News
Share your views on the draft Workplace Plan
“Your people are your greatest asset.” This is a quote from one of the Quality Scotland assessors who was part of the Recognised for Excellence assessment team. 
It sums up why the Council is developing a new Workforce Plan. The aim of the plan is to ensure the Council maintains a skilled, flexible, high performing, motivated and well managed workforce.
As the Council continues to face challenges from our ever growing population, constrained budgets and pressures to reform it is even more important to ensure we have the right people, with the right knowledge, skills and behaviours in the right jobs.
A draft Workforce Plan has been prepared outlining:
- Where we are now – the council’s workforce profile
- What is driving change – analysis of future workforce needs
- Where we want to get to – analysis of the gaps
- How we are going to get there – the actions
The draft Workforce Plan has been issued to the Council Trade Unions for formal consultation.
It is also now available for comment from staff on the Council’s Consultation Hub along with a summary and a short questionnaire.
The Workforce Plan will set the Council’s priorities for HR policies and staff training and development agenda for the next four years. This consultation on the draft plan is your opportunity to contribute your views on these priorities so do visit the Consultation Hub to read the plan (or its summary) and complete the short questionnaire.
Are you GDPR ready?
What is GDPR?
From 25 May 2018, data protection legislation is changing. The new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) puts a greater focus on individual rights and requires us to be open and transparent about the ways we collect, store, manage and share personal information. In particular, we have to evidence that we have appropriate protections in place. Are you thinking about the ways that GDPR will affect your service area? 
Some of the key points to consider:
Collecting information – we need to clearly and specifically explain why we are collecting individuals’ personal information and how we will use it, at the point of collection. We can no longer rely on generic privacy statements.
Managing information securely – we need to make sure that personal information is stored safely, with appropriate access controls. We also need make sure that information is disposed of in a timely way.
Sharing information – we need to make sure that we have appropriate safeguards in place for sharing personal information. Usually, this will take the form of official agreements and contract clauses.
Understanding our information – we need to fully understand how information flows through our organisation, to make sure the appropriate controls are in place.
Data breaches – we need to have robust data breach reporting procedures. Under GDPR, data breaches must be reported to the Information Commissioner’s Office within 72 hours!
Data protection by design – we need to make sure that data protection is included in all our business processes, from the ground up. In particular, this means assessing risks to individual privacy whenever we change the way we use information.
Consent – in the past, we often asked people for consent to process their personal information. Under GDPR, there are many situations where this will not be appropriate. Further guidance on how to judge when to use consent will be coming soon.
To support staff in complying with GDPR, a GDPR Toolkit will be published on the Council Intranet. This will include guidance, templates and other tools that will be developed over the coming weeks and months. Keep watching this space for new and updated information!
For comments, questions and enquiries, contact the Data Protection Officer at dpo@eastlothian.gov.uk
Ideas for Living
Have you a work initiative or idea 
you would like to see featured in the next issue of Living, East Lothian Council’s newspaper for residents? The summer issue will be delivered to just under 50,000 households across the county in early July. You can check out past issues online
Please send in your ideas to living@eastlothian.gov.uk
Education Consultations - Haddington and North Berwick
The proposal to establish a new primary school for Haddington was approved by councillors at a meeting of East Lothian Council.
The decision to close Haddington Infant School and King’s Meadow Primary Schools and establish a new primary school covering Nursery to P7, operating from the existing school sites, for Haddington and its associated catchment areas follows a statutory public consultation. The change – which is subject to the conclusion of the Scottish Ministerial call-in period – is expected to take place from August 2018, or as soon as possible thereafter.
The proposal to close North Berwick Nursery School and re-designate it as nursery stage of Law Primary School was also approved, as was the proposal to extend the catchment area of Law Primary School to include development land that is currently part of the Dirleton Primary School catchment.
Councillor Shamin Akhtar, cabinet spokesperson for Education and Children’s Services, said: “I wish to thank everyone who has been involved in these public consultations which have been a huge amount of work for many people, and to thank those who took the time to share their views with us.”
Read more about the Haddington proposal and more about the North Berwick proposals on our website.
If I Were Provost… there’s still time to enter!
There’s still time for young people to enter our ‘If I Were Provost’ competition – the closing date for entries is Friday 11 May.
‘If I Were Provost’ is a competition that asks young people what would they do if they were ‘in charge’, how they would improve life for young people in the region, what new policies they might introduce and why.
We’re asking young people to get creative and share their ideas on how to make the county a better place for young people, for this competition held as part of the Year of Young People.
You may wish to convey your ideas in:
- A short story
- A letter to our Provost John McMillan
- A poem
- A diary entry or blog
- A graphic comic strip
- …or any creative approach that you think is best!
There are two categories:
- category 1 (ages 8 – 13)
- category 2 (ages 14 – 18).
One winner from each category will be invited to act as a Young Provost alongside Provost John McMillan at a number of events throughout 2018. The winners will also receive a goody bag of gifts from East Lothian tourist attractions, including passes to Foxlake Adventures in Dunbar and North Berwick’s Scottish Seabird Centre. The winning entries, plus a selection of entries received, will be on display at libraries throughout the county during the summer of 2018.
For more information, go to www.eastlothian.gov.uk/provostcompetition
Longniddry Primary School awarded Rights Respecting School status
Congratulations go to Longniddry Primary School this week, who have become the latest of our schools to be awarded a Rights Respecting School award by UNICEF UK.
Sheona Skinner, Head Teacher, said: “Our Rights Respecting Pupil Voice group – which comprises pupils from every class in the school - has worked extremely hard with our Depute Head Teacher Mrs Stephanie MacFadyen, to achieve this success.
“We have refreshed our aims, vision and values, and updated a number of our policies, as well as creating a child friendly school improvement plan – all of which can be seen by visitors to the school.
“We are all really proud of the efforts of the children, as well as the hard work by staff too, and we are now looking forward to working towards achieving gold.”
Councillor Shamin Akhtar, cabinet spokesperson for Education and Children’s Services, said: “This award is fantastic news, and my congratulations go to everyone at Longniddry Primary School for their hard work to achieve this status – it’s a great achievement, and they should be very proud.
“We know that when children and young people understand their human rights, and therefore understand how other people should be treated, they become happier, healthier and more confident, and more engaged in their learning. It’s clear that this, in turn, has a lasting positive impact on the wider community.
“The vast majority of our schools are registered with Rights Respecting Schools, and it’s a commitment in our Service Improvement Plan that all our schools participate, as we believe it’s absolutely integral to ensuring that children have the best start in life.
“I am delighted that Longniddry Primary School has been recognised for their efforts, which I’m sure will inspire and encourage other schools to achieve success.”
Read the full story on our website.
East Lothian schools Eco Challenge launched
Young people from Dunbar Grammar School and Knox Academy visited Kinwegar recycling centre at Wallyford earlier this month, for the launch of our Eco Schools Competition, sponsored by Viridor.
Young people at each of East Lothian’s six secondary schools have been challenged to win £500 for their school by designing a project that will improve upon the county’s sustainability and recycling rates. Viridor will grant £250 to each school to cover their project costs with the winning school receiving a trophy and a further £500 to spend on Environmental and Educational improvements within their school. The winning team will also be invited to the Keep Scotland Beautiful awards ceremony in Haddington in September.
The Eco Challenge competition challenges each school to design a project specifically related to Sustainability and Environmental improvement within East Lothian, and which aims to improve on any or all of the three Rs: Reducing, Reusing, or Recycling waste.
Tom Reid, Waste Services Manager, said: “This competition invites young people from our schools to really think about environmental issues and how we can create a greener, more sustainable East Lothian. We want to hear their ideas about how we can encourage people to make small lifestyle changes in order to reduce the amount of waste that we generate, or to increase our reuse and recycling rates, or even how to use waste in different ways that effect a positive change in the community. We hope to adopt and implement the winning project and so the feasibility, cost, sustainability and deliverability of their project ideas are all really important.”
Provost John McMillan said: “2018 is the Year of Young People, and alongside our ‘If I Were Provost’ competition, this is another great opportunity for young people to get creative and share their ideas with us on how to improve life in East Lothian. We’re all looking forward to seeing what the teams come up with and more importantly, how our waste services team can take these on board and ensure that we keep East Lothian beautiful – now, and in the future.”
Read the full story on our website.
Extension works at Dunbar Grammar School
Pupils and staff at Dunbar Grammar School returning after the Easter break will be pleased to notice that work is continuing to progress on the latest phase of a multimillion pound extension at the school.
Phase one of the project included expanding the pupil social space to create a large, airy space to eat and meet, and was completed in the summer of 2016. Phase two comprises a new two-storey L-shaped block to the east side of the school which will include additional classrooms and staff bases, a new Home Economics department, a new library and learning centre with a dedicated IT space, additional PE changing rooms, and new suited accommodation for Pupil and Learning Support.
At the heart of the new accommodation will be a large covered ‘social hub’ – a flexible multi-use space that can be used for a variety of purposes including group and individual teaching, presentations, eating and other social uses. Alterations are also being made to the existing school building to maximise the use of existing spaces and will provide additional science labs, technology rooms, a new drama studio and more craft, design and technology spaces. There will also be a new full-sized, all-weather sports pitch in the school grounds.
Paul Raffaelli, Head Teacher at Dunbar Grammar School, said: “This is a really exciting project and our staff and students have enjoyed seeing the progress made on site on a daily basis. Our student council and staff enjoyed being involved in the design phase, together with the architects and builders, and we can’t wait to see the finished building."
Councillor Shamin Akhtar, Cabinet Spokesperson for Education and Children’s Services, said: "It is great news that work is progressing well and continues to do so. Phased completion arrangements are being developed to ensure there is sufficient classroom accommodation for pupils who will be returning after the summer whilst other works continue, which are expected to be completed in October of this year.
“The school’s new extension and its facilities will bring considerable benefits to the school and its students, and will enrich the education experience of all the young people in Dunbar and the wider catchment area. I am looking forward to seeing its completion later this year.”
Read the full story on our website.
Insurance & Claims team move
With effect from 1st April 2018, the Insurance & Claims team within Corporate Finance has moved to Protective Services. 
The team has been renamed Insurance and Risk reporting directly to Sandy Baptie, Emergency Planning, Risk & Resilience Manager.
Staff contact details are:
- Karen McLeod, Insurance & Risk Officer – Telephone 01620 827876
- Vanda Campbell, Insurance & Risk Assistant – Telephone 01620 827255
Email:insurance@eastlothian.gov.uk
Room 21A/B, John Muir House, Haddington
Muselburgh active travel proposed masterplan
We know that Musselburgh will be growing in the future and this study provides the opportunity to consider how this can be done more sustainably, without relying on private cars for journeys. The Masterplan aims to create an accessible network around Musselburgh to suit the needs of everyone moving in and through the area and connecting into Midlothian and Edinburgh. 
A network of key Strategic Routes is proposed and would be supplemented with local routes and connections. The key strategic routes would transform the provision of active travel infrastructure in and around Musselburgh, improving conditions for people walking and cycling.
In developing the proposals, the consultants have already had valuable input from stakeholders, including Musselburgh & Inveresk Community Council, accessibility and equality groups, and active travel groups.
The consultants are keen to hear your views on the proposals. These are high-level plans at this stage and purely ideas to demonstrate the types of routes – the intention is to work with the communities and interest groups in shaping the Masterplan. Full details are available on the Consultation Hub.
Free Musical Instrument Lessons with East Lothian Library Services
Learn guitar, piano, banjo, harmonica and many more for free with ArtistWorks. 
Whether you’re starting out or interested in improving your skills, you’ll get the help you need with ArtistWorks step-by-step learning videos from some of the world’s most sought-after musicians and teachers.
It offers everything you need for musical and artistic instruction, from introduction to advanced performance. Students now have access to this kind of instruction regardless of reductions/eliminations of school music programmes and without the high cost of private instruction.
Library members can access ArtistWorks from our website. If you’re not a member of the Library, you can join online here. Joining the Library will give you full access to all of our eResources including eBooks, eAudiobooks, eComics, eNewspapers, eMagazines, and much more.
ideas into action
One of your suggestions to the Ideas Bank was to introduce a payment wallet function to facilitate easier online payments for council customers (IB123) 
You Said: Use a ‘payment wallet’ for our online payments. This allows customers to store their card details securely, and to setup recurring payments. This makes the process of paying online more user-friendly, and may encourage more users to make payments this way.
As recurring payments can be set up, it could offer an alternative solution for services that can’t currently offer payment by direct debit.
This tool will assist with achieving the council’s aim of becoming a digital authority which embraces technology to deliver services.
You Did: A bid was submitted to the Digital Strategy Executive Group to approve and partially-fund the purchase of the payment wallet service for the current online payment pages.
The bid has been approved by the group, and we are now in the process of purchasing the payment wallet product.
Your Ideas
Got a brilliant idea for the council? Submit it online or by email to ideas@eastlothian.gov.uk
Going for Gold
Our Amenity Services team and Transport Services team have each won a Silver Award in the APSE Scotland 2018 Striving for Excellence Awards. Amenity Services won in the Grounds/Parks and Streets category with Transport Services securing silver in the Fleet category.
Our collective fingers are now crossed for the teams as they compete for the Gold award which will be announced at APSE's annual Fleet, Waste and Grounds event in Aviemore on 17 May.
Planning Committee decision May 2018
Members of East Lothian Planning Committee met on Tuesday 1st May to decide on an application relating to Mansefield, Humbie involving alterations, extension and change of use of a stable block and the extension of the house for short term hospitality, support and training for leaders in church ministry and for occasional small-scale retreats.
The application was called off the Scheme of Delegation List by Councillor McMillan due to community opposition and concerns about access.
Planners had recommended that consent for the application was granted and the committee upheld this recommendation with a vote of six votes to five following a debate.
The relevant application number is 18/00145/P.
Submit your views on 'Blueprint for 2020: The Expansion of Early Learning and Childcare in Scotland’
A consultation called ‘Blueprint for 2020: The Expansion of Early Learning and Childcare in Scotland’ is now open.
To ensure that our response as a council also reflects the collective views of our local community in East Lothian, we are asking local families and providers of Early Learning and Childcare for their views. We also encourage you to submit your own consultation responses directly to the Scottish Government.
Read the consultation and submit your views before it closes on Sunday 27 May.
Tranent children lead the way in defending children’s rights
Two young children from Tranent have launched a series of workshops focusing on human rights that aim to inform, engage and listen to children across Scotland.
The first workshops in the ‘Children as Human Rights Defenders programme’ were delivered this week by Hannah and Cameron at Windygoul Primary School in Tranent.
Hannah and Cameron – who both attend the school - are Members of the Children’s Parliament (MCPs). They recently returned from Geneva where they took part in the first Children’s Advisory Team meeting to plan children and young people’s involvement in the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child’s Day of General Discussion (DGD), to be held in September 2018.
Cameron said: “The experience of being a helper to the children in the workshop makes me feel a lot more confident.". Hannah said: “Today I've enjoyed explaining the activities to all the children. I'm looking forward to taking part in the other workshops!" and “I think it went really well - all the kids were smiling!"
Read the full story on our website.
Sandy shares good practice
Sandy Baptie, Emergency Planning, Risk and Resilience Manager, has recently returned from the republic of Korea where he was an invited speaker at the 3rd Kijang Forum – ‘For safety and prosperity of Nuclear Power Plant cities’. 
The forum gathers representatives from cities and areas around the world with nuclear installations and the participants share experiences of the major issues related to nuclear power and the course of its future development for their local communities.
Sandy said: “I was invited to take part to detail East Lothian Council’s role in managing and supporting EDF Energy and other agencies involved in the successful production of energy from Torness power station. This was not simply an event to share best practice in emergency planning, though that is clearly important, but also a recognition of the economic benefits a nuclear power station can bring.”
“I thoroughly enjoyed meeting representatives from the USA, Canada, Finland, Japan, Ukraine and the Republic of Korea and hearing about their experiences of nuclear power plants in their areas. Whilst it was distressing to hear about the circumstances and effects of the Fukushima incident it was also very encouraging to share the positive experiences of modern plants and the extremely robust safety measures now employed as standard.”
Sandy was accompanied by Provost John McMillan who added his signature to a joint communique for the ‘sustainable development of nuclear power plant cities.’ John added: “East Lothian is able to clearly demonstrate that the presence of a nuclear power station doesn’t reduce the economic vibrancy of an area. Fellow participants were eager to learn more about the range of golf courses, our strong food and drink producers and the beauty of the county’s natural environment. The Republic of Korea was an incredible country to visit and our hosts provided a generous welcome and many industry friendships were established.”
The invitation to the Kijang Forum followed a review and visit earlier this year by the Operational Safety Review Team (OSART) from the International Atomic Energy Agency to Torness Power Station and to the newly refurbished Torness Strategic Coordination Centre (TSCC) at Penston House, Macmerry.
Sandy added: “The OSART member who visited the TSCC was extremely complimentary about the facility, partnership working and the safety emergency response processes in place.”
Watch out for the Dogwatch van!
The Safer Communities team now have a striking new presence to advise local residents about Dog Watch' which aims to reduce the problem of dog fouling blighting our towns and villages.
The new vehicle livery was designed and produced in-house and provides a clear reminder to dog owners to clean up after their pet. Dog Watch also provides people with the opportunity to advise the council about problem areas which the Amenity Wardens can then visit.
What's On
John Gray Centre May film screening
The JGC Film Appreciation Club May screening is a ‘literature’ themed film. The film is “Neruda” (2017) by multi-award winning director Pablo Larrain who is originally from Chile. You might be familiar with his recent multi-award nominated film “Jackie” about the late Jackie Kennedy Onassis, and starring Natalie Portman. 
Screening will take place on Thursday, May 10 in the Star Room. Doors open at 6.00pm for a 6.30pm start.
The film will be in Spanish and stars Gael Garcia Bernal, who played the main role in films like ‘The Motorcycle Diaries’, ‘Y Tu Mamá También’, and ‘Amores Perros’. Bernal plays a police inspector whose task is to hunt down Nobel Prize-winning Chilean poet, Pablo Neruda, who becomes a fugitive in his home country in the late 1940s after joining the Communist Party. The film offers a reflection on Pablo Neruda’s persona as a man and as an artist.
Post screening discussion will include brief highlights on the cinema of Chile, facts about Pablo Neruda, and aspects of the film (as per usual). Entry is free for club members, £3.50 donation for guests and £1 donation for ELC staff. Come and enjoy an evening of visual pleasures, good company and vibrant conversation!
Coming up at The Brunton, Musselburgh
May Highlights
We’ve recently released our new April – July 2018 Brochure. Why not pop into The Brunton, pick up a copy and see what’s on! See below for just some of the great events we have planned this May.
Can’t wait to see what else is coming this season?
National Theatre Live: Macbeth | Thu 10 May 7pm | £13.50 (£11.50)
The Brunton continues to screen the best of the West End. Macbeth, Shakespeare’s most intense and terrifying tragedy, directed by Rufus Norris (The Threepenny Opera, London Road), sees Rory Kinnear (Young Marx, Othello) and Anne-Marie Duff (Oil, Suffragette) return to the National Theatre to play Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.
Don’t Panic! It’s Challenge Anneka | Fri 11 May 7.30pm | £13.50 (£11.50), £8.50 Under 18
Bum-bag? Check. Luminescent shell suit? Check. Positive attitude in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges? Hell yeah! Join award-winning company on the button on this roller-coaster of a one-woman show, which channels the spirit of someone for whom no challenge is too big.
View more unmissable entertainment.
All tickets are available from The Brunton on 0131 665 2240 or www.thebrunton.co.uk
Ranger-led activities for 8-14 yr olds
Race night fundraiser for Eskgreen
Countryside event - The early bird
The Early Bird - Ever wondered how to tell a chiffchaff from a willow warbler; a song thrush from a blackbird? 
The secret lies in the wonderful world of birdsong, and this walk around Gullane with Countryside Rangers will provide a taster for the rich and varied sounds produced by our native birds. Book online
Saturday 12th May, 07.00-09.00, Gullane, £6.50, Age 16+
Hike with Countryside Rangers
Join the Countryside Rangers on one of their popular hikes - Carfraemill via Lammer Law on Sunday 27 May starting at 10am.
A 10.5 mile (17km) walk over the Lammermuir Hills to Carfraemill, finishing with a pint in the Carfraemill Inn! A moderate hill walk mostly along well-defined tracks, but with some open hill walking.
Return transport will be provided.
Cost:£10 per person per hike 
Walking boots are recommended for all hikes, as well as waterproofs, hats and gloves. Routes may be varied depending on the weather conditions. Remember we can only proceed at the pace of the slowest person.
Please Note: These hikes are not suitable for children or for people with restricted mobility and no dogs are permitted on any of these hikes. As places are limited, bookings must be made prior to each and every hike. You will receive the exact meeting point via a confirmation email which is separate to the payment confirmation. Please check your junk email.
Book online https://eastlothian.bookinglive.com/home/ranger-service-event-programme/rangers-hikes/
What's On at the Museums
All our museums have free admission and lots of drop-in crafts and activities that are perfect for a last-minute outing. See www.eastlothian.gov.uk/museums for details.
EVENTS:
Tickets are now on sale for Festival of Museums 2018
Friday 18 to Sunday 20 May. Events in Dunbar, Haddington and Prestonpans.
Stories from the Cells! Come and explore historic crime and punishment at Dunbar Town House Museum and Gallery. We will be bring the cells back to life with the help of Edinburgh based Reactivated History Tours telling the dramatic stories of those who worked here or were imprisoned! This is a fantastic opportunity to see parts of this historically significant building that are only usually available by tour, including the cells which will feature images and audio. Come and try out our drop-in sound effects activity or make a booking for the theatre piece. Pre booking essential for performances at set times. Theatre piece is aimed at P4 children and above but visit to the cells and craft activities will be open to all and free. Friday 7-9pm adults only, Saturday and Sunday 1-5pm. Tickets can be booked at 01620 820699, museumseast@eastlothian.gov.uk or by visiting museums. Adults £5, Children (under 14s) £3.50, Infants (under 2s sat on knee) and Family (of 4/5) £15.
Hats off to History, Sunday 20 May, time, John Gray Centre. Join us for an immersive and inspiring afternoon! Listen to an expert talk from designer milliner, Felicity Faichney on the history of hat making and wearing followed by the opportunity to explore hat making techniques and try on historic replicas. Tickets £5. Booking essential.
Play at the Grange on Saturday 19 May, 12noon to 4pm at Prestongrange Museum, Morrison’s Haven, Prestonpans EH32 9RX will be a fabulous festival extravaganza of theatre, magic, singing, face painting, music and more. Performance highlights include Mark Kydd in character as Bonnie Prince Charlie, Scottish singer-songwriter, Alex Hodgson, The Ministry of Magic, Razzle Dazzle youth performance group. Adults £5, Children £3 and Family (of 4/5) £15. Tickets are limited so book in advance to avoid disappointment on 01620 820690 or by calling into the Museum. 
Regular activities
Fun & Crafty Weekend Drop-in Activities in May
Join us for fun drop-in crafts and activities! Suggested donation £1 per craft
John Muir Birthplace & John Gray Centre Friday lunchtime to Sunday afternoon and school holidays.
In May John Muir’s Birthplace activities will explore Beautifully Recycled, All About Bees and Wildlife Crime! Follow us on Facebook at East Lothian Council Museums Service, John Muir’s Birthplace or John Gray Centre to find out more.
Good Memories Café will be on Friday 25 May in the Star Room at John Gray Centre from 2pm till 4pm. A friendly & informal drop-in cafe for people with dementia & their carers. Join us for tea & cake! The Café has a lovely atmosphere and often includes singing, music, crafts & museum objects.
Tiny Tuesdays at Prestongrange every Tuesday May to Sept.
Under 5s wee crafts, stories and dance. A great time for adults to meet, find support and bond with their babies and toddlers. £1 per craft
EXHIBITIONS:
Land Becomes Sea Becomes Land by Susie Goodwin. until Sunday 13 May. This exhibition is a reflective journey through the artist’s environmental practice over a number of years, her inspiration and her local land and seascapes around Dunbar. The title of the exhibition was inspired by a phrase David Attenborough used in the acclaimed series Blue Planet that seemed to sum up the rhythms of moon, tide and growth that are captured in her work and the timely need to care more for our planet. Rhythms that are soothing and reassuring are seemingly timeless but does this mask the changes that take place, is all as it appears to be? Dunbar Town House Museum and Gallery
William Keith & John Muir: Kindred Souls – at John Muir’s Birthplace Explore the work of John Muir’s close friend William Keith, a leading American landscape painter. The two friends shared similar interests in, and attitudes towards, nature, and of course their Scottishness. www.jmbt.org.uk
Haddington - Life and Work Saturday 12 May to Sunday 24 June at John Gray Centre. Haddington Camera Club (HCC) members have been photographing images for the “Life and Work” exhibition as part of the Haddington 700 Celebrations. As a club they will be displaying a real variety of images showing the people of Haddington at work and play in our Royal Burgh in this year of 2018. Come and see some of the characters that make Haddington the diverse and modern market town we live in today.
Wild Prestongrange: Encounter the animals and plants of Prestongrange, April to September at Prestongrange Museum. Discover the animals, plants, flowers and mini-beasts that can be found here, in this lovely exhibition.
HOMING by Dalziel & Scullion. Saturday 19 May to Sunday 24 June at Dunbar Town House Museum and Gallery. The ability and instinct to return to a territory after travelling away from it. NORTH LIGHT ARTS are delighted to announce that the John Muir Artists in Residence 2018 are Dalziel + Scullion. Responding to John Muir’s playful yet insightful interactions with Nature, the artists will work towards an artist’s talk, exhibition at Dunbar Town House and the launch of an associated publication.
Dalziel + Scullion HOMING project has involved them working with a number of local specialists to investigate the nature of the John Muir Way. Focusing on its beginning between Dunbar and Musselburgh, whilst setting a tone that might be adopted further along the length of the 134 mile walk. A number of carefully chosen sites have been identified where visitors can interact with its geology, plants, insects or other life forms with the aid of a series of instructions that invite contemplation, curiosity and interaction. The exhibition will introduce people to these encounters and the potential artefacts that can be made and collected along the way.
The annual John Muir Residency is supported by East Lothian Council Arts Service and Creative Scotland. Further information: www.northlightarts.org.uk
The Coastal Communities Museum are keeping the best of what they already have but refresh and re-new some of the display areas. There will be plenty of local history objects, images and documents on display to help visitors connect to the past. Drop in to see old favourites such as the Robert Louis Stevenson exhibit, the 1902 Bass Rock Lighthouse Lens and the Beach Hut. The RLS and pirate themed family area full of activities for children is staying too, with new ways to explore together being added.
Visitors will be able to discover new displays on
- Modern and medieval pilgrimages
- Local geology, what shaped the landscape and how the land has been used over the centuries especially for agriculture
- School days - a fitting feature given the museum occupies the former school rooms!
- The end of the First World War, to coincide with the national programme of commemoration.
One star item is a mould for making pilgrim badges, unearthed on Anchor Green in North Berwick. It depicts St Andrew and was used to make lead badges, or tokens, which were sold to pilgrims as souvenirs, to be sewn onto a hat or tunic. The new feature on pilgrims includes a model of the “Auld Kirk” at the harbour too; illustrating how the original 12th century church grew in response to the enormous volume of pilgrim traffic passing through long ago.
A memorial board showing the names of the First World War fallen from the local war memorials has been on show since 2014. This year, the exhibit will be enhanced to show the impact of the end of the fighting and what happened afterwards.
The Museum is open through to the end of November. Days and times vary seasonally; please check www.coastalmuseum.org for details or find us on Facebook.
Take part in the first UK National Numeracy Day
Wednesday 16 May is the UK’s first ever National Numeracy Day – have you got the essentials of numeracy? Why not take the challenge and find out!
Numbers are all around us - at home and in daily life. But people can often feel overwhelmed by bills, confused by bank charges and wonder if supermarket deals are really worth it.
Taking part in National Numeracy Day can help bring you a step closer to building your own or your family’s confidence and skills in using numbers. Visit the National Numeracy website to find out more.
Our People
Spotlight on ...
This issue our staff spotlight falls on Morven McLelland ... 
Name: Morven McLelland
Job Title: Senior Practioner Occupational Therapist
Background: I went to North Berwick High School and left in 1989 when I moved to London to train to become an Occupational Therapist. I qualified in 1992 and worked within the NHS for 17 years before moving ‘home’ to East Lothian.
My training involved 3 years of a mix of science, humanities and my clinical placements were all based in Guys and St Thomas’ Hospital Trust where I worked in Paediatrics, Womens’ Mental Health, Older People and Rehabilitation, Trauma and Orthopaedics, Stroke Rehabilitation and Community Older Peoples Mental Health. This was an amazing start to my career as an Occupational Therapist and I believe gave me good grounding for my future career.
After my first paid job I took a break and travelled around Africa. A once in a lifetime opportunity which allowed me to grow in confidence as an individual but also as an Occupational Therapist as many of my skills were put to use during my travels.
I returned to London and continued to work full time until I had my children and then when I secured the job in East Lothian I requested to work part time to help the work / life balance.
How long have you been with the council? Eleven years and 3 months.
Who do you work with? Our team is based in Randall House in Macmerry. The office is open plan and would guess there are approximately 170 members of staff here which challenges your memory each day trying to remember names.
As an Occupational Therapist we work extremely closely with Social Workers, Community Care workers, Managers and home care staff. We also share the office and work with all these staff and others including strategy, business support, Telecare and Mental Health Officers.
What does your job involve? The Occupational Therapy team uses assessment and therapeutic interventions to develop and enable recovery or to maintain the daily living skills of people with physical, mental or cognitive disorders. The Occupational Therapy team focuses much of their work on identifying and eliminating environmental barriers to independence and participation in daily activities. The team uses a client centred approach that places emphasis on progress towards the client’s goals and engenders independence. The Occupational Therapy team’s interventions encompass modification of the task, teaching the skill and educating the client/family/carers as well as adapting the environment in order to increase participation in their performance of daily activities, particularly those that are meaningful to the client. The Occupational Therapy team work closely with professionals in physiotherapy, speech language therapy, nursing, social work and other agencies as well as stakeholders in the community.
What do you like most about your job? I love my job. Perhaps sounds corny but I’ve worked as an Occupational Therapist for 26 years and not once have considered a career move. Perhaps Im lucky that I found a job that I’d love forever.
The team I currently work with are ‘the best’ team ever, they are kind, caring, intelligent, supportive and extremely funny. I feel extremely privileged to work with them all.
Plans for the future? I really enjoy my current job as an Occupational therapist and feel the role continually develops and ‘develops me’. I think my future plans are really to stay happy and healthy and enjoy life as much as possible.
What do you enjoy out of the office? I have a number of activities I enjoy outside of work. I am a volunteer for Muirfield Riding Therapy and use Occupational Therapy to help develop fine and gross motor skills and function in children who attend these sessions. I also have a share in a horse who I ride a number of times each week to keep me fit and helps me relax (unless he’s being silly!). I go to the gym once a week and have started riding Fatbikes. I also have 2 teenage boys and a dog – lots of things to do which is why I working part time is perfect for me! Having less money is ‘ not so good’ but you’ve got to get the balance right.
New course available for all staff
Using Coaching Everyday – for managers
Who is this for: anyone who is a manager or team leader and who wants to develop their coaching skills. Coaching helps us to work more effectively with our team. As managers we can struggle to find the time to coach. However, coaching questions can be used within any conversation we are having with our team members. This workshop will give you the chance to practice quick, in the moment coaching to help you to save you time and solve problems more effectively.
Benefits for you:
- Helps you and your team get “unstuck” with problems
- It can be a time saver – and you develop your team at the same time
- Solutions to problems are found more quickly, rather than you repeatedly being asked for the answer
- Add to your toolbox of management skills
- Help your team take more ownership and build their confidence
When:
Thursday 31st May, 9.30-12.00 – The Garleton Room, Penston House.
Using Coaching Everyday – non-managers
Who is this for: anyone who is not a manager or team leader and who wants to develop coaching skills. Coaching helps us to work more effectively with colleagues, clients and customers. You’ll also find this approach useful outside of work with family and friends. We have a separate course for managers so if you have people responsibilities please select the appropriate course.
Benefits for you:
- Helps you get “unstuck” with problems
- It can be a time saver
- Solutions to problems are found more quickly
- It’s an investment in your communication skills
- Better job satisfaction
When:
Wednesday 6th June, 9.30-12.00 – The Garleton Room, Penston House.
Remember to ask your line manager if you can attend.
To book on either of these dates: book on learnpro: http://council.learnprouk.com
http://intranet.eastlothian.gov.uk/downloads/file/1831/course_booking_system_instructions
Two new e-learning modules
Do you want to know how to save energy at home and at work? A new learnPro e-learning module from Home Energy Scotland has been added to the Personal Development category. 
This provides you with a range of energy-saving tips and shows you how to access Scottish Government-funded grants and loans to save money, keep your home warm and protect the environment.
Many of the energy-saving tips you will learn by completing this course are also transferable to the workplace.
Managing People Problems. This introductory new module is aimed at new managers or team leaders (new to the role or the Council). It provides you with an overview of when to use the informal, disciplinary or performance and support routes to effectively resolve employee issues. A separate module for teachers (which is different to the rest of the Council) is coming soon.
Register or log on here