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 Earlier this week, we partnered with Reconnect, local faith groups, and Redbridge community organisations to run an urgent donation drive to help the people of Ukraine.
Redbridge staff and residents wishing to support those impacted by the crisis in Ukraine can still donate essential items at Woodford Baptist Church. Items can be donated at Woodford Baptist Church (32 George Lane, South Woodford, E18 1LW) today between 11am - 7pm.
Please donate only good quality items from the list below:
- bedsheets and bedding
- blankets
- children's clothes
- first aid kits
- nappies
- sleeping bags
- toiletries and sanitary products.
- towels
- wet wipes
The Leader of Redbridge Council, Cllr Jas Athwal, said: "In Redbridge, we have a long and proud history of supporting those in need. This week, our communities have come together, with the support of the Council, to help the people of Ukraine as they face the horrors of war.”
For more information, read our intranet news story and external press release.
As of 22 February, we have updated our Public Health Guidance for Staff, following the Prime Minister’s announcement to end restrictions as part of the Government’s ‘Living with COVID’ plan.
We have provided guidance for working in the office, home visits, and working outdoors, as well as outlining expectations for staff, customers, and residents.
COVID-19 is still around. Enhanced cleaning arrangements and the provision of day cleaners will continue at our main sites. To minimise risk when working in the office, please:
- Clean your workstation before and after you leave
- Open windows (where practical, comfortable, and safe)
- Be considerate of your colleagues and use judgement regarding wearing face masks if it is difficult to maintain distance
Please do not come into the office if you are feeling unwell. If you have tested positive for COVID-19, do not come into work for 5 days. Staff are advised to take Lateral Flow Device (LFD) tests on day 5 and 6 with negative results before returning to work.
For more information and guidance, please visit the intranet.
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Under the Pensions Act 2008, every three years, employers in the UK must re-assess and re-enrol certain staff into a workplace Pension Scheme.
The assessment will include:
- People not in a qualifying scheme as of 1 April 2022
- People who opted out over 12 months ago
- Members utilising the LGPS’ 50-50 scheme
The assessment and subsequent enrolment into the pension scheme is an enforced statutory responsibility of your employer who cannot intervene or stop enrolment.
The assessment takes place during the April 2022 payroll, so the Payroll & Contracts team are unable to advise on individual cases prior to that date. Individuals that are affected will be notified in writing that they have been re-enrolled with guidance on what they can do next.
Additional guidance, FAQs and links to your qualifying Pension Scheme websites have been published on the intranet to help you understand the process.
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International Women’s Day falls on Tuesday 8 March 2022 and provides an important opportunity to celebrate women’s achievements while calling for greater equality. The theme this year is #BreakTheBias.
Check out graduate management trainee, Shona Galt’s, #BreakTheBias pose below, who said “To me, #BreakTheBias means doing the work to unpack my own unconscious biases and to amplify other voices that need to be heard. I try my hardest to be the best intersectional feminist possible, both at work and outside of the office.”
Redbridge Council is embracing these principles with a series of activities taking place from this Wednesday 2 March to Wednesday 16 March, with our flagship IWD event on Tuesday 8 March. Please check the Intranet calendar for more information about all our events and add them to your calendar. They are open to all Redbridge staff, so get them in your diary quick!
All events and information are also listed on the intranet.
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The Redbridge Go Green Grants Team have successfully secured almost £3,000,000 of funding for energy efficiency improvements. This means almost 300 properties in the borough will benefit from carbon zero energy saving measures.
With energy prices skyrocketing, these improvements will make a difference to our most vulnerable households. Eligible residents will need to be either owner occupiers or be privately renting, with an income of less than £30,000 per year. The property will need to be in an energy performance rating band of D-G. If you are working with residents that would meet the criteria please do encourage them to apply or contact the team for more information.
Read the Intranet News story about the Redbridge Go Green Grants Team’s amazing achievement.
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This year’s election falls on Thursday 5 May 2022. Would you like to be involved? We have some exciting and rewarding opportunities for Polling Clerks, Postal Votes Opening Assistants, Presiding Officers and Polling Station Inspectors.
The roles are all interesting but some require previous experience, so please visit the intranet for more information. Training is provided for all roles before the day.
You are not required to book leave to undertake any of these roles or training.
You will, of course, be paid for your time. The current rates are as follows but will be reviewed by London Councils:
- Poll Clerk – £233.64
- Presiding Officer – £345.67
- Postal Vote Opener – £50 (per half-day session)
An additional payment of £30 is made for attending and completing training.
If you would like to register or have any queries, please email the Staffing Elections team.
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 Connect with colleagues with the help of the comms team
If your service area needs advice and guidance on how to communicate effectively with colleagues about an upcoming campaign, event, or change project, please visit the Communications Team’s intranet area.
We’ve recently updated the internal comms section to include information about:
- the internal comms team and what we do
- each of our internal comms channels, including criteria
- design costs and updated processes
- the internal comms forward plan
Please take a look at our new, read-only Internal Comms Forward Plan to see what we have planned in the diary before you start planning your next campaign, scheduled email to a group of staff or pop-up.
Contact the internal comms team for more information and for help with maximising the impact of your internal communications.
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 Share your story with residents
Redbridge eNews is a free fortnightly e-newsletter that is sent to over 15,000 subscribers. The newsletter contains a range of information about:
- local news
- updates about changes to services
- bank holiday bin collection dates
- leisure activities and seasonal events
- consultations
Please send any content suggestions to the Redbridge eNews inbox.
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How you interact with LBR IT will be changing soon. In the next few weeks, we’ll be introducing ServiceNow IT, an all-new self-service portal.
ServiceNow IT offers a more user friendly experience, intuitive design, and a built-in knowledge base with an ever expanding library of articles to help staff with solutions to common problems. It will soon be the primary destination for all staff to log support tickets and service requests.
Stay tuned to the LBR IT Teams app (top left-hand corner of Teams) for the latest news on ServiceNow IT.
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 Ending the taboo of menopause
The menopause is still a taboo subject with a fair amount of negative stigma surrounding it. It can have physical, mental, and emotional effects, yet women (and their partners) are not prepared for this transitional period as it is not often talked about. Read Justine Clarabut’s personal journey.
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 Clear negative feelings out of your home
Negative feelings such as guilt or feeling stuck can be triggered from items around your home. Read Ingrid Fetell Lee’s helpful advice on how to spot emotional triggers. In her Ted talk, Ingrid talks about joy, and how colour has a big impact.
Ingrid’s post is part of TED’s ‘How to Be a Better Human’ series, each of which contains a piece of helpful advice.
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Our employee assistance programme is available 24hrs a day and seven days a week.
If you're struggling at the moment due to your workload and/or uncertainty about the future, our employee assistance programme can offer you support, counselling, and guidance through this emotionally difficult time.
Don’t wait for a crisis to access this support. Users of the programme have given positive feedback with comments such as: “It really helped me” to “I wish I called them earlier” and “I feel so much better now”.
This service is open to staff and their families by self referring. Call 0800 328 1437 or go to the employee assistant website (password Redbridge).
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