Cascade

1. Cascade January 2014 Monthly briefing to keep you up to date with news from across the council

2. In this issue • Social media – guidelines for staff • On the move – aligning our support services • Weathering the storm – tackling severe weather • Introducing our new Executive Director… • …and our new Head of Economic Development • Stay hearty and healthy at work • Going for gold at the COSLA Excellence Awards • Keeping in touch – welcoming our new Communications Team

3. Using social media Guidelines for staff

4. Using social media – guidelines for staff • Social media plays an increasingly important part in daily life – both at work and at play. For Argyll and Bute Council, it can be a key communication tool and an ideal way of providing important information to the people who live, work and visit the area. • We have a social media policy in place which provides guidelines for staff on how to make the best use of social media, both professionally and personally. • This covers a range of issues for council staff to be aware of, including how to maintain confidentiality when needed, how to be clear whether you are speaking as a council employee or private individual and the process to follow if you are representing Argyll and Bute Council on social media sites. • The full policy is available on the Hub here: http://intranet.argyll-bute.gov.uk/content/social-media-policy • If you have any questions about using social media at work, please contact the Communications Team on 01546 60417 or email press@argyll-bute.gov.uk – they will be happy to discuss your social media needs and queries.

5. On the move – aligning our support services

6. On the move – aligning our support services On 3rd January 2014, our Improvement and HR service became part of the Customer Services directorate, which will allow the council’s range of support services for employees and customers to be more aligned. In addition, in order to bring our community planning and community development activity together, the Community Planning team will move to Community and Culture within the Community Services directorate, along with the responsibility for developing and delivering the Single Outcome Agreement. From 3 January 2013 our Improvement and HR service is part of Customer Services which will allow support services to be more aligned in one department. These changes will allow for more effective and efficient co-ordination and delivery of services for both staff and the people of Argyll and Bute – a key part of our drive to be a consistently improving organisation.

7. Weathering the storm – tackling severe winter weather

8. Weathering the storm – tackling severe winter weather • Throughout December and early January, Argyll and Bute was affected by severe weather and storms, with high winds and heavy rain causing issues with roads, travel and flooding. Left: Tarbert at high tide on 3rd January. Right: Dunoon’s Alexandra Parade.

9. Weathering the storm – tackling severe winter weather • While there is still work to do on repairing damage, ensuring that the roads network remains operational and clearing up storm debris, the council worked closely with community planning partners to ensure a robust and effective response to several bouts of severe weather hitting communities across the whole Argyll and Bute area. Above left, the C18 Southend road and right, washed-up debris at Loch Long.

10. Weathering the storm – tackling severe winter weather • There has been positive feedback from local people and elected members about our response to the bad weather and it is important to acknowledge the efforts of all our staff who were dealing with the impact of the severe weather, both on the front line and those providing support behind the scenes. • During the storms, we deployed a huge amount of resources – • Over 80 Roads and Amenity staff worked over 650 man hours over the weekend of 4th and 5th January to help keep the road network safe and open. • Around 30 vehicles were also used to deal with roads issues. • Over 2,000 sandbags were provided in strategic locations in our coastal towns so that members of the public could defend their properties against flooding. • We are working on a clean-up plan across Argyll and Bute with public safety as a priority.

11. Introducing our new Executive Director Pippa Milne has been appointed as our new Executive Director for Development and Infrastructure

12. Introducing our new Executive Director • Pippa Milne has been appointed to the post of Executive Director of Development and Infrastructure and will take up her post at the beginning of April. • Pippa will join us from the City of Edinburgh Council, where she has worked since October 2008 and is responsible for Waste and Fleet services.  In this role she has over 500 staff and manages the service’s £45 million revenue budget.  She has successfully delivered over £5 million annual savings through making service efficiencies and improved performance to achieve Edinburgh’s cleanest streets in 6 years and its highest ever recycling rates. • Pippa has 14 years’ experience working at a senior level in waste management. Prior to that she was a trading standards officer and has the qualities required to provide leadership, vision and strategic direction for D&I as well as for the council corporately.

13. Our new Head of Economic Development

14. Our new Head of Economic Development • Fergus Murray has been appointed as Head of Economic Development. • Bringing a wealth of experience and knowledge to his new role, Fergus has worked for Shetland Isles and Glasgow City councils in development implementation and planning. • He joined Argyll and Bute Council as Development Policy Manager exactly ten years ago and has been part of an award-winning team whose work has been recognised at a national level. • This includes the Argyll and Bute Woodland and Forestry Strategy, which received a UK Royal Town Planning Institute award as well as a Scottish Government Award for Quality in Planning in 2012. The Craignish Community Plan and a suite of sustainable design guides also received national awards. • Fergus is “looking forward to the new challenge” and will take up his post at Kilmory on Monday 20 January, moving from Manse Brae in Lochgilphead.

15. Stay hearty and healthy at work

16. Stay hearty and healthy at work • We spend a lot of our time at work, and it’s important to make sure that in all areas of life, our health and wellbeing is as good as possible. • With this in mind, we have recently created a Healthy Working Lives Group, made up of colleagues from every council service and representing all areas of Argyll and Bute. • The group will be helping to make sure that everyone who works at Argyll and Bute Council can enjoy the best possible health and wellbeing at work. • It will look at how we can improve policies and practices to make this happen and will promote health awareness campaigns. • But a key part of this work will involve hearing the views of colleagues right across the council – and in February, every single employee will have the opportunity to take part in an employee wellbeing survey. Details will be given to everyone soon and you can take part online or by post in complete confidence.

17. Stay hearty and healthy at work • A good start to finding out more about how to stay hearty and healthy at work is the Ramp up the Red for the British Heart Foundation day on Friday 7th February. • Did you know that coronary heart disease is Scotland’s single biggest killer? On Friday 7th February it’s time to go red and show your support for the British Heart Foundation and their fight against heart disease. There will be information on heart disease available in every office. Perhaps your office would like to organise something red-themed to show support for heart disease – maybe it’s time to try that new shade of nail varnish or you have some cherry red socks? Red food will also be available in Kilmory canteen. • Get red-dy to Ramp up the Red on Friday 7th February!

18. Going for gold at the COSLA Excellence Awards

19. Going for gold at the COSLA Excellence Awards Argyll and Bute Council’s Community Resilience team are guaranteed a Silver win at this year’s COSLA Excellence Awards – but, never ones to rest on their laurels, they’re among just three teams shortlisted and going for gold. The team has been working with community planning partners and, most importantly, people in Argyll and Bute’s communities, helping them to become as prepared, ready and resilient as they possibly can when faced with emergency situations or severe weather. The bad weather over the past few weeks has put the team’s work to the test, but their hard work had already earned them recognition in the COSLA Excellence Awards process late in 2013.

20. Going for gold at the COSLA Excellence Awards Nominated and now guaranteed a silver award at least, our Community Resilience team are now joining two other projects shortlisted to aim for a prestigious gold COSLA Excellence Award. They will make a presentation to COSLA’s awards committee in February and will then have to wait until the awards ceremony in March before finding out if they have gone for gold and succeeded. The team have done extremely well both in terms of delivering a meaningful and relevant service to Argyll and Bute’s communities and in having their hard work recognised at a national level. Visible evidence of their commitment, enthusiasm and drive is clear with the number of communities in the area who have created their own resilience/emergency plans with the team’s support and who have received special emergency kits presented by the council – with a further two communities receiving their kits as Cascade is published this week.

21. Council’s COSLA success Two other council projects will receive a Bronze COSLA Excellence Award. The Business Improvement team’s Process for Change shone in the Achieving Better Outcomes category. Meanwhile, all teams within Development and Infrastructure involved in the ongoing Campbeltown regeneration project have been recognised in the Strong and Sustainable Communities category with their Regeneration of Campbeltown entry. COSLA received around 500 entries and for three of ours to make the top 60 is very impressive. Congratulations to everyone involved.

22. Keeping in touch – meet the Communications Team

23. Keep in touch – meet the Communications Team Argyll and Bute Council’s communications team is here to help you – and now each council service has been allocated a communications officer to work alongside: Communications Manager – Jane Jarvie (01546 604323) Communications Assistant – Jan Brown (01546 604437) Development and Infrastructure – Mark Calder (01546 604756) Community Services – Fiona Wallace (01546 604301) Customer Services – Aileen McNicol (01546 604103) Email - press@argyll-bute.gov.uk Over the coming months, we’ll be getting to know your service better – and while most people may know us from dealing with reactive press enquiries, we are also keen to hear about the good news stories in your service and teams. We can help in lots of different ways. Do you have a brochure or leaflet to produce? Some material to write? A photo opportunity? Contact the communications team for support with all this and more.

24. Got something for Cascade? Cascade is normally issued to managers first and is published on the Hub one week later. It is published on a four to six-weekly basis. If you have anything for future issues of Cascade please send it to the communications team at: cascade@argyll-bute.gov.uk or contact the Communications Team on 01546 604171. Cascade depends on your contributions, and we’re happy to help with layout, content and presentation if you wish. The next Cascade is due for issue in February. If you have anything you’d like included, please send it by Friday 14th February. We can help with formatting and creating slides – don’t hesitate to call if you would like some assistance with this or any other communications issue.