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.