Issue #55, Tuesday 23 May 2023
Welcome to Your News! This week, you can read about what's coming up with the Big Spring Clean this week, the next Oracle Cloud webinar, our upcoming Windrush Festival, and much more!
 Oracle Cloud will replace SAP in September, but do you know how it will benefit you and what Oracle will look like?
Come along to the Oracle Cloud & You webinars (20 minute Teams sessions) to see a demo of the system and to hear about how we aim to improve your day-to-day self-service experience.
Over the next few weeks, the webinars will explore various topics, from booking your leave to paying invoices. They will be delivered in Plain English with opportunities for Q&A. So, there is something for everyone!
The next session taking place this Thursday 25 May 'Goodbye SAP, Hello Oracle Cloud' will be a demo of the Oracle Cloud system and you can hear about how your day-to-day self-service experience will be changing.
Oracle Cloud will also replace ProContract in September helping to improve the Council’s procurement ‘source to pay’ process. But do you know how this will affect your suppliers?
Over the coming weeks, we will be contacting all suppliers to inform them of the Council’s move from SAP to Oracle Cloud and what this will mean for them. Read more on our Oracle Cloud SharePoint site which will help you answer any questions that you may get from your suppliers.
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Our Big Spring Clean is underway and today (Tuesday) is Facilities Day!
You'll find boxes of stickers in your area (see pic for what they look like) which you can use to let our Facilities team know about things that need fixing in your area and our communal areas. Just pick up some stickers and attach them to the item/s that need fixing and the team will do the rest. Once it's been fixed they'll replace with a fixed sticker.
Tomorrow (Wednesday) is IT Day and on Thursday you can get your photo taken. Visit our intranet page for full details.
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Following the success of our first ever Windrush Festival last year, this June marks the 75th anniversary of Windrush and this year’s programme promises the very best in music, dance, food, history and art.
Fellowship Square will host a flag raising ceremony on Windrush Day on Thursday 22 June, and then host the second Waltham Forest Windrush Festival on Saturday 24 June.
Windrush 2023 celebrations will see a full programme of events and activities take place across the borough in honour of the borough's 25,000-strong Afro-Caribbean community and to commemorate the Windrush Generation’s 75th anniversary.
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If you are yet to take part in this year's satisfaction survey for the Council's internal support services, then you can still do so now.
We want to make sure we are getting things right with our internal customers, and make improvements where necessary, please share your thoughts and experiences on the Council's internal support services today.
The survey will take around 10-15 minutes to complete. All information you provide is completely confidential.
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We are pleased to announce that Mark Brickell has been appointed as the new Corporate Director of ROI on an interim 18 months basis.
Mark was the Director of Procurement where he has grown and nurtured our procurement services to be one of, if not the best, in London. One of Mark’s main priorities now will be to get the commercial programme up and running and drive value from the services we already have and look for new and exciting opportunities for income growth.
We have created an Assistant Director of Commercial Finance role to support on major capital projects. This role will be out for recruitment shortly, again on an 18 month basis, and will be open to all qualified accountants within the Council first and then potentially external candidates if needed.
Please join us in congratulating Mark on his appointment.
It is currently Foster Care Fortnight until 28 May and we are encouraging those who may be interested in becoming a foster carer to find out more!
We are a Fostering Friendly employer and offer up to five days additional annual leave at full pay per annum for any employee who is a registered foster carer.
We have 120 Foster Carers and there are 341 children in care in Waltham Forest. We urgently need many more foster carers to provide safe and loving homes for children who cannot live with their birth families.
Also, if you know someone that is interested and they are approved to become a foster carer, you will receive £250 as a referral fee.
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Thursday 20 July
9.15am-10am
All staff are invited to an exclusive tour of 'Ashish: Fall in Love and Be More Tender' at the William Morris Gallery.
Bring your team along and see the exhibition with our curators as your guide. After you have enjoyed the tour, enjoy a complimentary tea or coffee at Deeney's café.
It is the first major exhibition of fashion designer Ashish Gupta. Known for working in bold, joyful colours and creating clothes which are hand-embroidered in sequins and beads, Ashish’s designs have been worn by global icons including Beyonce, Debbie Harry, Hunter Schafer, Rihanna, Charli XCX and Taylor Swift. The exhibition also features a specially commissioned film and new photography by the artist, a rising star in fashion.
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Wednesday 31 May
9.30am-4.30pm
We are offering free family days out to Bletchley Park, once the top-secret home of the World War Two Codebreakers.
This free trip will include:
- Return coach travel from central Walthamstow
- Entry to Bletchley Park
- Packed lunch
- Family activities & games
It is aimed at families across the borough and staff who are residents are welcome. Your group must have at least one adult and one child. An adult can accompany up to two children and all children must be aged 7 or over.
To book your place, email multiply@walthamforest.gov.uk. This trip is part of our Multiply programme, a free Skills for Life programme offering a mix of courses, training and events to help adults in the borough improve their numeracy skills.
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There are a wide range of benefits on offer for our staff with particular highlights each month ranging from savings on everyday spending, cinema tickets, restaurant meals, phone contracts and much more.
Our chosen staff benefits supplier is Sodexo and you can sign-up on their website to take advantage of these benefits at the link below.
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Calling on staff who live in Waltham Forest.
With your help, the Trading Standards Service will be checking that traders who drop calling cards for work through the door of Waltham Forest residents are trading legally and fairly.
Please forward cards/leaflets (you can take a picture and email this) touting for work to:
Sandra Bennett, sandra.bennett@walthamforest.gov.uk
Team Manager, Trading Standards
Assembly Hall, Fellowship Square, E17 4JF.
Trading Standards will not need your name or address, but we will need the WALTHAM FOREST POSTCODE of where the card was delivered.
Your wellbeing
Brain in Hand: digital self-management support system
We are working with Brain in Hand: a digital self-management support system for people who need help remembering things, making decisions, planning, or managing anxiety. It is not condition-specific, but is often used by people who are autistic or managing anxiety-related mental health challenges. Combining practical human support and simple digital tools, Brain in Hand helps people live more independently.
To refer a service user or find out more, contact Luke at LukePawlikow@braininhand.co.uk or Sabila at Sabila.Hafejee@walthamforest.gov.uk
My Possible Self App
Are you interested in tracking your moods and learning more about yourself? You can now download
the My Possible Self app
My Possible Self contains a mood tracker, visual and audio exercise to boost your mood and relax, as well as insights on your behaviours to help you do more of what you like.
To create an account on the app, first access the My Possible Self website:
http://bit.ly/MyPossibleSelfPortal
Password: SoD2021!
Please note that this app has replaced the Thrive app.
TOMORROW: Trauma Informed Care Training
Wednesday 24 May, 2pm-3pm
Online
This workshop will provide information about what trauma is, how it effects health, and will demonstrate how we can all create a trauma informed workplace. It is aimed at all health and care staff working across North East London.
The Wheel of Life
Dates from May-November
Online
Being overwhelmed can leave you feeling out of control and unsatisfied. This session will help you to identify appropriate work/life balance that will enhance your overall wellbeing by identifying and aligning the many facets that make up your life.
Qigong: practice of cultivating vital life-force
Dates from June-December
Online
Qi Gong is the gentle mindful movement for physical and mental relaxation. This practice helps to energise the body, release stress and increase overall feelings of wellbeing
Body wisdom
Dates from July-October
Online
This session will teach you techniques to bring relief, reduce pain and improve function around physical postures and movement. You will learn to use self-massage and breathwork to bring the body back into balance.
Learning & development
Pre-Retirement Online Seminar
Wednesday 14 June
1pm-3:30pm
Keeping your retirement plans on track can be a challenging task. this course encourages a positive and realistic approach to help you make informed choices about your retirement plans.
To sign up, please sign into the learning portal and click on this link. Click on “SSO login” and click on sign-up below or search for “Pre-Retirement Seminar”.
We have a range of training courses and learning & development opportunities available.
Please visit the link below to view.
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Jobs
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