Chief Executive, Monica Patterson

I hope you have had a good summer and managed to enjoy some time away from work.

The latest edition of Inform contains a number of items which will be of interest to colleagues across East Lothian Council.

It includes an article on the results of the 2024 Employee Survey, which highlights the key findings and explains actions we will take in relation to consideration of ideas as part of the Transformation programme and how we engage on dealing with the financial challenges facing the council. Huge thanks to all 1,058 employees who responded – your views are really important in helping us identify areas for improvement and focus. If you have further ideas, please email transformation@eastlothian.gov.uk

I always enjoy reading about the work of council employees in delivering valued services and am delighted to see the feature the role of our Amenity Services Play Squad, which does such fantastic work in looking after these much-loved places for families to enjoy in East Lothian.

Elected members gathered last week for the first full Council meeting since the summer recess. Among the items being discussed were the Quarter 1 Financial Review and a paper on budget development, which together highlighted the scale and complexity of budgetary challenges we are dealing with and will continue to face. This highlights the importance of our Transformation Strategy 2024-2029 which seeks to build on innovations of recent years to help us deliver services in as modern and efficient a manner as possible.

It also recognises the three short-term priorities which were agreed earlier this year to reflect the challenges we face:

• Ensure the financial sustainability of the council through the delivery of approved savings and transforming the way we deliver services
• Target resources on statutory services and focus on the highest risks and those most in need
• Deliver key infrastructure, economic development and environmentally sustainable projects within available Council resources and maximising external funding.

Other items discussed at the Council meeting were the Local Development Plan 2: Evidence Report, the East Lothian Poverty Plan 2024-28 and an update on the very positive actions we are taking to protect and enhance nature. These are very much in keeping with the short-term priorities and my thanks to all officers involved for their hard work and bringing the reports forward.

Finally, I would like to take the opportunity of welcoming Hayley Barnett who joined as this week as the new Head of Corporate Support. Hayley was previously Associate Director of Governance and Board Services for NHS National Services Scotland Board. She is a fantastic addition to the Council Management Team and we look forward to working with her in the months and years ahead.

Lesley's update

By Lesley Brown, Executive Director for Education and Children's Services

As I write this update, the seasons are beginning to change and it’s starting to feel more Autumnal. I hope that you have had a good summer and have managed to have a break, in spite of the unseasonal weather.

Since my last update, the new United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) legislation has gone live and this places enhanced duties on the Council to take in to account children’s rights in all of our work. I have had the pleasure of chairing the UNCRC working group over the last two years which brings together ‘UNCRC Champions’ from across the Council. Working together, we have been considering the changes we need to make to our work and how we will take account of children’s rights in new policies and pieces of work. I am very grateful to those colleagues who have supported this important area on the group and particularly to Keren Conway, Principal Solicitor, who has supported the group and helped ensure that we are ready to uphold children’s rights through the new legislation. We already have many great examples of practice from across the Council on which to build and I would encourage you to consider what more you can do to support this work in your own service area. You can find out more on our 'UNCRC resources' Intranet pages under 'your workplace'.

In recent months, it has been really good to get a more in-depth understanding of the work going on in both our Housing and Communities services. I have been able to see first-hand the huge amounts of work that our staff do for our citizens in communities. I have been particularly impressed with the dedication of staff groups to improve their work with significant developments underway in both Housing and in Communities. It has also been really good to bring together senior leaders in Education, Children’s Services, Communities and Housing as we work together to consider what more we can do collectively to address many of the issues in our communities. We recognise that taking an early intervention and preventative approach will have the biggest impact and, in the coming months, I am looking forward to engaging with more staff to discuss what else we can do.

Work has continued on our approach to leadership development and I am grateful to Rebecca Grangeret who has continued to drive this area forward. We recognise that, irrespective of role and area of work, we are all leaders in our own right and to that end we have begun work on a leadership strategy. We have many examples of fantastic leaders working across the Council and some very innovative development work underway.  We now want to be able to explain that for all staff and to ensure that those who are interested in leadership development are able to access support to take the next step in their career. I am really looking forward to launching our new Aspiring Senior Leader programme in October and I am grateful to those colleagues who have signed up to be part of it. I am also grateful to a small number of team leaders who are keen to work with us on developing an Aspiring Service Manager programme.

While Spring is traditionally a time of growth and change, for colleagues across the council, Autumn offers a chance to embrace new opportunities. Whether personally or professionally, I hope that you find something you are inspired to try this season.

Best wishes,

Lesley

New video showcases the best of East Lothian’s ‘agritourism’

Agritourism is a growing trend, with visitors seeking out authentic experiences that connect them to the countryside and Scotland’s natural larder. Showcasing the best of this thriving sector, a new video has been launched that highlights the rich agritourism offering in East Lothian and the region’s diverse farm-based experiences.

 

Agritourism is defined as tourism or leisure on a working farm, croft or estate which produces food. This can include accommodation such as farmhouses, glamping, tours and experiences, events and buying fresh local produce direct from a farm shop. The video shines a spotlight on some of East Lothian’s local farmers who offer distinctive stays, immersive experiences, and high-quality food and drink, contributing to East Lothian’s growing reputation as a must-visit destination.

Eat, stay, play and shop on the farm

The video has been well received by local businesses involved in the sector. Jo McNicol, owner of Drift cafe on Castleton Farm near North Berwick and Scottish Agritourism board member, said: “It was great to be part of the East Lothian filming to raise awareness of the different agritourism businesses across East Lothian. The sector is delivering amazing opportunities for on-farm visits to eat, stay, play and shop and East Lothian has all of these. I really hope everyone enjoys the film and we look forward to welcoming you.” 

The Visit East Lothian site has more information on our local agritourism. If you know someone who operates in the sector in East Lothian or a farm interested in diversifying into agritourism, ask them to contact visit@eastlothian.gov.uk 

 

 

Get on board! Bus services survey

Did you know: the council subsidises some bus services on routes where commercial bus operators would not be able to cover their costs. We do this where no alternative route exists and may pay a commercial operator to cover a whole route, or part of a route at a particular time of day, if a need is identified. Many of these are in rural areas.

Transport Services is consulting on its supported buses with a short online questionnaire and a series of drop-in events. The survey attempts to establish where the greatest need for supported bus services in East Lothian is so that we can spend our budget most effectively. 

Get involved!

Complete the survey 

Visit one of the in-person consultation events

• Bleachingfield Dunbar: 1 Oct 2024 noon until 1.30pm
• Musselburgh Library: 2 Oct 2024 at 11am to 12.30pm
• George Johnstone Centre, Tranent: 3 Oct 2024 10am to 11:30am

For more information please contact transportservices@eastlothian.gov.uk 

The consultation closes on 20 October.

Public engagement on Planning Older People’s Services priorities launched

Over the last 12 months, ELHSCP has been engaging with local communities, providers, and staff to identify, develop and prioritise suggestions that could support the delivery of older people’s services for generations to come. 

Having identified four priorities, ELHSCP has launched a 12-week engagement and consultation schedule where public can share their comments.

The four priorities

Priority 1: Review palliative and end of life care
This priority indicates a request to review and enhance the options available within palliative care, so people can plan and consider their preferences for their end-of-life care and treatment.

Priority 2: Polypharmacy reviews
This priority indicates an opportunity for a more coordinated approach to polypharmacy reviews undertaken in East Lothian. An ‘invest to save’ approach could see an increase in polypharmacy reviews aiming to reduce potential harm from medicines in older patients, improving quality of life, reducing medicines burden for patients, reducing avoidable hospital admissions, and ensuring medicines are used cost effectively across East Lothian.

Priority 3: Intermediate Care Services
This priority provides an opportunity to remain committed to developing intermediate care services to facilitate care closer to home and ensure that East Lothian’s population can remain within their own communities for as long as possible. Provision of efficient and effective intermediate care is also vital to alleviate pressure on hospital and care home beds.

Priority 4: Use of technology
This priority identifies an opportunity for enhancing the use of technology and increasing digital choice in order to support the development of efficient and sustainable services for older people, that are agile and responsive to the changing needs of the East Lothian population.

How to get involved

ELHSCP is looking to engage with a wide range of people, who have an interest in or may be directly affected by the delivery of older people’s services in the future. This includes people currently making use of our services, their family members and/or carers, health and social care staff, community groups, third sector organisations, providers, partner organisations and the public who live and work in East Lothian and may require access to older people’s services in the future.

Complete the online survey:  www.eastlothian.gov.uk/pops-consultation
From the website, members of the public can share their views on the identified priorities and make comments on the engagement process to date, which is outlined in a presentation document. Closing date for comments is 8 December 2024.

Attend an event:  ELHSCP will be hosting a series of in-person pop-up events, within each of the major towns in East Lothian. Members of the public are welcome to come along and share their feedback in person. There will be paper copies of our project findings as well as a feedback form.

Schedule of events: 

• Saturday 28 September, 11am to 3pm, Fisherrow Centre, Musselburgh
• Tuesday 1 October, 10:30am to 2:30pm, Fraser Centre, Tranent
• Tuesday 8 October, 10:30am to 2:30pm, Bleachingfield Centre, Dunbar
• Tuesday 15 October:
  • 10am to 1pm, John Gray Centre, Haddington
  • 2pm to 4pm, East Lothian Community Hospital, Haddington
• Thursday 24 October, 10:30am to 2:30pm, Pennypit Centre, Prestonpans
• Tuesday 29 October, 10:30am to 2:30pm,  Hope Rooms, 34 Forth Street, North Berwick

Alternatively, members of the public can email their views directly to the project team via: engagement-hscp@eastlothian.gov.uk  

A dedicated website providing full details of the background to this project, as well as the engagement and selection process to date to arrive at the four priorities, is detailed on www.eastlothian.gov.uk/elhscp/pops

Planning Committee agrees to object to a windfarm at Newlands Hill

East Lothian Planning Committee met on Tuesday 3 September and agreed to submit an objection to Scottish Ministers via the Scottish Government Energy Consents Unit (ECU) in relation to a proposed windfarm at Newlands Hill.

The application was submitted to the ECU on behalf of Belltown Power UK Wind Ltd, for 17 turbines, battery storage and associated infrastructure and access on land at Newlands Hill approximately 6km southeast of Gifford on the northern edge of the Lammermuir Hills. East Lothian Council is a consultee on the application.

Following a debate, Planning Committee members agreed with council officers’ recommendation and voted unanimously to submit an objection to the proposals.

Whilst the principle of need is established for green energy production and East Lothian Council has declared a Climate Emergency and has strong policy support for renewable energy, it was decided that this particular proposal would have significant adverse impact on landscape, cultural heritage,and biodiversity. It would have significant adverse impact on the historic environment, in particular on Traprain Law hill fort and the wider historic landscape in which it sits, and the stone circles at Johnscleugh. The route identified for abnormal loads was unacceptable due to its impact on prime agricultural land, while other potential routes from the south were either not feasible or would be even more environmentally damaging.

Planning Committee also debated an application for three new homes to be built on agricultural land west of The Stables, Elphinstone, opposite new homes currently being built by Bellway. A previous application had been refused planning permission in April this year. The applicant re-submitted the application for three new homes for herself and her daughters, stating that the landscape had changed and due to the new development, the site could no longer be described as countryside, but was part of the village of Elphinstone. Three letters of objection had been received to the proposal.

Planners had again recommended refusal of the application as the erection of three houses on the application site would be new build housing development in the countryside of East Lothian on land which is not allocated for housing development.

Committee members voted five in favour of granting planning permission and five against. The Chair’s casting vote meant the application was refused permission.

The relevant application numbers are; Newlands Hill, 24/00001/SGC and Elphinstone, 24/00672/P.

Changes agreed to council housing allocations policy to help with the current housing crisis

Changes have been agreed to the council’s housing allocations policy to ease the extreme pressure on the homelessness service and provide improved outcomes for our homeless clients.

Members of the Cabinet agreed to implement a Homelessness Action Plan 2024-26 which includes interim changes in the allocations policy to allow single person homeless applicants, who meet certain criteria, to access two bedroomed properties as well as ensuring that selected areas and house types are as wide as possible for all homeless households. These changes will promote quicker and improved housing outcomes and enable the council to meet its statutory duties.

Housing Emergency

The decision to make these changes sits within the context of the Scottish Government’s declaration of a Housing Emergency in May this year after five local authorities in Scotland declared housing emergencies in their areas. That number has now risen to 11. Common themes amongst these local authorities include pressures on homelessness services, high levels of people in temporary accommodation, high need and demand for affordable housing and a lack of affordable homes.

In April 2024, the Scottish Housing Regulator named eight local authorities as being at heightened risk of systemic failure regarding the delivery of homelessness services. East Lothian Council is one of the local authorities named, with a particular focus on high levels of breaches in respect of the Unsuitable Accommodation Order and use of temporary accommodation. East Lothian received 695 homelessness applications in 2022/23 and 795 in 2023/24 and these numbers continue to rise. The average length of time spent in temporary accommodation by single homeless households was 452 days in 2022/23, compared with the Scottish average of 207 days.

Other measures included in the Homelessness Action Plan include: 

• Working with social landlord partners to allow nomination of single households to two bedroomed properties in line with the proposed interim allocations policy changes, where possible.
• Reviewing the voids process and implementing a performance framework to reduce the re-let times for our void properties.
• Reducing use of temporary accommodation generally and unsuitable accommodation specifically, whilst aiming to get homeless households into secure accommodation more swiftly and without the need to enter temporary accommodation where it can be avoided.
• Reviewing and transforming the Housing Options Service to improve processes and procedures.
• Exploring all options to help maximise the supply of new affordable housing

 A formal review will be undertaken half-way through delivery of the Action Plan, with any further changes brought to Cabinet as appropriate.

Read the Cabinet paper online from the council website.

Copying from external publications

Copyright

The council holds a licence from the Copyright Licensing Agency. This permits employees to make paper or digital copies of content from most books, magazines, journals and periodicals and digital publications.

Newspapers

Colleagues are reminded that the council no longer holds a licence from the Newspaper Licensing Agency. This previously permitted employees to make occasional copies from newspaper publications for internal management. As a result employees must ensure they do not:

• circulate newspaper or magazine articles or extracts internally, via email
• copy or save articles onto internal computer drives
• photocopy or scan articles
• digitally copy articles from a newspaper or magazine website
• print content from a newspaper or magazine website
• print or copy content from a media monitoring service or PR agency
• provide any newspaper or magazine content to external contacts
• place copies of any articles on a corporate website or social media pages

You can still view or share links electronically to online news websites. Many news stories about the council or of interest to employees are now published in this way.

Share your views on our council website

As you may know, our council website www.eastlothian.gov.uk is due to be renewed in the next two years. As part of the process, the web project team has initiated a quick online survey to gather a wide range of views on the current site to help inform decisions ahead of the new version being commissioned.

Information has been shared on our council social media channels and sent directly to a wide range of partners. This includes community councils, area partnerships, tenants and residents panels, schools and parent councils, and partnership organisations.

However we want to hear from our staff so a special version of the survey is available for council colleagues. This has been developed to find out how teams currently use the website, what features work well and what could be improved in the new site. Whether you create content, share partnership information, work on the site as a web editor, gather reports submitted through 'report-it' functions, use it to find details about other services, or simply direct customers and residents to find further information, your view is important to us. The survey is quick and easy to complete and can be accessed from non-council devices.   

www.eastlothian.gov.uk/staff-website-survey  

The survey closes on 30 September. 

2024 Employee Survey – Your feedback and next steps

Thank you to the 1,058 employees who completed the 2024 Employee Survey. This represents 42% of employees who were invited to respond. Since school-based employees were last surveyed in November 2023 they will be surveyed in September. 

The results summarised here therefore only include non-school based employees. The results for every service have been shared with Service Managers who should discuss the results with their employees.

At the council level, the responses to seven of the eight questions that are asked in every survey showed more positive responses than in 2023.

Question	2023	2024
I know how my job contributes to council’s objectives	93.2%	94.5%
I am aware of the East Lothian Way	90.8%	92.2%
I am treated fairly	86.7%	87.3%
I am encouraged to offer new ideas	80.4%	84.3%
I have a manageable workload	70.4%	73.3%
Change is managed well	67.4%	67.8%
I have had a personal/ professional review in the past 12 months	55.0%	59.0%

Only one question, ‘The council is a great place to work’ had a lower positive response than in 2023; 83.1% compared to 83.8%.

The 2024 survey included 15 new questions to provide the basis for council and service self-evaluations. Eleven of these questions received over 80% positive (Strongly Agree & Agree) responses. The questions with the most positive responses were:

• I have clarity around what is expected of me in my role – 90.9%
• I work in a safe and healthy environment – 87.4%

Two questions received between 75% and 80% positive responses:

• My service responds to feedback from service users to improve how it delivers it services – 75.7%
• My line manager motivates me to achieve my best results – 78.2%

Two questions received under 75% positive responses. These were:

• When changes are made at work, I am clear about how they will work out in practice – 72.2%
• My service manages its staff in the best way to achieve the goals of the service – 71.3%

There were some variations in the responses to these questions between services.

490 employees provided comments on what the council could do differently to be more efficient or effective in how we deliver our services to meet the financial challenges we face. There are too many to provide a detailed response to them here. A summary with examples is below:  

Positive or no change required:

“At the moment we are working as effectively as possible”.

Some people made suggestions that we are already doing or plan to do as part of the Transformation programme:

“Develop and introduce digital forms, this would save time and effort and therefore make staff tasks more efficient”

“Close unnecessary buildings”

“Better data sharing between teams”

Concern about workload and resources:

“More admin support is required within our service”

“Our team is short staffed for the area we cover, having more staff would help to alleviate the pressures”

“Difficult to see how we can be more efficient short of recruiting more staff”

Improved engagement internally is needed:

“Communication needs to be better”

“Timely and well communicated decision-making”

The results/comments have been shared with senior management, and the Transformation team. They will consider what suggestions can be acted on now, or can be added to the list of ideas that are being considered for inclusion on the Transformation programme.

The Council Management Team recognises the concerns raised about workload and the need to improve engagement. The Council Plan is being re-prioritised to target resources to new priorities in order to manage council resources more effectively. Consideration is being given to how to support all managers to communicate more effectively with employees in order to reduce uncertainty about the impact of budget decisions, what is happening with service and staffing reviews, and inevitable change that is required to meet the challenges faced by the council and its employees.

If you want any further information on the survey and actions being taken in response to the issues and concerns raised by employees contact: Rebecca Grangeret, Organisational Development Manager

Read the 2024 consultation results

 

UNCRC: what does it mean for East Lothian Council?

16 July was an historic moment for Scotland’s children and young people – it marks the introduction of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) into Scots Law.

The UNCRC is underpinned by four general principles, all of which are reflected throughout the specific articles of the Convention:

• Children should not be discriminated against
• The best interests of the child should be a primary consideration
• Children have rights to life, survival and development
• Children’s views should be given due weight and consideration

UNCRC Champions

A UNCRC working group has been in place in the Council since September 2022. It is chaired by the Executive Director for Education and Children’s Services Lesley Brown and includes representatives from all service areas. Members of the working group act as UNCRC ‘Champions’ and provide support and advice to their service areas. Discussions have included how to identify and meet training and support needs, how we best learn from actions taken in other council areas or individual service plans, and how these relate and impact to new and existing Council-wide corporate plans.

There has been some great work carried out already within areas of the council. For example, schools have been on a children’s rights journey for a number of years with many achieving accreditation from Unicef for their work and the recent Joint Inspection of Children and young people at risk of harm commented on how well children’s rights are embedded in our work across the Children’s Strategic Partnership.  Many services already work to include children and young people’s views in the actions they take, allowing a range of communication methods to suit individual needs. Work to review, strengthen and improve these methods is already underway. 

Resources for staff

As UNCRC continues to be embedded across Scotland we will be sharing examples of good practice with teams to make it easier to understand what Children’s Rights means for departments. You can view materials from our intranet and we will continue to add to this resource. On the Intranet homepage visit U on the A-Z of council services (UNCRC) or C (Children's Rights). 

If you’re interested in the work of East Lothian Council’s UNCRC champions, please contact your service's UNCRC Champion, which is available from the UNCRC intranet section.

Council nominated in first ever Corporate Parenting Awards

James Coutts, Service Manager - Community Housing and Homelessness, was shortlisted in the first ever Corporate Parenting Awards under the ‘Equality, Respect & Love’ award category.  In addition, our Education Service was also shortlisted in the ‘Outstanding Educational Practice’ category.

James’ nomination was submitted by the East Lothian Champions Board. Keith Ward from WhoCares? Scotland.

James’ approach is personal and genuine. He makes a concerted effort to connect with group members beyond the formalities of his role, fostering trust and respect. His commitment is evident as he is always the first to sign up for group events, such as update meetings and Christmas meals.

It is a bit humbling to be nominated by the Champs Board and I would like to extend my thanks to them for the nomination and being more amazing than I can ever be.  It is one of the most rewarding aspects of my job to hear about the experiences of those who are in or have come through the care system and see their drive to improve things and in turn to be able to positively change the way our service interacts with those who are care-experienced.  Of course, none of this would be possible without the efforts of my staff who support me in our commitment to help those with care experience in their housing journey, both practically and with real compassion and care - James Coutts

Recently, James with help from his team collaborated with the group to create a resource for first-time council tenants, both physical and digital, called “First Steps.” This resource aims to provide essential information and support, particularly for Care Experienced young people transitioning to independent living. James has kept the group updated on the project’s progress and continues to seek their input.

James also champions a trauma-informed approach, making related training mandatory for all staff in his service area. This ensures that Care Experienced young people receive supportive and understanding engagement from housing staff. Additionally, he has established dedicated points of contact within his service area for Care Experienced individuals, promoting a more personalized and consistent service.

James’ dedication extends to participating in residential visits, such as a camp on Skye, where his presence had a profound positive impact on the attendees. His efforts to increase housing options and resources for Care Experienced people in East Lothian are unwavering.

Members of the Champions Board describe James as “kind, inspirational, and amazing,” highlighting his investment, diligence, and reliability. His compassionate and honest nature makes him a true champion for Care Experienced young people in East Lothian.

The Awards ceremony was held on 22 August and sadly, neither James nor our Education Service won in their respective categories.  Their nominations, however, are testament to their positive and progressive Corporate Parenting practice recognising the key role that East Lothian Council can play in the lives of care-experienced people.

New play areas web pages launched

A new area has been created on our website to showcase council managed play areas across the county and the range of opportunities for active and imaginative play. 

The pages www.eastlothian.gov.uk/play-areas have been created to provide details on current play areas as well as the types of experiences and play equipment we are aiming for across East Lothian. Play areas are designed to cater to a wide range of ages and abilities, with a strong emphasis on accessibility and inclusion.

The council recently approved the East Lothian Play Sufficiency Assessment (PSA) of our formal and informal play spaces  – a duty under Scotland’s new Planning legislation. The work was undertaken by Play Scotland, and identified key positive aspects, key development findings, and recommendations for our play areas.

This, along with support from ELPA (East Lothian Play Association), has enabled us to improve our consultation and engagement processes for new and renewed play areas and to amend our specification briefs for new play areas, particularly to improve inclusion and accessibility.

Current play area projects

Current play area projects with these new processes in place are:

• Renewal of Muirpark Play Area at Ormiston Road, Tranent – play area renewal currently underway and being installed by the Play Squad. It will include more inclusive and accessible play equipment including more rubber wetpour surfacing which is fully accessible to all abilities, funded by Scottish Government Play Parks Renewal Funding
• Renewal of Lauderdale Park Play Area, Dunbar - installation work will begin later this year dunded by the Scottish Play Parks Renewal Funding. Installation will be carried by an external company due to its size & scale
• Enhancement of Gullane Play Area, Memorial Park in Gullane – also in preparation and coming soon, hopefully later this year. This will be installed by the Play Squad, funded by Section 75 developer contributions after considerable ongoing public consultation work led by Steve Wands and Michael Campbell, Club & Community Sport Development Officer

“It's been great to see community led Play Area ‘design briefs’ arising from these consultations and this in combination with the Play Sufficiency Assessment findings, is resulting in fun, engaging, accessible, inclusive and accessible Play Areas that meet local aspirations.”  -Stephen Wands

Further works will be coming forward next year subject to available Scottish Government Play Parks Renewal Funding

Feedback

The team would welcome any comments or suggestions you would like to make on their web pages and suggestions for improvement. Contact Steve Wands to share your views.

Meet the Amenity Services Play Squad

Updated East Lothian Way

Recently the Council Management Team approved a revised version of the East Lothian Way. You can now access this on the intranet directly from the home page.

What is the East Lothian Way?

The East Lothian Way describes the values and behaviours that as employees we are actively encouraged to demonstrate.

What changes have been made?

Recognising that we work with a wide range of people in the community and our commitment to being Trauma Informed and Responsive, one of the key behaviours is now Person-Centred: "We put our customers and the people we work with at the heart of everything we do."

People managers

Leadership behaviours for people managers are also included. Managers play a significant role in influencing our wellbeing and effectiveness. It is important managers know what is expected of them in this role. An example is below.

How does this help me?

The East Lothian Way helps us to be clear about what behaviours are expected of us and our managers at work.  This is particularly helpful for new employees and managers. 

It is also a guide for us all (no matter how long we have been in East Lothian Council) about what behaviours help us to work effectively together and to give positive feedback to colleagues. 

Sometimes we may be having difficulties with colleagues or our manager. If we know what is acceptable and what is not, it makes it easier to raise issues or give feedback before they become more significant or harder to resolve.

Further information

CONTACT INFORMATION

Celebrating 30 years of community engagement with Port Seton Centre

Port Seton Centre was officially opened on the 26th August 1994 by local artist John Bellany. The Centre has been at the heart of the community for 30 years with many families having fond memories of their time in the Funshine Club (Kids holiday programme), tea dances and other activities. As time has passed centre has become a hive of activity for those looking to take part in their community. Many clubs/groups have come and gone from the centre but many of the faces remain the same. Eileen Brown, Community Development Assistant has worked in the Centre since it opened and alongside other staff and the Centre’s Management Committee, has been at the heart of planning the 30th celebration.

The programme of celebratory events took place over the last weeks including football tournaments, tea dance (pictured above) a ceilidh for the community, a special stay and play session for young families and a huge 30th celebration including local singers, the Port Seton Community Choir and bringing faces old and new back to the centre to celebrate the occasion.  In addition, the Museum Service collaborated with Cockenzie and Port Seton Community Council to install a painting from the museum collection in the centre café of the harbour in Cockenzie.

Along with supporting the work of Port Seton Centre, the Management Committee support the local community through giving out small grants to local groups and organisations.

Over the years Port Seton Centre Management Committee have listened to the community and helped facilitate many groups, activities, and resources at Port Seton Centre. Recently some of these groups are a Stay and Play for Neurodiverse children, an ASN youth group for Neurodiverse children, an adults dance exercise class, supporting the setup of a female walking football group, and running a community art group to name but a few. 

In the years to come, Port Seton Centre Management Committee is aiming to take on the lease of more areas of the community centre and support the community in the best way possible.

Forged By The Sea - Artists, Swimmers, Friends

Substance Use Recovery Cafes

On Tuesday 20 August, the National Records of Scotland released their annual statistics report on drug-related deaths for 2023.  For East Lothian 20 deaths were recorded.  Each of these deaths represents a tragic loss of life, and our condolences go out to the families and friends involved.

Recovery Cafes

Knowing that vulnerable individuals are often hesitant to contact ‘official’ services, peer support workers meet individuals through peer group meetings and recovery cafes.  There are a number of these that take place every week across East Lothian: 

SMART Meetings are held:

• Monday 5:15pm-6:30pm at the Volunteer Centre, Tranent
• Wednesday 9:30am-10:30am at Loretto Community Hall
• Friday 11.30am-12.30pm at the Esk Centre, Musselburgh

Recovery Cafes / Peer Support Groups are held:

• Starfish Café in Musselburgh – Wednesday 9.30am-11am at Lady of Loretto Community Hall
• Fa’side Café in Tranent – Friday 2pm-4pm at the Volunteer Centre
• Starfish at the Lighthouse Café in Prestonpans – Thursday 1pm-3pm
• Tuesday Chums at the Nungate Community Centre, Haddington, on Tuesday 1pm-3pm
• The Ridge Café – Friday 12pm-2pm at the The Ridge, Dunbar

Substance Use Contact Service

The Contact Service provides a direct point of contact for all substance use related services.

By calling or texting 07843 339 958, individuals, concerned family members or friends can engage in a confidential, trauma informed, person centred conversation focused on addressing their concerns and needs. From there the individual or caller will be directed to the most appropriate service or combination of services to gain appropriate support.

The Contact Service is available:

• Monday to Friday 9am-9pm
• plus there is a 24/hr messaging service

Further information

More information can be found at www.meldap-recovery.co.uk or www.facebook.com/meldap.

Midweek Movies and Event Screenings return to Musselburgh

From blockbuster hits to indie gems and exhilarating live performances – The Brunton’s line-up at Loretto Theatre, promises to deliver unforgettable cinematic experiences. With Loretto’s big screen and comfy raked seating, the cosy venue within the school grounds continues to host The Brunton’s film programme in Musselburgh.

Royal Ballet and Opera live streams bring the best of the West End opera and ballet to the big screen Loretto Theatre. The Royal Opera’s Marriage of Figaro is on Tuesday 10 September. Join the Almaviva household for an uproarious day of revelation and scandal at Figaro’s wedding. Mozart's comic opera is packed with plot twists, forbidden desires, and unforgettable melodies, combining laugh-out-loud comedy with moments of breath-taking beauty.

Sumptuous ballet, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, is on Tuesday 15 October. At a garden party on a sunny afternoon, Alice is surprised to see her parents’ friend Lewis Carroll transform into a white rabbit. When she follows him down a rabbit hole, events become curiouser and curiouser. Journey through Wonderland with Alice and encounter a host of curious characters in Christopher Wheeldon’s unique theatrical interpretation.

Jodie Comer (Killing Eve) is back on screen with an encore of National Theatre Live’s Prima Facie on Wednesday 18 September. Tessa is a young, brilliant barrister. She has worked her way up from working class origins to be at the top of her game; defending, cross examining and winning. An unexpected event forces her to confront the lines where the patriarchal power of the law, burden of proof and morals diverge. Prima Facie takes us to the heart of where emotion and experience collide with the rules of the game.

Written by Suzie Miller, Justin Martin directs Jodie Comer in this solo tour de force, captured live in 2022 during a sold out run at the Harold Pinter Theatre in London’s West End. 

National Theatre Live – Present Laughter, Noël Coward’s provocative comedy featuring Andrew Scott (Vanya, Fleabag) returns to the big screen on Wednesday 25 September. As he prepares to embark on an overseas tour, star actor Garry Essendine’s colourful life is in danger of spiralling out of control. Engulfed by an escalating identity crisis as his many and various relationships compete for his attention, Garry’s few remaining days at home are a chaotic whirlwind of love, sex, panic, and soul-searching.

Filmed live from The Old Vic in London during a sold out run in 2019, Matthew Warchus (Matilda The Musical) directs this giddy and surprisingly modern reflection on fame, desire and loneliness.

The Midweek Movies programme features new releases with updates regularly posted on The Brunton’s website and social media channels.

Wednesday 4 September’s movie is Thelma. When 93-year-old Thelma Post gets duped by a phone scammer pretending to be her grandson, she sets out on a treacherous quest across the city to reclaim what was taken from her. Starring June Squib in this feel-good comedy drama.

Blake Lively, Justin Baldony and Jenny Slate star in It Ends With Us, the movie on Wednesday 11 September. Adapted from the Colleen Hoover novel, Lily overcomes a traumatic childhood to embark on a new life. A chance meeting with a neurosurgeon sparks a connection but Lily begins to see sides of him that remind her of her parents' relationship.

More midweek movies will be announced soon. Tickets are available from www.thebrunton.co.uk or by calling 0131 653 5245.

Wild Heart – Zaneta Threlfall's wildlife photography

A wildlife photography exhibition showcasing the work of award-winning local Polish photographer Zaneta Threlfall has opened in the John Gray Centre Museum.

Zan was born in Poland but her heart is firmly rooted in Scotland. From her early days of exploring photography to her current status as an award-winning photographer, Zan’s passion is reflected in every photograph. Her dedication has led her to volunteer for numerous wildlife charities and graduate with a master’s degree in Wildlife, Biology, and Conservation.

Alongside her popular exhibitions, Zan’s other achievements include being featured in national and international newspapers and magazines, and providing talks about her craft to a variety of clubs and societies.

This exhibition runs until Saturday 21 September

John Gray Centre Museum, Lodge Street, Haddington

Open Thursdays and Fridays 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 5pm. Saturdays 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 4pm

Macmillan coffee morning 1 October

Children's Services is holding a coffee morning on Tuesday 1 October in John Muir House.

All colleagues are welcome to come along to the Saltire Rooms for a drink, cake, to join the raffle, guess how many sweets are in the cauldron and have a blether! All of the money raised will go to Macmillan Cancer Support to make a difference for people facing cancer. 

Tuesday 1 October

10.30am-11.30am

Saltire Rooms, John Muir House, Haddington

The organisers have set up a JustGiving page for direct donations on the day or if people are not able to make it and who would like to support this worthy cause: https://www.justgiving.com/CM24063635

Meet Mandy!

Mandy Thomson works with the Customer Services team as a Contact Centre Advisor, originally hailing from Port Seton, she now lives in Dunbar.  Mandy has been with the team for two years now and “loves it”.  Her day-to-day duties with the team are focussed on helping callers with a diverse range of enquiries. 

Mandy is also a professional artist and exhibits her work at Dukes of West Barns.  Working from her home studio (which she built with her husband during lockdown) she paints in oils and inks, focusing on the drama of the ever-changing sea and sky, our connection with them and the emotions they bring. 

A keen open-water swimmer, she swims daily and through her morning swims, she has connected with two other local artists, Catriona Simpson and Jo Lee.  These three women have encouraged each other in their art and dreamt about how they could collaborate and support one another.

For the first time they will be exhibiting together and selling their work at a pop up exhibition ‘Forged by the Sea’

Mandy is offering 10% off to ELC badge-holders

Follow this link for more information about the exhibition.

For more about Mandy’s art visit www.mandythomson.com

Meet the Amenity Services Play Squad!

Colin, Gary and Blair look after the 121 play areas across East Lothian which are owned and managed by the council. 

As well as maintaining all of our much-loved play areas, Colin and Gary are both RPII qualified (Register of Play Inspectors International), so are qualified to inspect them too. This is Gary’s main role – inspection and day to day maintenance, ensuring all our play equipment remains fit for purpose and continues to meet standards.

Colin oversees the squad’s work but also leads on installing new play areas and renewing existing ones. Installation work is generally a two-person job, so Blair predominantly be assists Colin with this work. This is very skilled and precision work, to ensure new play equipment is correctly installed and meets all standards. The fantastic and popular play areas the squad has installed over the years [including the one in Neilson Park where the photo was taken], with a range of exciting, challenging, inclusive and varied play equipment, is testament to the skills and dedication of this excellent small team.

"I have been Head Operative for the Play Squad for 15 years now and have enjoyed the job a lot, I find it very rewarding particularly when we building new parks. This  job can bring its challenges and a lot of problem solving but I enjoy that as we like to learn new skills and it gives us a greater sense of achievement." - Colin Shearer

Gary enjoys this line of work as it allows him to work all around the county and not having to work in one place, being a trained mechanic it allows him to use his skills making and repairing play equipment and keeping the parks safe.

Blair has recently started but enjoys learning new skills and the knowledge required to build and maintain the parks.

Stephen Wands (pictured far left), Club and Community Sports Development Officer, is also working for part of his time on play areas currently, with a focus on the public consultation and engagement for renewal projects. Steve has considerable experience through his role with the Active Business Unit, where he is heavily involved with delivery of sport and recreation projects including Pump Tracks development. He has recently led on the development of the new play areas web pages.

New play areas web pages launched

Well done Alison!

A massive congratulations to Alison Lynch, Senior Practitioner in Justice Social Work, who has just taken the title of World Champion in the Master 4, Rooster Division at the World Master IBJJF Brazilian Ju-Jitsu Championships in Las Vegas.  This title makes her the first ever Scottish IBJFF female world champion.

Ciara Webb, Alison's line manager said "I'm so proud of her"

Speaking about  her win, Alison said "Dreams do come true. I've dedicated myself to this for so long and I'm proud that all my hard work came together on the day."

Team to tackle Loch Ness to raise funds for adoptive families

Members of our Adoption and Kinship Team are lacing up their trainers and preparing to take on the Loch Ness Marathon on 29 September this year to raise money for Adoption UK Scotland.

Adoption UK Scotland provides a range of services throughout Scotland and work to get the right support at the right time, from childhood into adulthood, for everyone who can't grow up in their birth families. 

Our Adoption and Kinship Care Team Leader Robyn Elliot and Senior Practitioner Ian Burdett will be joined by local adopters Matt and Tessa to take on the scenic point-to-point route alongside Loch Ness, finishing in Inverness.

Robyn says: I’m not sure what I have let myself in for, but I’m reminding myself that it’s for a really good cause and monies raised will go towards supporting our adoptive families.

Adoption UK Scotland works to connect people across the adoption community, support adopters and adoptees, and work with them to influence the decisions that affect their lives. In the past, fundraising has helped to subsidise events such as a weekend residential event at Wiston Lodge, as well as other family events.

As an adopter, Matt finds such events very useful, saying: "When East Lothian Council reached out asking if anyone wanted to run this marathon, I jumped at the chance. Having not run a marathon since adopting it was a great excuse to get back into it. Also, after adopting our daughter just over four years ago, Adoption UK and East Lothian Council arranged events has been a great opportunity for us and our daughter to meet other adopters and find others we can share with." Tessa agrees, adding: "Adoption UK have been hugely supportive though out our adoption journey so I am delighted to be running my first marathon for this worthy cause."

Sponsor Ian, Robyn, Matt and Tessa as part of Adoption UK Scotland’s team through Justgiving and make a difference for adoptive families:

Tell us about the changes you’re seeing to East Lothian’s climate

Climate Ready South East Scotland is a new project to assess how our region could be affected by climate change and what we should do to prepare. We want to hear your stories of how extreme weather, and our changing climate, are affecting the communities and places you work with, and your ability to deliver essential services.

We need your help to find out about changes you are seeing, and your ideas for how best to increase resilience to support East Lothian’s people and places as the climate changes.

 

Add your experiences to our story map (it takes 2 minutes):

• Have changes in the weather affected you or the people and places you work with?
• Have you noticed impacts from storms, flooding, drought, and changing seasons?
• Can communities cope? What about the infrastructure, public services, and businesses we rely on?
• What would you like to see done in East Lothian to make it more resilient for the future?

 

To add your story go to: https://climatereadyses.commonplace.is/

Find out more: https://climatereadyses.org.uk/’

Tackling East Lothian’s nature emergency

East Lothian Councillors have been updated on the significant actions taken to protect and enhance biodiversity and restore natural habitats following the declaration of a Nature Emergency last year.

In October 2023, the council unanimously approved a motion recognising the decline in biodiversity and the impact of climate change on wildlife. Councillors requested an update on the progress and the development of an East Lothian Biodiversity Action Plan.

Collaborative Efforts

At the recent full Council meeting on August 27, several key initiatives were highlighted:

• Levenhall Links, Musselburgh: Completion of nature restoration work has created a wetland habitat supporting wading birds, with over 10,000 trees planted on the former power station ash lagoons site
• Coastal Habitats: Grassland restoration and the removal of Sea Buckthorn from Aberlady Bay, Gullane Bents, and Yellowcraig have helped restore dunes in these areas. These efforts were led by East Lothian Countryside Rangers and volunteers
• Urban Greenspaces: Expansion of meadow and grassland areas in parks to support pollinators as part of the Nature Networks project
• Funding: Secured external funding to support projects beyond council budgets
• Partnerships: The success of these initiatives is attributed to the support and commitment of external partners and volunteers

Maximising Benefits

The council has a legal duty to report on its biodiversity conservation actions and has published various strategies related to open and natural spaces, biodiversity, and climate change commitments. These strategies are aligned to deliver maximum benefits, ensuring East Lothian contributes to international and national efforts to protect and restore nature, tackle climate change, and reduce its impacts.

Find out more 

Find out more about Biodiversity and Nature Networks from our website

The Brunton’s Feedback Survey - Please share your views!

Brunton Theatre Trust would love to know what kind of events you would like to attend and where. It doesn’t matter if you haven’t been to one of their events before – they would like to hear from you.

The short survey runs until mid October and you have the option to be entered into a draw to win 2 tickets to a show at one of The Brunton’s venues.

In March 2023 Brunton Theatre Trust, operating as The Brunton, was hit by devastating news that its performance spaces which sit within the larger Brunton Hall building, had to shut with immediate effect for structural surveys. However, the programme of events was not cancelled. The Brunton team quickly sourced alternative venues in Musselburgh and Haddington and successfully transferred events.

The Brunton continues to programme events and activities into other venues in East Lothian, and would like to find out your views on what you would like to see, where and when.

Please complete the survey here

East Lothian Partnership unveils new four-year poverty plan

The East Lothian Partnership has launched an ambitious plan to tackle poverty across the county, approved at a full Council meeting on August 27, 2024.

Understanding Poverty

The meeting heard that poverty is more than just a lack of money, it’s a complex issue that affects health, wellbeing, and limits people’s choices. The Partnership, which includes East Lothian Council, NHS Lothian, Police Scotland, Scottish Fire & Rescue Service, charity organizations, and education providers, aims to address these challenges head-on. The updated plan for 2024-2028 was shaped by a year-long engagement process. This included online surveys, focus groups, and consultations with various community groups, including young people and those affected by gender, disability, and childcare issues. The feedback highlighted the significant impact of poverty on residents’ wellbeing, confidence, and sense of worth.

Key Objectives

Aligned with the Scottish Government’s goals, the plan focuses on increasing income and building resilient communities.

Key priorities include:

• Ensuring a supply of good quality, fairly paid jobs and supporting people to gain necessary skills and training
• Helping residents claim the income they are entitled to and providing support with the cost of living
• Ensuring access to housing, healthcare, quality food, and a supportive community, with a preventative approach to homelessness, hunger, and health inequalities
• Preparing communities for the impacts of climate change through preventative action

Service Delivery

The plan emphasizes the importance of how services are delivered. This includes understanding the impacts of poverty, offering approachable and dignified services, and recognizing the effects of trauma. Strong partnership working is crucial, with a commitment to finding tailored solutions for East Lothian’s communities.

Find out more about the East Lothian Partnership.

Microsoft 365 Skills Hub

In partnership with NHS Education Scotland, we are pleased to announce the release of a new Microsoft 365 learning resource which is available to all Corporate staff from Tuesday 17 September.

The 365 Skills Hub offers a wide range of online learning and training on M365 and is being rolled out across other local authorities and Health and Social Care Partnerships.  

What are the 365 Skills Hub key features?

• Self-paced guided learning modules from Microsoft along with tailored and custom guidance for M365 users. You can review entire modules on an app or just the bits you're interested in e.g. a particular feature.
• Watch recorded training sessions covering different app within M365.
• Sign up for future live training sessions.
• Learn about the recent features seen across M365.
• Sign up from a monthly roundup email newsletter for a summary of what's new in the hub and upcoming training opportunities.  

How do I access it?     

To access the Hub, you must have the Microsoft Authenticator app installed on your mobile phone in order to verify your identity. 

Follow this step by step instruction guide which explains how to request access to the hub via a link, how to set up the Microsoft Authenticator app, and how to access and bookmark the Hub.

Once you've gained access, please refer to the guidance document on using the Hub, as shared in the recent email alert.  

What if I have trouble accessing it? 

In the first instance, please contact your local M365 Champion who may be able to help as many Champions have already set up their access to the Hub.

If your issue persists then please email Maria Botha-Lopez (maria.botha-lopez@nhs.scot) from NHS Scotland to request support.

PEEP information session

East Lothian Council has been offered spots on the PEEP training course through the Scottish Government’s Learning Together Program as part of the Whole Family Wellbeing Fund.

PEEP groups and Stay and Play sessions are a time for young children, parents, carers and practitioners to have fun playing, talking, singing, and sharing books and stories. We share ideas for quick and easy activities to try at home, and info about how these things help your child's development and give them a flying start. Peep groups are a great opportunity to get to know other families, and to share some of the ups and downs of life with small children.

Find out more by watching the 'what is peep' video which is available to watch online.

UK charity Peeple is offering an opportunity to all services who are interested in receiving funded Peep training/accreditation.   

Peeple will be running an information session for managers to provide a full overview of who the organisation is and what its programmes and accreditation entails. There will be opportunities to ask questions. This is a great opportunity for strategic leads of services who may be undecided whether they should get involved, or those that are keen but aren’t really sure in the potential reach and would like ideas. It will also support with creating a sustainable model as there will be an overview of expectations from staff trained too.

There are still funded spaces on Learning Together Programme (LTP) training and very limited spaces on Antenatal training. Only a limited number of funded places are available to early years staff, please get in touch for further information 

The info session will be on 10 October 2024, 1pm to 2.30pm

You can access the information session here

Further information about Peeple and the training that they can provide can be found here.

Lunchtime Learning - Community Wealth Building

Staff are encouraged to join Lunchtime Learning on Community Wealth Building – a cross-cutting theme for our Council

East Lothian Council joins an increasing number of local authorities across Scotland adopting Community Wealth Building. It places the community and environment at the heart of economic development and as such is relevant to all departments. Staff are encouraged to attend a Lunchtime Learning session which will provide an overview and discuss adoption of Community Wealth Building into work practices.

Sessions will run on from 12:30 to 2pm on Teams on:

• Wed 11 Sept
• Wed 25 Sept
• Wed 9 Oct

To book, or for further information please contact cwb@eastlothian.gov.uk

Improve your Excel skills for free with Edinburgh College

 

Edinburgh College in Partnership with East Lothian Council are delighted to offer Excel Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced Courses. These courses are designed to improve your excel skills, with funded places offered through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and Multiply Programme.

This free course will introduce learners to gain a range of practical skills and acquire relevant underpinning knowledge, learn how to create visualisations such as graphs and charts from data and interpret their meanings. They will learn the foundational understanding of Excel that is necessary to create and work electronical spreadsheets organise, calculate, analyse, revise, update and present data in a numerical and visual form. Learners will also learn the power of data analysis and presentation and explore issues relating to data security and data bias to make informed, intelligent organisational decisions. All courses will be delivered in the evenings at Milton Road campus. Course Levels: Introduction to Excel Beginners and Excel Intermediate/Advanced.

	September	October	December	January	March	Time	Location
Excel Beginners	12.09.24	10.10.24	03.12.24	07.01.25	04.03.25	6-9pm	Milton Road Campus
Excel Intermediate/ Advanced	26.09.24	22.10.24	10.12.24	21.01.25	18.03.25	6-9pm	Milton Road Campus

Please note: these courses are not run by ELC Organisational Development.

If you have any questions or would like to learn more about these courses before applying, please email Jade Villa at Edinburgh College.