Spotlight On ...

This issue our staff spotlight falls on Greg Gilhooley ...

Name: Greg Gilhooley

Job title: Graduate HR Intern. My role is to assist in the development of organisation systems to enhance the operational performance of HR on a strategic level. I provide research and data analysis to support the HR Division in achieving key business objectives.

Background: I graduated from Queen Margaret University in 2018 with a MA (Hons) in Business Management. After 3^rd year I moved to New York and worked at Camp America for four months. This was an amazing opportunity were I got to meet people from all over the world and travel with the remaining 30 days of my VISA.

How long have you been with the council? I have worked in the HR department since June 2018.

 Who do you work with? I work in the HR department and I am part of the Performance & Business Support team. I work closely with the Disclosure Team ( Stuart Pert, Liz Hutchison & Tracy Thomson), Recruitment, Annie Gates, Service Review, Nick McManus & Gillian Robertson, HR Performance, Eleanor Stewart & Charlann Peggie, and Wendy McNeish (PBS Leader).  

What is your typical day to day routine? Every day is different. I update our internal databases with new starter information and details of employment. I support the My Job Scotland builds as part of our recruitment and selection process. I also deal with sickness absences management information and provide password resets for our HR21 system. I work within the job evaluation team helping evaluate jobs and pay grades.

Any interesting projects you are working on? I have been working on a range of new developments. I have recently finished working on a BREXIT project which focused on EU citizen settlement. ELC staff from the EU will need to be a part of the EU settlement scheme in order to stay working in the UK.

I have also been working on the Disability Confident Employer project. This will give candidates applying to ELC job vacancies with disabilities a guaranteed interview if they meet the essential requirements of a role.

Plans for the future? I would hopefully like to work abroad again in the future within the business discipline, using my skills from my degree, people management, HR, business strategy & logistic and supply chain management.

What do you enjoy outside of the office? Outside work I enjoy dog spotting – walks with my black pug Marco and playing football. I also enjoy travelling, learning about new cultures and keeping up to date with current world affairs.

New Development Team to help shape East Lothian’s future

Many of you will know Andy Stewart from his previous role as Policy & Strategy Team Manager in Planning and Catherine Molloy as Legal Team Leader.

Andy and Catherine have been appointed into new Project Manager roles which means, along with Ray Montgomery, they will be overseeing the progress of three of the most significant developments in East Lothian for decades:

• A new settlement at Blindwells – a large area, to the north of Tranent, which the council believes can be transformed into a vibrant new community for the 21^st century and beyond, and an exemplar place in which to live, work and play. Outline planning permission is in place for 1,600 homes, with potential for more than 6,000 home on the larger site.
• The former Cockenzie Power Station site – land purchased by the council, where there is significant potential for economic development and job creation.
• Land around Queen Margaret University – where development is proposed for 1,500 new homes (including 375 affordable), a new primary school and delivery of the Edinburgh innovation Park. This is a joint collaboration between East Lothian Council and Queen Margaret University, which will include a Food and Drink Innovation Hub funded in part through the Edinburgh and South East City Region Deal.

It’s a huge responsibility and an exciting challenge for this new Development Team as these projects are not just long term – they have implications for East Lothian across the next three decades and beyond.

The projects are all at different stages but they are all identified or, in the case of the new larger settlement, safeguarded for development in the recently-agreed Local Development Plan (LDP).

Andy explained: “This is a unique opportunity to unlock some of the infrastructure that East Lothian needs. What’s key in all of this is to make sure the developments are complemented by the infrastructure they need. Traditionally there has been a market-lead approach but what we’re trying to do upfront is to shape the delivery model of these sites and to get the best we can in terms of making best use of the economic opportunities. It’s a great chance to get involved at the front end of a development process which isn’t something the public sector traditionally does these days.”

Catherine agreed: “The other key element is linking in with the South East Scotland City Region Deal and to unlock the funding opportunities there. It’s a wide-ranging project which will help us retain employment and skills in East Lothian as well as elements like affordable housing. When you look at these three sites, and when you drive along the A1, it’s incredible to think of how different the landscape will look but, as well, what benefits these developments will bring to East Lothian over the next 30 years. We need to make the most of this opportunity as something like this doesn't come along very often and it really is transformational in scale. We need to maximise the benefit of all this inward investment to deliver the ambition and economic goals that we have set ourselves.”

The team’s background in infrastructure, planning and law will help draw the project together in terms of both uniting council services - such as Procurement, Economic Development, Education, Estates, Property, Asset Management and Transportation - as well as private sector partners including landowners and developers, key agencies an governments, in forming partnerships to bring the developments forward in the most beneficial way for East Lothian.

Another benefit of the team working on these three major projects together is to ensure they are not developed in isolation – rather developed in tandem so that they complement each other in terms of the housing types they provide, shared infrastructure and the economic possibilities.

They will also ensure the developments complement the council’s strategic objectives including the Council Plan and Economic Development plan and help ELC meet its strategic aims.

Catherine summed up: “It's a very exciting opportunity, bringing forward unprecedented types of development in East Lothian and shaping what the landscape of East Lothian will look like in the next 10 to 30 years and being part of that significant change is obviously very exciting. It will bring with it challenges which we’re ready for but the magnitude of it in the short and long term means it will be a very rewarding job as we’ll be integral in bringing forward employment land to ensure that we retain jobs and skills in the county, make the most if the City Region Deal opportunities and bring forward affordable housing for the future of East Lothian residents.”

Andy added: “What you’ll see in the coming months is a real pace beginning to develop around these sites. The projects are at different stages but there will need to be a real momentum and buy-in from council and buy-in from external agencies. Collaboration will be key.”

New Year Honour for Andrew

Area Housing Manager Andrew Gordon is one of six people in the county to be recognised on the Queen’s New Year’s Honours list. Andrew will receive a British Empire Medal (BEM) for “Services to Longniddry Villa Football Club and the Community”.

Originally from Port Seton, Andrew has lived in Longniddry for 24 years and has previously been involved in the Community Council and Bowling Club Committee, as well as helping with the After School Club. His involvement with Longniddry Villa started when his son took up football with the club 16 years ago. Although Chris no longer plays with them, Andrew has continued as a coach and has also served as Chairman for the last 10 years serving a spell as secretary too. Alongside twice-weekly training sessions and a weekend game, Andrew is also responsible for the smooth-running of the club and its administration. Longniddry Villa provides football activities from pre-school to under 19s, with six teams at 11-a-side level.

Andrew admits that he was surprised to be considered for the honour and at first he mistook the official envelope as a call for jury service! “It was nice to think that someone thought you were worth considering for an award. There is a real sense of pride especially for my wife, Pauline, and my family as they know what goes into it,” he says.

Andrew joined the council’s Community Housing Service Development team in 2004, coming from Communities Scotland. He is now based in John Muir House managing the Haddington Area Housing team following years in Musselburgh. The role can be challenging but Andrew admits that his interest in helping people drives him in his professional and volunteering life. “I’ve always had a strong interest in helping people and find it’s a very satisfying part of my work,” says Andrew. “It’s also a real joy with the club: trying to encourage kids to keep fit and the benefits you get from sport and being part of a team. When I was young there was someone who ran the youth club, someone else that ran the football club. I just see that it’s my turn to give back.”

Play award win for Morag

Morag Waterston from Yester Primary School has received the first School Staff Play Champion award from East Lothian Play Association (ELPA).

Play is vital to children’s emotional and physical health and wellbeing, contributing to all aspects of learning and laying the foundation for an active lifestyle. ELPA’s play champion awards recognises school staff’s important role in creating fulfilling opportunities for children to play, learn and develop.

ELPA Chair Theresa Casey said: “‘Morag’s creative ideas and positivity buoyed and sustained the importance of play. Feedback from everyone - other staff, parents and most importantly the children - was incredibly positive. Parents were telling us their children were playing more at home with loose parts rather than technology. Morag's enthusiasm and passion for play shines through everything she does; she is the embodiment of what we are trying to achieve with our projects.’

Morag joined Yester Primary School in 2016. As Senior Early Years Practitioner at Yester Primary School she leads the school’s morning and afternoon nursery classes alongside nursery assistant Mrs McWilliams. She also works with the school’s ‘Play Champions’, a group of primary 4 pupils who create opportunities and focus for play across the school. Examples include a ‘cardboard day’ where classes across the school worked together in their lunchtime on a mini building challenge.

East Lothian Council’s Play Champion, Lesley Brown, said: “This is well-deserved recognition for Morag and great for all the children that she works with at Yester Primary School. The importance of play for children’s development is widely recognised, including by the UN. Our play policy has been embedded across East Lothian to make sure that we create supportive, engaging and inclusive opportunities so that all children can play. I’m delighted to see the success of the activities, including Loose Parts play, in schools and commend all those who work in this important area.”

Morag commented: “I’m really proud to have achieved the first School Staff Play Champion Award. It’s really rewarding to see the excitement and fun that the kids have. They are so engaged, working together to solve problems and make their own creations. It’s about bringing play alive for them.”