to join the discussion. Please bear in mind the link opens the meeting so please click on it shortly before 2pm. 

Your views on the Team Talk that took place this week will help shape future conversations. Please take a moment to complete a short survey. The deadline for comments is 5pm on Friday, June 26. A big thank you to those colleagues who have already completed the questionnaire. 

Ritchie Johnson will be leading a second Business Services-themed Team Talk from 2pm to 3pm on Thursday, June 18. A link to this Team Talk will be circulated nearer the time. Whilst it is primarily for those colleagues in Business Services, anyone is welcome to join the discussion.

Previous Team Talks are available to watch on our YouTube channel. Please feel free to join the discussion by posting in the One Aberdeenshire Yammer group.

Volunteers’ Week 2020 begins on Monday, June 1 and will run until Sunday, June 7. This year we will be taking #timetosaythanks to all those who give time to support others.

The voluntary sector has always played a key role in the delivery of support across Aberdeenshire and with the additional challenges posed by Coronavirus (Covid-19) it’s more important than ever for us to recognise and support volunteers. 

We’ll be sharing information on our Facebook and Twitter accounts throughout the week, including advice and support for volunteers that has been developed by voluntary sector organisations across the country. 

Keep an eye out for our posts and we’d be pleased to hear your stories and experiences of volunteering along the way.

An updated list of key workers employed by Aberdeenshire Council is now available on the staff microsite​.