 VE Day
Friday 8 May 2020 marks the 75th Anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day.
Our Council will be flying the Armed Forces flag to mark the day. All social media posts from the Council on Friday will be dedicated to VE Day.
Our Council’s Armed Forces Champion, Cllr Archie Dryburgh will be leading a special, virtual service for the 75th Anniversary. This service will be promoted through our council’s media channels and will also be available to watch online afterwards.
Business Support Fund
Our Council is supporting those impacted most by COVID-19. As a result, some of our services have had to make changes in the way they used to work to make sure that we are providing the support that they need.
A great example of this are the new, back-office efficiencies being rolled out to support the Business Support Fund. Very quickly, the team created an online version of the ‘printable’ form that was received from the Scottish Government so that it could be completed through the Council’s website along with any relevant supporting evidence.
The benefit to the public is that this is an online form and can be submitted with evidence direct to the council. This has tested internal systems as the volumes are way in excess of anything of this type in the past. Being electronic has allowed us to process applications quickly when all the information needed has been supplied.
The initial work form is now being developed into a web form and further automation of loading emails into our back office system is being progressed, this improved automation will be something we continue to use once for multiple areas of our business once we get back to ‘business as usual’.
Our first live community Q+A – community support
We are hosting a series of public online Q&A events focused on Community Support, Business Support and Children, Young People and Parents.
Based on the success of our staff sessions, our first live Community Support event for members of the public is on Tuesday 5 May at 7pm.
The topic for this event is “Support for citizens and communities affected by COVID-19”.
For these events we will have staff from the Council, and our partners where appropriate, answering questions. If you have a question about this topic you can submit it advance by 9am on Tuesday 5 May and can do so anonymously if you wish.
To register for this event, to ask a question in advance, or for more info please see https://supportdg.dumgal.gov.uk/article/20850/Chat-with-us-on-Community-Support
We will also make a video of the event available afterwards for anyone unable to take part when it is live.
 Supporting staff during Ramadan
Ramadan is the holiest month of the year for Muslims and this year it began on the 23/24 April and will last until 23/24 May. During this time Muslims around the world fast between dawn and sunset which is compulsory for all healthy adult Muslims, they must abstain from eating or drinking for the duration of their fast. Young children, pregnant women, the elderly and the sick are exempt from fasting.
The NHS Muslim Network and the British Islamic Medical Association have shared some top tips on how to support our colleagues and communities throughout the month of Ramadan.
The advice below will be helpful to those who find themselves supporting our local communities who may be fasting.
- Do not make assumptions about who may be observing Ramadan – Islam is a faith that welcomes people of all races and backgrounds.
- Observing Ramadan may not be noticeable so make it easy for your team members to let you know if they are fasting.
- If you manage a member of staff who will be observing Ramadan, ensure that you have some one-to-one time to discuss any workplace adjustments that can be considered.
- Dignity and respect from all staff is helpful and expected. Be aware that fasting colleagues will not even be drinking any fluid (including water) and they may therefore feel less energetic and even less inclined to join in office conversations on occasions – don’t take it personally and ensure communication can be made in other ways where possible.
- If members of the team observing Ramadan feel comfortable doing so, encourage them to give short presentations and encourage normal discussions about Ramadan and how the team can best support them.
- Colleagues who are fasting will not expect others, who are not observing Ramadan to do the same, so please don’t feel anxious about making a cup of tea for the team or eating your lunch. However, please be sensitive by not continually offering them a piece of cake!
- You may find that some staff request up two weeks annual leave towards the end of Ramadan to help focus on and intensify their acts of worship. This should be treated as any other annual leave request, therefore managers using their judgment to ensure that negative impact on the team and service delivery is mitigated against, but should try and accommodate as fully as possible.
- Please ensure staff have reasonable time during the day to complete prayers and an appropriate space is allocated for this purpose. With the additional pressure on staff due to COVID-19, staff may have to vary their times for daily prayers and, hence it is important that staff are provided with a permanent place for prayer.
- Those who are fasting should drink lots of water throughout the period when they are not fasting to keep hydrated to avoid headaches and tiredness.
Anyone who is not well (COVID-19 related or generally) or pregnant, should consider the concession provided by the religion whereby these groups are excused from fasting. Seek medical advice if you are unsure. The missed fasts can be made up at a later date in the year once you feel capable.
 Use of face covering
You may have heard or read information in the media recently about face coverings. The Scottish Government has issued the following information in relation to the use of face coverings:
Physical distancing, hand washing and respiratory hygiene, are the most important and effective measures we can all adopt to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Therefore the wearing of facial coverings must not be used as an alternative to any of these other precautions.
- By face coverings we do not mean the wearing of a surgical or other medical grade mask but a facial covering of the mouth and nose, that is made of cloth or other textiles and through which you can breathe, for example a scarf.
- There may be some benefit in wearing a facial covering when you leave the house and enter enclosed spaces, especially where physical distancing is more difficult and where there is a risk of close contact with multiple people you do not usually meet
- Examples include, traveling on public transport or entering a food shop where it is not always possible to maintain a 2 metre distance from another customer.
- When applying or removing the covering, it is important that you wash your hands first and avoid touching your face. After each use, you must wash the face covering at 60 degrees centigrade or dispose of safely. Face coverings should not be used for children under the age of two years.
The Scottish Government is recommending that you consider using face coverings in the limited circumstances described above as a precautionary measure.
Dealing with the media during COVID-19
We know that journalists and looking for lots of stories relating to COVID-19 at the moment especially ones that feature our staff delivering vital frontline services.
We know that many of our staff are carrying out different roles at this time, so a journalist may get in contact and ask you some questions or want to come and take photos.
If you are approached by a member of the media, please tell them they must get in touch with the Communications Unit in the first instance
Communications Unit – 01387 260331
We want to hear from you
We are wanting to hear from staff about your COVID-19 experience at work. We are looking for some accounts from our staff that we can use to showcase the brilliant work that our services are doing to make sure that we are still providing for local people.
- Has your job changed?
- Have you been deployed to a new role during the pandemic?
- Are you working from home?
- Has your working day changed completely?
- Are you juggling childcare and work in your own home?
- Is there anything you are really enjoying about your new role?
- Is there anything you miss about what you used to do?
We are looking for staff to send us a few lines about their working experience during COVID-19. If you would like to share information about you working day, please send it to CV19comms@dumgal.gov.uk
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