Employee consultation - Reserve Forces

A consultation is currently taking place on the council’s newly developed Reserve Forces Training and Mobilisation policy.

East Lothian Council recognises the valuable contribution that Reservists make to the UK Armed Forces, their communities and the civilian workplace and has pledged support. This policy outlines the council’s commitment to support Reservists to attend training and when they are called up to supplement the regular Armed Forces.

The policy provides detailed information including processes and arrangements for training, mobilisation, pay, pension, accrual  of leave and return to work.

The consultation runs until Monday 9 September 2019 and can be accessed online.

Loving Food @ East Lothian

Colleagues in Environmental Health are launching a new initiative, Loving Food @ East Lothian, to support and advise local food businesses with calorie/allergen labelling and food reformulation.  

Senior Environmental Health Officer, Laura Gunning, explained: “Scotland has a health issue.  As a nation we are consuming way too much fat, salt and sugar which is impacting on health. People may be aware that nutrition is becoming a key focus for the Scottish Government and in due course this may affect how food businesses are run in the future. We are setting up this initiative to support local food producers and caterers with calorie labelling and how to reformulate recipes to reduce fat, salt and sugar levels.”    

Project launch night will be on 26 September at The Brunton when local food businesses can:

• See a demonstration of a FREE online tool to help with calorie & allergen labelling
• Get advice on recipe formulation &  practical workshops
• Sample some reformulated food
• Meet with Scottish Government and partner organisations
• Give their opinions on our Loving Food @ East Lothian project

Places can be booked by emailing lovingfood@eastlothian.gov.uk

View their promotional video for social media.

Could you mentor a young person?

The East Lothian Council Pupil Mentoring Scheme is up and running for another year! 

East Lothian Works are looking for dedicated council employees, interested in making a difference, to sign up for our mentoring scheme. Mentors work with an S2-S6 pupil and help them with their confidence, self-esteem, and adaptability, as well as giving them the opportunity to spend time with an adult in a field they are interested in.

This programme gives secondary school pupils the opportunity to create a meaningful relationship with a trusted adult within an industry of work that interests them. The aim is for young people interested in a certain career path to be matched up with an individual from that field. However all students, including those unsure of their future career, can benefit from the emotional support that having a trusted adult Mentor brings.

There are many benefits that being a mentor can bring, such as:

- The opportunity to develop your own skills and abilities
- Giving back to the wider community
- The opportunity to create an experience out with your daily work schedule
- And, most importantly, the opportunity to have a positive impact on a young person

If you are interested in the scheme, or would like to find out more information, please contact Stephanie Kennedy, Work Experience Co-ordinator by telephone 01620 827 031 / 07855 214 716 or email.

Help us find you!

Are you a new member of staff or recently changed jobs or job titles? 

Please make sure your correct details, including staff reporting structure, are on our People Finder on the intranet. People Finder helps colleagues find contact details or other team members so it's essential that it's kept up to date.

New electric vehicles in council fleet

Three new Nissan Leaf electric vehicles have been added to the car club fleet at John Muir House. This vehicle has a slightly different way of removing the charging cable so users need to be aware that they will have to unlock the charge cable using the button on the key.  

Once you have accessed the vehicle and taken the keys out the key pad simply press the unlock button on the key to remove the charging cable.

New primary school takes shape

A key milestone has been reached at the £8.6m Letham Mains Primary School project in Haddington after Morrison Construction successfully installed the 260-tonne steel frame. 

Works began on the project in Haddington during April, with the installation of the steel frame beginning at the end of May.

The superstructure, including steel work, pre-cast concrete installation and a first-floor reinforced concrete slab, was completed during a 10-week schedule. More than 1,400 components were installed to complete the steel frame.

During the earlier stages of the steel installation, two cranes were used to help the project team fix the main sections of the frame.

Cabinet member for Education and Children’s Services, Councillor Shamin Akhtar, said: “It’s really exciting to see the progress that’s being made on our newest primary school. Having the steel frame in place gives a better idea of the size and scale of the building and the facilities that the school will offer for children and their families.”

Morrison Construction Project Director Jim Hanna, said: ‘‘It is wonderful to reach this important project milestone. The steel frame has created an outline of the building allowing the community to appreciate how the school will fit into the new development. Now the superstructure has been completed we will progress the ground floor slabs, roofing, cladding and glazing work.

‘‘Our team has enjoyed taking part in community benefit activities including donating to the local foodbank, hosting work experience students, site tours and visiting schools to educate pupils about the industry. We will continue to work closely with the community during construction.’’

Letham Mains Primary School, will have a capacity for 500 pupils, with 14 classrooms suitable for pre-school and primary teaching, a dining hall, social space and a two-court PE hall with retractable seating for performance and community use. The external areas will be designed for outdoor learning, PE and play.

The school is being funded entirely by contributions from developers with construction due to be completed in Summer 2020.

Social event safety campaign adopted in East Lothian

Have you ever been out on a date and felt uncomfortable, intimidated or that your date was behaving aggressively towards you?

#AskForAngela is a campaign that aims to help you get out of a difficult situation as quickly and safely as possible.

If you’re in a pub, bar or club, ask either behind the bar or a member of staff for Angela. Using the simple code-word will alert the staff that there’s an issue with your date and they will help you get out of the situation safely and discreetly. 

East Lothian Council and Police Scotland, as well as Best Bar None Scotland are supporting #AskForAngela and are encouraging local venues to use this fantastic initiative as part of their social responsibility tool kit.

The scheme has been running for several years in parts of the UK and has been successfully implemented in Kilmarnock, Aberdeen and Dunfermline.

The campaign was created to help women and men escape a date safely and discreetly. The developers behind #AskForAngela realised that sometimes a young woman or man may struggle to leave their date or be too afraid to tell them they wish to end it due to the possible threat of violence or aggression. #AskForAngela is a safer alternative.

Whilst #AskForAngela is catching on, it’s still only being used in a fraction of pubs and bars across Scotland. We need your help to spread the message and promote the campaign so use the #AskForAngela on twitter to let others know!

All participating Best Bar None venues in East Lothian were given posters and are supporting the scheme but it would be great for more venues across the county to follow suit.

Community Safety Officer for East Lothian, PC Allen Paul said: “Police in East Lothian fully support the Ask For Angela initiative which is a great tool for staff and partners to support members of the public on a night out and help customers if they are in a difficult situation.  The last thing we want is for someone to feel vulnerable, and feel that they are in a helpless situation with no one to assist them."

“This scheme helps and reassures people if they are on a night out to feel safe and that the staff in the venues are fully aware of when things can go wrong”

Applications open for Education Maintenance Allowance

Applications are now being invited for Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) for 2019/20.

EMA is a weekly £30 direct payment for young people aged 16-19 in full time education or undertaking an Activity Agreement. The award is based on household income and subject to certain requirements. Young people living in a foster home or children's home, or in the care of the local authority or living independently, are eligible for a £30 EMA award without having to provide evidence of household income.

Successful applicants must attend a school within the East Lothian Council area for a minimum of 21 guided learning hours per week and must complete, and adhere to, a Learning Agreement.

More information is available online. 

Get on board the Big Bucket Trail

Schools across East Lothian have been taking part in a national art trail to raise funds for three children's charities. 

Oor Wullie's Big Bucket Trail has seen statues of the iconic character appear across Scotland's streets. A number of East Lothian's nursery and primary schools decorated their own Oor Wullies, which are now on display across Edinburgh, including in Ocean Terminal, the Museum of Childhood and the Scottish National Portrait Gallery. 

The children took inspiration from a wide range of sources such as their values and school logo, the environment, their local community and their learning. Each statue is unique to their school and ideas.

The Big Bucket Trail launched on 17 June and lasts until the end of August giving plenty of time to track all the statues down. 

Find out more from the official website

Congratulations to everyone who took part.

Exam results? Don't panic!

Skills Development Scotland's Exam Results Helpline is open for business.

Trained careers advisers will be available to offer advice, information and support to young people and their parents. 

This includes details of UCAS course vacancies at UK colleges and universities, Confirmation and Cleaning, apprenticeships, jobs, volunteering and more.

The dedicated helpline will open from 8am-8pm on Tuesday 6 and Wednesday 7 August, and from 9am-5pm weekdays from Thursday 8 until Wednesday 14 August. Advisers will also be available through SDS's social media channels.

The freephone* telephone number is 0808 100 8000 or visit facebook.com/myworldofwork or twitter.com/myworldofwork.

Parents and carers can also visit mykidscareer.com for information on jobs in demand in Scotland and tips on handling career conversations at exam results time.

(*operator charges may apply)