Cascade
August 2012
Monthly briefing to keep you up to date
with news from across the council
Contents
• Absence Line
What to do if you’re absent from work
• Argyll and Bute Advice Network
New website and inter-agency referral system
• Driving training
Online resource for bus/lorry drivers in training
• Booking a room, or other council resource?
New system outlined
• Care partnership’s success
Team work pays off with award
• HR policies update
TOIL, overtime, attendance and occupational health
explained
Absence Line
The Absence Line has now been rolled out to all departments within the council and
all sickness absence must now be reported through this telephone line.
Employees should call to report their sickness absence on their first day of absence
and also on their return to work*.
*Should your work require to be covered by another member of staff then please make sure your
line manager is contacted as soon as possible so they can arrange cover for you. They will then
report your absence to the Absence Line.
Line managers will receive an email notifying them of an employee’s start and return
of absence.
Return to Work Interviews should be completed (for all absences) on the day the
employee returns to work or as soon as possible thereafter.
Absence Line cont.
The Absence Line telephone number is:
01546 605 513
The line is open Monday – Friday from 07.00 – 17.00.
Add this number to your mobile now so you can find it when you need it.
For any other leave or communication during your absence you should contact your
line manager direct.
To find out more about the Absence Line or the Maximising Attendance Policy and
Procedures please ask your line manager or check The Hub for further information.
Housing services have been working on behalf of Argyll and Bute
Advice Network (ABAN) to develop its new website and secure
interagency referral system.
The website http://www.argyllandbuteadvice.net includes
• A publicly accessible directory of advice and information providers
• A password-protected ABAN members’ area containing many useful
resources
ABAN members include voluntary and public sector agencies who
provide information and advice on a variety of topics.
The website members’ area contains
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information and links on funding opportunities
details of the Civil Legal Assistance Office
a policy and practice library for advice agencies
shared training opportunities for partners, and
the easy, secure inter-agency referral system
The inter-agency referral system was developed for ABAN by Atlas
CS and has a high level of internal security.
. agreement with Atlas CS includes the purchase and management of
Our
SSL (secure sockets layer) for the website ensuring the encryption of site
data while in transit between user internet browsers and Atlas servers.
The SSL protocol is the Web standard for encrypting communications
between users and SSL websites. Data sent via an SSL connection is
protected by encryption, a mechanism that prevents eavesdropping and
tampering with any transmitted data.
Making a referral using ABAN:•
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Agency sends referral securely
Receiving agency gets an e-mail advising that they have a new referral
Receiving agency logs in to ABAN using password
There is no information about the client on the notification e-mail.
Relevant documents can be attached and transmitted equally securely
It’s free to join!!
Contact myra.macdonald@argyll-bute.gov.uk
for more information
New online CPC service for bus and lorry drivers
Drivers can now view how many hours of periodic training they have completed
towards their Driver CPC (Driver Certificate of Professional Competence) with the
Driving Standards Agency’s (DSA’s) online driver enquiry service.
Drivers can also give temporary passwords to prospective or current employers, so they
can confirm how much training that driver has completed.
DSA’s chief executive, Rosemary Thew, said “Driver CPC has been developed to raise
and maintain the knowledge and skills of lorry, bus and coach drivers. The new online
driver enquiry service will allow professional drivers to check that their training has
been uploaded and allow employers to see that this crucial training is taking place –
helping the passenger transport and road haulage industries to maintain high
professional standards.”
Register for the online driver enquiry service on the Direct Gov website.
Visit the Direct Gov website for further information
New Booking System
As part of the Council’s Process for Change Programme the Workforce
Deployment Project has introduced a new booking system called Integrated
Resources for meeting rooms, pool cars and general touch down desks.
•The new system will be operated by local administrators.
•Employees will contact their local administrator to book rooms, pool cars or
touchdown desks.
•The new system was rolled out on Monday 9 July.
•The list of local administrators will be available on the Hub.
•Employees will be informed when the system becomes available via Newsflash
and the Hub.
•All existing bookings and repeat bookings will be transferred into the new
system.
Bookable Resources
• Integrated Resources will be used to book council meeting rooms, pool
cars and touch down desks.
• Integrated Resources will not be used to book council halls, schools and
leisure facilities. Existing arrangements will remain in place for these.
• From Monday 9 July all existing arrangements for booking rooms, pool
cars and touch down desks will cease.
If you have any questions about this new system please contact
irsupport@argyll-bute.gov.uk
Award for Argyll and Bute partnership
The Argyll and Bute Reshaping Care for Older People Programme
Board was selected from more than 200 entries as winner of the
Partnership of the Year Award at the Scottish Care Awards 2012,
sponsored by the Joint Improvement Team.
Team representatives were presented with their award at a
ceremony in Glasgow’s Marriott Hotel, hosted by TV presenter and
singer Michelle McManus.
The Argyll and Bute partnership includes Argyll and Bute Council,
NHS Highland, Scottish Care (representing the independent care at
home, care home and housing support providers) and Argyll
Voluntary Action (representing voluntary and third sector providers).
They have been working together to consolidate aspects of their
areas of work to steer change in the care at home sector, and are
now working to embed and extend co-production as a model of
working.
HR Policies Update
Time Off In Lieu – TOIL
Payment of overtime process
Maximising attendance at work
Occupational health provision
New Policy on Time of in Lieu (TOIL)
What is TOIL?
Toil is time off that is used to compensate for additional hours worked by employees, it must be approved
by your 3rd tier manager in advance of working.
When is TOIL appropriate?
For exceptional working – attending evening meetings outwith normal working, ferry times dictating
working late/early. TOIL is not appropriate for routinely working additional hours, it is appropriate for a
specific event or task.
Are there limits?
No more than 14 hours TOIL may be accrued per month except in exceptional circumstances.
TOIL not taken within the agreed accounting period of one month will be lost.
A 3 month period of grace to utilise TOIL accumulated prior to Monday 25 June is in place, though the new
policy applies to all TOIL accumulated from Monday 25 June.
Full details of the Policy are available on the HUB at
http://intranet.argyll-bute.gov.uk/hr/Pages/HRPoliciesandProcedures.aspx
Copy of TOIL request forms can be located at
http://intranet.argyll-bute.gov.uk/hr/Pages/HRGeneralForms.aspx
Payment of Overtime Process
A new overtime payment process has been introduced to streamline payments for
staff (Former APT&C) and cover payment for staff above SCP73:
The process details required authorisations for overtime.
Also included in this is how staff on Local Government Employee Conditions above SCP
73 will have overtime authorised and paid.
The new process is available on the HUB
http://intranet.argyll-bute.gov.uk/hr/Pages/HRGuidance.aspx
Copy of Justification for Overtime and Overtime Request Forms can be located at
http://intranet.argyll-bute.gov.uk/hr/Pages/HRGeneralForms.aspx
Maximising Attendance at Work Policy
Recognising the importance of staff attendance, the council has approved a new
managing attendance policy that is now in effect.
The new policy includes changes to absence management triggers and follow up
actions.
The new triggers are three or more periods of absence or ten or more days absence in
a year.
The new policy is now available on the hub at http://intranet.argyllbute.gov.uk/hr/Pages/HRPoliciesandProcedures.aspx
Occupational Health Provision
We recently tendered for the provision of occupational health and welfare services,
including counselling. These services will help the Council to support employees who
are ill..
The new contract will make more use of telephone consultations and Occupational
Health Nurses to ensure timely advice and less travel for staff suffering from medical
conditions.
The Employee Counselling Service will continue to provide free confidential
counselling to Council employees together with access to a 24 hour advice line.
We are also currently in discussions with NHS Highland to provide employees with
access to physiotherapy treatment. This will be delivered from locations in
Lochgilphead, Oban, Dunoon and Helensburgh and can be accessed on the
recommendation of occupational health or your GP. Further information about this
service will be provided in future cascades.
HR Postal Mail
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Please be advised that as of Monday 20 August all postal mail for HR and Payroll teams must be
sent to the following address:
FAO Improvement and HR
Argyll and Bute Council
Whitegates Office
Whitegates Road
Lochgilphead
Argyll
PA31 8SY
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This is due to a recent restructure within the service.
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Please do not send any postal mail to the HR offices in Kilmory/Dunoon or Campbeltown from this
date.
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Please note: Time sheets only should still be sent for the attention of:
– Argyll and Bute Council, Improvement and HR, Witchburn Road, Campbeltown, PA28 6JU.
•
If you have any queries regarding postal mail please do not hesitate to contact
hrdevelopmentenquiries@argyll-bute.gov.uk
Got something for Cascade?
Cascade is issued to managers on the first Friday of the month, and goes live
on The Hub one week later.
If you have anything for future issues of Cascade please send it to the
communications team at:
cascade@argyll-bute.gov.uk
The next Cascade will be distributed on Friday 7 September.
If you have anything you’d like included please send it by Friday 31 August.
New HR page on The Hub
• HR are launching their new look employee information page called MyHR
on Monday 20th August 2012:
http://intranet.argyll-bute.gov.uk/hr/Pages/default.aspx
• Employees will now see all HR information in clearly defined areas which
is quick and easy to find.
• If you cannot find the information you are looking for on the Hub page or
have any further HR queries you can also now call our new Advice Line
(Tel: 01546 605 513, open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm) or email
hradviceenquiries@argyll-bute.gov.uk
New contact telephone number for HR
HR are launching a new employee information line to compliment their new look ‘MyHR’
page on The HUB as of Monday 20th August 2012. HR advisors will be available to answer
any queries employees may have if they cannot find the solution on the MyHR Hub page.
The telephone number for MyHR for reporting sickness absence or contacting HR for
advice is:
01546 605 513
From 20th August you will now be prompted to:
– Press 1 for the Absence Line – to report sickness absence
– Press 2 for the HR Advice Line – for any HR queries/advice
The Absence Line is open Monday – Friday from 07.00 – 17.00.
The HR Advice Line is open Monday – Friday from 09.00 – 17.00.
Employees can also contact the HR Advice team via email on:
hradviceenquiries@argyll-bute.gov.uk
Contacting HR Teams
Further to a recent re-structure within HR please find below the new HR teams email addresses which should
be used from Monday 20th August. If you would like further details on any of the teams please see MyHR on
The Hub.
HR Queries and Advice
For HR queries regarding policies & procedures or for general advice please visit our new MyHR page. If you
cannot find the answer to your query you can call MyHR to talk to an advisor on 01546 605 513 or email :
HRadviceenquiries@argyll-bute.gov.uk
HR & Payroll Transactions Team
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Contractual Team: contractualenquiries@argyll-bute.gov.uk
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Attendance Team : attendanceenquires@argyll-bute.gov.uk
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Payroll & Pensions Team : payroll&pensionsenquiries@argyll-bute.gov.uk
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Recruitment Team : recruitmentenquiries@argyll-bute.gov.uk
Corporate Support - HRcorporatesupportenquiries@argyll-bute.gov.uk
Employee Relations - HRemployeerelationsenquiries@argyll-bute.gov.uk
Development Team - HRdevelopmentenquiries@argyll-bute.gov.uk
HR Postal Mail
•
Please be advised that as of Monday 20th August all postal mail for HR and Payroll teams must be
sent to the following address:
FAO Improvement and HR
Argyll & Bute Council
Whitegates Office
Whitegates Road
Lochgilphead
Argyll
PA31 8SY
•
This is due to a recent restructure within the service.
•
Please do not send any postal mail to the HR Offices in Kilmory/Dunoon or Campbeltown from this
date.
•
Please note: Time sheets only should still be sent for the attention of:
– Argyll & Bute Council, Improvement and HR, Witchburn Road, Campbeltown, PA28 6JU.
•
If you have any queries regarding postal mail please do not hesitate to contact
hrdevelopmentenquiries@argyll-bute.gov.uk