Hi everyone, I hope you are well.

I’m sure you watched – or are at least aware of – the Prime Minister’s address to the House

of Commons yesterday afternoon or his media briefing last night

We now have a ‘roadmap’ for how lockdown restrictions will be eased.

There are four main phases which will be separated by a five-week gap every time, so the

impact of each change to the rules can be assessed.

As the Prime Minister made clear yesterday, decisions will be based on data, not dates.

The first major change will happen on 8 March when – as widely publicised – all pupils will

return to school. No doubt this will be welcome news for parents and their children.

On 8 March, we’ll be able to meet one person from another household and spend time in

outdoor settings like public spaces for recreation as well as exercise.

At the same time, one person will be allowed to visit a loved one in a care home.

Despite this, the restrictions requiring us to stay at home will remain in place.

If all goes to plan, the stay-at-home rule will be lifted on 29 March, but we will be encouraged

not to travel outside our local area.

We will also have the opportunity to meet more people outdoors, including our gardens.

The biggest change – which will have the greatest impact – will be no earlier than 12 April

when non-essential shops, hairdressers and beauty salons will be allowed to open.

Places like spas, swimming pools, gyms and community centres will also be permitted to

welcome back individual customers, or household groups, on the same day.

The government roadmap suggests that venues like museums will allowed to open their

doors no earlier than 17 May and that all restrictions could be lifted from 21 June.

There was no specific information last night about when a return to normal working will be

allowed. I anticipate there will be further guidance in the next few days. I will, of course,

update you when I have something to share.

Certainly, nothing will change for the next fortnight, so the current working arrangements will

stay in place until further notice.

And, while there is a chance the dates may change, at least we can now begin to plan how

we will reopen our facilities and buildings.

While yesterday’s news is all positive, we cannot be complacent. We must continue to

follow the lockdown rules and remember the ‘hands, face, space’ message.

The team are currently building up resources plans for what will undoubtable be a busy

summer we will share these plans with members soon.

On a separate note, I can inform you that the government yesterday launched its

consultation for moving to unitary local government in Cumbria, North Yorkshire and

Somerset.

As you know, there were two proposals for North Yorkshire. East/west as supported by us

and five of the other district/borough authorities and the alternative county model.

The government has decided to consult on both proposals.

It will be an eight-week consultation which will run until the 19th April 2021. You can read

the details on the dedicated consultation page.

We will be expected to promote the consultation and signpost residents and businesses to it,

but we are not to campaign in favour of any model as an organisation.

Finally, I can also confirm government has postponed the county council elections due to

take place on the 6 May for 12 months.

However, the elections for the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner (and any scheduled byelections

or parish and town council elections) will go ahead as planned on 6 May.

If you have any questions about this update, please let me know.

Best wishes and stay safe.

Mike

Well, what a big difference a week can make in the ever changing story of coronavirus.

Covid-19 rates in our borough have risen sharply in recent days and are continuing to rise rapidly each day throughout the whole borough.

The latest data shows we are now at 560.9 cases per 100,000 population on a 14 day rolling average.

This compares to 307.1 per 100,000 in North Yorkshire and 254.5 per 100,000 for the England average. There have been 610 new cases in our borough in the last seven days.

Filey and Hunmanby, Newby and Scalby, Whitby, northern villages and parts of Scarborough seem to be particularly badly affected.

Only half are connected to high-risk settings (care homes, schools, workplaces and hospitality/visitor outlets). Instead, it seems the virus is spreading in the community with no single cause or pattern.

It is therefore everyone’s responsibility to take urgent action to protect each other and help bring down the rates of infection.

To play your part, it is essential that you and those you live with follow the national restrictions and stay at home:

• Only leave home for food, medical reasons, exercise, education or work

• Do not meet up with other households, even outdoors, except for the permitted reasons set out in the national guidance at gov.uk/coronavirus

• If you have symptoms you must self-isolate and get a test – it’s the law

• You must work from home if you can

• Avoid all travel unless essential

• Remember to wash hands, cover face, make space

• Remember that school bubbles do not apply outside of school

In a similar way to the early part of the pandemic, there has been finger pointing at visitors in some parts of the borough but we must not single them out for blame. They are not the single reason for the rise in cases. However we are advising them not to visit right now and stay at home in line with the national restrictions.

Together with our partners, we are focussing our resources on the worst affected areas. Our response is framed around four themes:

1. Engagement

Covid-19 marshals are back on the street giving advice, information and reassurance. Police patrols will also be taking place. The approach is to speak to businesses that are trading and ensure they are permitted to do so and that they are adhering to guidelines. We are working closely with North Yorkshire Police, trading standards colleagues and our own environmental health officers to provide information, advice and guidance.

2. Communications

A communications plan has been developed to target the whole borough, but with an initial focus on the areas where we have the highest concentration first. As well as using the digital channels at our disposal, we are using targeted letter drops and messages via the media.

3. Testing

More testing facilities are now available in the borough. A mobile testing unit (MTU) will be in Filey this weekend and MTUs are scheduled to be in Whitby and Scarborough next week too. This in addition to the existing walk-in centre on William Street in Scarborough.

4. Enforcement

The situation continues to be monitored and enforcement action can be taken if necessary.

We have also updated our own website – scarborough.gov.uk/coronavirus – with new information for residents and businesses. This includes advice on the help available in the community for vulnerable or self-isolating residents who cannot rely on support from family or friends.

News this week of a potential vaccine is a positive development, but it is not here yet and it could be many months before we see the benefit.

So we are asking you all to take urgent action and do everything you can to minimise the spread of Covid-19. Thank you.

Mental health, grief and training

Our mental health is the subject of many conversations in our current climate, not more so than when having to deal with grief under coronavirus restrictions.

The Open University has provided some useful information around dealing with grief from an individual and management perspective. You might also be interested in the many training courses they provide free of charge on a wide range of topics.

Have a lovely weekend from the warmth of your home. Stay safe.

Coronavirus and Local Government Reform

Published by Mike Greene on October 2, 2020

Hi everyone

It has been a busy period since my last update.

I want to cover two issues in this blog post: coronavirus and local government reform.

It has been quite clear in the last couple of weeks that a second wave of Covid-19 infections is impacting the country.

I imagine you’ve seen the prime minister’s recent televised announcements and are aware of the warnings from the chief medical and scientific officers.

We have entered another challenging time, which could potentially impact on our local services.

You will remember from my last update about a cluster of positive Covid-19 cases in Whitby and the northern part of the borough. We have worked very closely with our colleagues in public health at county level to respond to this situation.

While our borough remains on the government’s watch list, I am pleased to report that, currently at least, things are not escalating at an alarming rate and case numbers seem to be stabilising.

While this is encouraging, we cannot relax. We need to continue to take the steps we have so far to do everything we can to reduce the number of infections.

We are not there yet, and there remains a risk that infection rates could spike again, especially if our residents don’t continue to follow the national regulations to the letter.

I am endorsing director of public health Lincoln Sergeant’s recommendation that face coverings are worn outdoors in crowded places. Lincoln’s team firmly believes that this can go some way to reducing the spread of the virus.

You can help by setting a good example as you and your family head out and about.

Community transmission and the fact staff and residents of care homes are becoming infected remains a concern for our public health colleagues.

The NHS Covid-19 app is live and, again, I think it is right that we encourage downloads. We continue to use our communication channels to promote both national and local messages.

Anything you can do via your own professional and personal networks to repeat, reinforce and amplify these messages would be much appreciated.

Those messages are summarised in the latest North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum press statement – https://www.northyorks.gov.uk/latest-news-north-yorkshire-coronavirus-covid-19

You can also signpost people to the government’s coronavirus updates, the NHS website and the NHS Covid-19 app download page.

Internally, I have reinstated the task group that came together during the initial lockdown period and regular meetings are taking place.

At the current time, there is no significant impact on the local services we provide, but I do think it’s prudent that we continue to review the situation on a dynamic basis, so we can respond accordingly and quickly.

I would like to thank everyone for your hard work on this. I know it is an uncertain time but our support to our community is now more important than ever.

Local government reorganisation

The seven district and borough councils have been working together with KPMG to build a case for change for our region. The detailed work highlighting the east/west model has been completed and a final version of the case for change is being finalised. I am in the process of organising another “Mike Live” event to share some of the detail of this so please look out for that.

However, the letter confirming the government’s intention to change the way local government works in York and North Yorkshire still hasn’t been received.

I understand that Covid-19 and Brexit are taking up much government time and there are rumours from Westminster.

The leaders of the seven district and borough councils have written to ask for the process to be paused for the time being.

They argue that given the arrival of a second wave of coronavirus and the role local councils have to play in supporting their communities, now is not the time to dismantle local structures.

To be frank with you, the issue of local government reorganisation has been a distraction for us since July and we have enough to worry about already, especially now.

That said, certainty on what local government looks like in York and North Yorkshire is still required.

I will keep you updated.

Best wishes and stay safe.

Mike

Preventing and managing the spread of coronavirus

You’ll have all read, heard or seen reports that the number of coronavirus cases is on the rise again across the UK.

While we haven’t experienced the level of problems some parts of the country have, there has been an upward trend in confirmed positive cases in our borough and other parts of North Yorkshire. This was always to be expected given the greater freedom we have been permitted in the last couple of months and more testing being carried out now compared with the earlier days of the pandemic.

The key to preventing and managing further spread of the virus is to avoid complacency and make sure we continue to go about our daily lives safely. There are three simple actions we must all do to keep on protecting each other:

Wash hands – keep washing your hands regularly and thoroughly

Cover face – wear a face covering over your nose and mouth in enclosed spaces

Make space – stay at least two metres apart – or one metre with a face covering or other precautions

If you have any coronavirus symptoms, get a test and self-isolate. If you live in the same household as someone with coronavirus symptoms, you must self-isolate straight away, for 14 days.

How does NHS Test and Trace work?

NHS Test and Trace will contact people who have been identified as coming into close contact with a person who has tested positive for coronavirus. They will provide advice for what action you must take. This advice will include a 14-day isolation period and may also recommend that you should go for a test.

What is ‘close contact’?

Close contact with an infected person is any of the following:

• spending significant time in the same household

• skin to skin contact with them

• face-to-face contact with them (within one metre)

• being within two metres of them for more than 15 minutes

• travelled in a vehicle or plane with them

If you have a test, or are contacted by the NHS Test and Trace service please ensure that you share the results and NHS advice with your manager.

If you are permitted to work from council premises, be assured that we continue to ensure workplaces are Covid-19 secure, including socially distanced work areas, one person at a time in toilets, hand sanitiser stations, PPE (where required) and signage to remind everyone of their responsibilities to help prevent the spread of the virus.

We are continuing to support local businesses to operate in a Covid-19 secure way.

This has been particularly important this week in Whitby and the northern parts of our borough where there have been clusters of confirmed coronavirus cases associated with the hospitality sector.

The businesses affected temporarily closed and our environmental health team have been liaising closely with them to make sure they know exactly what to do before they are safe to re-open. This includes deep cleaning of premises and 14 days of self-isolation for staff that have tested positive and their colleagues that have been in close contact with them.

We are sharing updates about the affected businesses with public health colleagues at North Yorkshire County Council, who are liaising with Public Health England to ensure all necessary contact tracing procedures are being followed correctly.

An ‘action card’ type document has been created for hospitality businesses across North Yorkshire. It acts as a reminder of what they need to do to prevent the spread of coronavirus and what steps to take in response to a suspected or confirmed case associated with their business.

We emailed the document to hospitality businesses this week. It is also available to download from the coronavirus support page on our website. If you know anyone who operates a hospitality business who would benefit from a helping hand, please direct them to the document at https://tinyurl.com/y7jtfsrx

A few other businesses in the Whitby area not directly affected by cases of Covid-19 have taken their own decision to close as a precautionary measure, but otherwise Whitby and the rest of our borough remains very much open for business.

The latest national statistics show that more young people are contracting the virus than any other age group. In response to this trend, the county council’s public health team is working directly with older teenagers and young adults to develop a communications campaign that will resonate with their age group, including the use of prominent social media influencers. We will support them in spreading these messages to education providers such as CU Scarborough and Scarborough Tech.

Don’t forget that the new ‘rule of six’ kicks in from Monday for meeting up with others not in your household. It applies to gatherings indoors and outdoors. It’s been explained lots on national, regional and local news since the government’s announcement earlier this week but if you’re still not sure, please head to gov.uk

Our new corporate plan

A blueprint for our future priorities, how we will work and the services we will provide has been agreed by councillors this week.

Our new corporate plan has been developed with input from communities, residents and businesses across the borough.

People told us the most important resident issues to them were: clean streets, managing anti-social behaviour, public toilets, clean beaches and tackling things like fly-tipping and littering.

In response to the feedback, our plan is divided into four main themes.

Better Lives covers happy, healthy and active people, how communities can thrive and be engaged and how to create a safe borough.

Better Homes is focussed on providing more good quality housing for people who want to rent or buy them.

Better Places means a cleaner and greener borough, which is attractive and something we can be proud of, and ensures we have vibrant town centres, culture and heritage.

Brighter Futures covers economic generation, which benefits everyone and making sure the borough is as connected as it can be, virtually and in reality.

To find out more, you can view the corporate plan here (PDF).

Mayor’s thank you to coronavirus heroes

People who went above and beyond the call of duty or neighbourliness during the earlier part of the coronavirus pandemic are in line for a personal thank you from the Mayor of the Borough of Scarborough, Cllr Hazel Lynskey.

The Mayor is keen to publicly recognise the outstanding and selfless work of so many individuals, households, groups and organisations that went the extra mile during the most challenging days of the pandemic to help others and in many cases are still doing so.

Nominations for mayoral recognition are invited from across the borough between now and the closing date of 9 October. Please help spread the word. Nominations can be made online at scarborough.gov.uk/mayor

Walking with Heritage sculpture trail begins in Whitby

Our Walking with Heritage project will see seven life size sculptures depicting Whitby’s fishing heritage, created by local sculpture artist, Emma Stothard, installed throughout the west side of the town by early spring next year.

The first sculpture in the trail, which depicts a fisherman’s wife and baskets full of fish has been installed on the west side of the swing bridge.

The aim of the trail is to lead people to explore some of the lesser frequented areas of Whitby and support local businesses in those areas.

You can read the full story on the news page of our website.

Enjoy the weekend and stay safe.

Armed Forces Covenant – silver award

It’s nice to know that there’s still good news to tell despite the difficult year we’ve experienced.

We’re delighted to let you know that we’ve been awarded the Armed Forces Covenant silver award.

The Armed Forces Covenant is a promise from the nation to those who serve or who have served, and their families, which says we will do all we can to ensure they are treated fairly and are not disadvantaged in their day-to-day lives. The Armed Forces Covenant relies on the people, communities, and businesses of the UK to actively support it in order to make a difference.

We’ve been recognised as supporting and championing the values set out in the covenant at silver level, which includes incorporating support for service personnel in our Human Resources policies and procedures, including recruitment.

If you would like to know more about the Armed Forces Covenant, please contact hr@scarborough.gov.uk

Filey Flood Alleviation Scheme

This week we marked the launch of the £4.37m Filey Flood Alleviation Scheme, designed to protect 739 properties from surface water flooding.

The scheme involves the construction of earth embankments, ditches and temporary flood storage areas. Flood water would be temporarily stored before being released at a controlled rate into the existing drainage system and ravines once a storm has passed.

It has taken many years of research, planning, design, funding applications and land negotiations to get to the construction stage. The vast amount of work represents a herculean effort from so many people, especially our staff and councillors that have been involved along the way. Everyone should be proud of the part they have played; it really is a momentous achievement.

You can more about the scheme at https://www.scarborough.gov.uk/latest-news/official-launch-filey-flood-alleviation-scheme

Dinosaurs on the loose!

If you visit our parks this weekend … you could ‘find’ a dinosaur!

With our friends at Love Exploring, we’ve launched a new interactive, virtual, dinosaur safari in Peasholm Park in Scarborough and Pannett Park in Whitby.

It’s perfect for families and you only need the free Love Exploring app on your smartphone.

Once it’s downloaded, fire up the interactive map and follow it to find our tame dinosaurs who live in their own virtual reality. Have fun and don’t get bitten!

Enjoy the weekend everyone and stay safe.

‘Working together to get change right’

Update for district and borough council staff

Some of you will have seen the news release and letter to media editors about local government reorganisation sent via Noticeboard at the beginning of this week.

In case you missed it, the following update, which is being circulated to staff in all North Yorkshire district and borough councils, will bring you up to speed with what’s happening.

Just as a recap:

On 7 July, Simon Clarke, the Minister of State for Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), said he was open to devolution proposals from York and North Yorkshire. However, he made it clear that devolution of powers and investment would be conditional on local government reorganisation into a unitary structure, instead of the two-tier structure (county and districts/boroughs) we have at the moment.

As a result…

North Yorkshire County Council is preparing a bid for a unitary council that would cover the whole of the North Yorkshire geography (around 615,000 people in an area of 8000 km2). This assumes that the City of York Council (which is already a small unitary covering around 200,000 in an area of around 271 km2) would stay the same.

The leaders of the district and borough councils believe this is not the right approach for a number of reasons:

• A mega-council would be too big and too remote to provide local services effectively

• A mega-council would create a big bureaucracy, less nuanced towards local people and economies and less responsive to business, which could hold back recovery and growth

• A mega/minnow model of governance would create an unbalanced combined authority, which would set the future mayor up to fail

Instead, the leaders have come together to create an alternative proposal, which is built on principles of more equal and workable geographies, and rooted in an understanding of local communities and economies.

As preparation for this proposal, leaders will be reaching out to community leaders, businesses and elected members over the next few weeks to listen to their views, and seek their support for a bid that favours a more practical, grass-roots approach to local government reorganisation. This engagement work will start imminently. There will also be an opportunity for you, as a member of staff, to take part in a consultation and details of this will be circulated in due course.

Meanwhile, you might be interested in taking a look at the new website that sets out why leaders are looking at local government reform, and their particular approach, in more depth. You will find this at get-change-right.com

That’s all for this week. Please continue to stay safe.

Don’t forget…hands, face, space!

‘Mike Live’ ask the Chief Executive

2pm to 3pm Thursday 23 July

As promised in my email last Thursday about devolution, I am going to hold my next live video question and answer session next week on Microsoft Teams. I look forward to seeing many of you on the call and answering your questions.

A lot has happened since the first live session I held in April. Our experiences at work, in wider society and at home have continued to change, much more than many of us envisaged at the start of the pandemic.

During the session, you’ll have the opportunity to ask me any questions you may have about devolution and the changes to the structure of local government in North Yorkshire, which the government wants to see in place by 2022.

As discussions between council leaders and chief executives are at such an early stage, I can’t promise that I’ll have the information to hand to answer all your questions. What I can promise is that I will be open with you about what I do know. I will be happy to share my thoughts on how I see things developing in the coming weeks and months and how we will try to influence the outcome and get the best deal for communities throughout our borough.

I also hope we’ll have time during the hour to talk about other topics too; all questions are welcome.

Before joining the event you’ll need to make sure Microsoft Teams is installed on your device.

Click to Join the live Q&A

After clicking the link above, depending on your browser you’ll be presented with either this screen:

Click ‘Launch it now’

or this screen:

Click ‘Open Microsoft Teams’

If you would prefer to submit questions in advance rather than ask during the live session, please email them to public.relations@scarborough.gov.uk

Thank you for your continued support.

Mike

Wearing of face masks in shops and supermarkets

In case you missed it, government announced this week that the wearing of face masks, to cover the mouth and nose, will become compulsory in shops and supermarkets from Friday 24 July.

Under the new rules, people who do not wear a face covering will face a fine of up to £100, in line with the sanction on public transport and just as with public transport, children under 11 and those with certain disabilities will be exempt.

Enforcement will be the last resort as the government is hoping that people will comply because it is the right and socially acceptable thing to do to help prevent the spread of coronavirus.

There are many retailers selling masks suitable for non-clinical use or if you want to have a go at making your own, a simple online search will give you the instructions you need.

We know we can count on you to embrace this latest development, cope with the minor discomfort and worries about looking odd and accept the new fashion accessory that will help to save lives.

Enjoy your weekend, stay alert and stay safe.

This week, we start with a reminder that coronavirus is still out there and a plea to keep taking the necessary precautions at home, at work and when you are out and about.

Although the restrictions have been eased, this doesn’t mean we can become complacent.

Social distancing and hand hygiene are just as important now as they were at the start of the pandemic. The wearing of masks to cover the mouth and nose is compulsory when using public transport and it is also good practice to wear one when visiting indoor locations where space may be limited such as shops and supermarkets.

If you do develop symptoms, you must self-isolate and follow the government guidance, including the procedure for Test and Trace. If you need to remind yourself of what to do, go to gov.uk/coronavirus.

Bespoke guidance for the hospitality sector

We told you last week how we are doing everything we can to support our hospitality businesses ahead of them re-opening their doors from this weekend.

This week we have provided two different types of checklist style guidance documents, which include information on practical measures businesses can take to ensure they are COVID-19 secure and can welcome customers safely.

One is aimed at restaurants, cafés, bars, pubs and takeaways; the other is for guest accommodation such as hotels, B&Bs, guest houses, pubs with rooms, holiday parks, self-catering, caravan and camping sites and hostels.

Businesses can also download artwork, courtesy of Blue Raptor Signs, to use for signs in their own premises. The artwork illustrates useful messages aimed at customers and staff, such as social distancing, hand washing, maximum people in an area at any one time, where to queue and appointments only.

If you do plan to support local hospitality businesses this weekend, please help them to serve you safely by following the instructions they give you and pay attention to any signs they have installed.

Managing the effects of coronavirus on our finances – an update from Director, Nick Edwards

You may have seen stories in the media recently about councils really struggling financially, with some threatening bankruptcy. Understandably, this is worrying news and you are most likely looking for reassurance that we are not facing a similar position.

Yes, it’s fair to say that like many other local authorities, our finances have taken a hit during coronavirus. Not being able to collect all the fees and charges we would normally do during this period and having to allocate some of our own funds to support our most vulnerable residents, has put a fairly significant dent in our balance sheet.

However, the good news is that we do feel our position is manageable. We are concluding a plan for how to deal with our finances going forward and because of our prudence in recent years, we are in a much better position to adapt and respond to the impact of coronavirus than some other councils.

Our plans have also received a boost this week, with the news yesterday that the government has allocated an additional £500m to cover the costs that local authorities have incurred in responding to coronavirus and measures to partially mitigate the impact of lost income from sales, fees and charges on their budgets.

Please be reassured therefore that there is no need to panic. Once we receive the finer detail of the government’s additional support, our finance team will work with me and my EMT colleagues to finalise our plans and prepare a Finance Report to present to Cabinet in September. This will take into account how we are going to manage our finances in the coming years and how we can start to recover from the impact of the last few months, while maintaining our services to the public and leading the recovery of the local economy. We will of course keep you updated on our progress with this work in the coming weeks.

Best wishes, Nick.

Mental health first aiders

We are pleased to let you know that six of our staff have successfully completed training to become our first mental health first aiders. Congratulations to David Gomersall, Kieron Middleton, Sally Jackson, Victoria Thompson, Karen Camp and Debbie Gordon who persevered with the training despite numerous issues throughout the week. A further 11 staff are undertaking the course next week, with a third training event scheduled at the end of this month.

Further information about their role will be available soon. If, in the meantime however, you have any questions or would like to discuss mental health, please do not hesitate to contact any one of the newly trained staff.

Virtual Armed Forces Day – update

Our virtual Armed Forces Day has been hailed a great success after thousands of people viewed our virtual content to mark this year’s event.

Every day last week (23-27 June) new content was added to the dedicated website. Figures show the site had almost 23,000 views in just a few days. A special Facebook page achieved more than 5,000 views and 4,500 likes.

Live coverage of the Armed Forces Day flag raising ceremony from Scarborough Castle and flypast from the Red Arrows secured the greatest coverage. There were 104,000 views with over 250,000 people reached. A video of the fly past and dramatic footage from inside the cockpits of two Red Arrows has been shared 1,400 times.

Virtual Armed Forces Day also achieved widespread media coverage, locally and nationally.

If you haven’t had chance to take a look at the wealth of content online, it’s not too late to do so, just head on over to scarborougharmedforcesday.co.uk

Have a lovely weekend, stay alert at all times and stay safe.

The scenes in Bournemouth this week highlighted the reality of how easily social distancing is compromised when lots of people decide to visit the same place at the same time and throw caution to the wind. Only time will tell whether their actions result in a spike in coronavirus cases.

The lovely weather has meant our visitor hotspots have been popular but thankfully manageable. We continue to work with highways colleagues at North Yorkshire County Council to ensure that where required, key roads in our resort areas are closed to traffic, to allow pedestrians more room to move and observe social distancing.

Moderate and high risk staff – revised coronavirus guidelines

Our coronavirus guidelines for moderate and high risk staff have been revised to reflect the changes recently announced for people who have been shielding.

You can read the guidelines here.

Leader blog

Leader of the council, Cllr Steve Siddons has launched a new blog. You can find it on our website scarborough.gov.uk/leaderblog

The page will be updated on a regular basis. It’s also going to be souped-up in terms of its look and feel in the coming weeks. Cllr Siddons hopes this communications channel, which anyone can read, will help residents better understand the work of the council. In the first post, Cllr Siddons highlights what we’ve been doing to support local businesses recover from the coronavirus lockdown. He also thanks us for our hard work over the last 12 months. Thanks to the ICT and communication teams for bringing the blog to life.

Our role in supporting hospitality businesses

Yesterday we released information about how we’ve been working closely with tourism-related businesses to make sure they are able to trade again and to salvage what they can of the 2020 holiday season.

We have been supporting these businesses throughout the pandemic but the government announcement this week that the hospitality sector will be permitted to reopen from 4 July gives everyone a clearer timescale to work to.

Our support includes providing advice on the practical measures that businesses need to take to be able to trade safely and how to achieve the essential ‘Covid-19 secure’ status.

We’re also encouraging businesses to sign up to the new ‘We’re Good To Go’ industry standard and supporting mark, launched by Visit Britain and Visit England. The standard, which is designed to give customers extra confidence, shows a business is adhering to government and public health guidance, has carried out a COVID-19 risk assessment and checked they have the required processes in place.

At the same time as the private sector gears up for 4 July, we are also working hard to open more of our own facilities across the borough so they can be enjoyed in full by residents and visitors.

Virtual Armed Forces Day

Our virtual celebration of the nation’s Armed Forces has been taking place all week on scarborougharmedforcesday.co.uk and the Scarborough Armed Forces Day Facebook page.

There’s some great content on there, including veterans’ interviews, Armed Forces contributions, archive content and activities for children and adults, including some great demos from Animated Objects Theatre Company.

More content will be added during tomorrow, 27 June, on what would have been the Armed Forces Day National Event, if coronavirus hadn’t occurred. If you get chance, please do take a look.

Enjoy your weekend and stay safe.

Non-essential retailers opened again this week which means our high streets are the closest they’ve been to ‘normal’ since lockdown began. If you ventured out yourself you should have seen the signage we’ve put in place to make sure shoppers can get their retail ‘fix’ safely and maintain social distances. You may have even bumped into one of our high street ambassadors who are on hand to assist shoppers. We’ve put in the effort as local retailers need our help more than ever before.

Annual leave guidelines

For nearly three months the furthest you could probably travel on a day off was the end of the garden. Although the lockdown restrictions have now been eased, going on holiday somewhere is still not a realistic option. That said, time off is important for your own health and wellbeing. And, while taking leave now might seem like a wasted opportunity, we can’t end up in a situation where everyone books time off when all working arrangements return to normal. Managers have been told to work with you to ensure annual leave is taken. You can read the full guidance here.

Test and trace guidelines approved

The NHS test and trace service forms a central part of the government’s Covid-19 recovery strategy, which seeks to help the nation return to normal as soon as possible for as many people as possible, in a way that is safe and protects our NHS and social care sector. The service will also play a vital role in providing an early warning if Covid-19 activity is increasing locally, regionally or nationally. This information will then be used to inform the government’s approach to stop the spread of the virus. EMT has approved our own test and trace guidelines.

Claiming tax relief for homeworking

During the period you are required to work from home as a result of the coronavirus outbreak, you may be able to claim tax relief from HM Revenue and Customs where you have incurred additional costs arising from homeworking. If approved by HMRC, this amount can be offset against your employment income, therefore reducing the amount of tax you pay.

You are able to claim up to £6 per week without having to provide any supporting evidence of the increased costs. Claims for increased costs over £6 per week would need supporting evidence to be provided and retained. This measure only applies where there is an employer requirement to work from home. It is up to each individual staff member to decide whether you have an entitlement to claim and to make the claim themselves.

The Council cannot provide tax advice and will not be held accountable for any wrongly submitted information. Any claims should be made through the HMRC portal using your own digital account. Full information is available on the HMRC website. Please note that the Council is unable to provide advice or support on your personal taxation.

Argos, Bay Side South and Market Square developments make further progress

Cabinet met this week. Among the reports being presented were the redevelopment of Market Square and the former Argos building in Scarborough and the Bay Side South site on the seafront. Our plan is to demolish the retail unit and replace it with high-quality accommodation for use by NHS staff and students studying at CU Scarborough.

The adjacent St Helen’s Square would be redeveloped at the same time to improve the local area and provide much needed open space for public use and to host temporary events. Cabinet also considered a report on plans for the former Futurist theatre (now called Bay Side South). A group of cross-party councillors has been considering a vision for the site. Read more about both projects on the news section of our website.

Dog ban back in force

After a short period of relaxation because of the coronavirus, the seasonal restrictions for dogs on the borough’s main beaches is now back in place. Owners are being warned that enforcement is being carried out. The bog ban covers the main sections of beach at Scarborough South Bay and North Bay, Whitby West Cliff and Tate Hill, Filey and Sandsend. It lasts until the end of September. The areas where dogs are not permitted will be clearly signposted at all beach access points. The restrictions came into force in May but were eased as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. This was to allow owners to exercise during lockdown.

Support bubbles

If you weren’t fully tuned into the latest government announcement, you could be forgiven for thinking we were being allowed to spend more time soaking in the bath with a bottle of prosecco. If only!

In all seriousness, for people who have been alone during the pandemic and most impacted by the difficult effects of the social restrictions, this latest initiative should provide support and comfort. If this applies to you and you are making plans for your own support bubble to start from tomorrow, we hope it brings you some respite and a chance to enjoy time with your loved ones.

If you’re still unsure as to what’s allowed and what’s not, you can find more information at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/meeting-people-from-outside-your-household

Supporting a COVID-19 safe return to the retail economy

As non-essential retailers start to return to business from Monday 15 June, we have introduced some practical measures to support our communities to trade and shop as safely as possible.

We have produced a leaflet to help businesses prepare safely for opening. It has been emailed to around 5,000 businesses in our database and is also accessible online.

Signage advising people to maintain social distancing, practise good hand hygiene, pick up their litter and pay by contactless payment where possible, is being rolled out in Filey, Scarborough and Whitby. The messages will feature on street signs and lamppost banners, in shop windows and on floor stickers.

We are installing 30 hand sanitiser units throughout our three towns. Social distancing ambassadors will be on hand in the town centres and busy seafront areas to offer advice and help businesses and customers to remain COVID-19 safe.

Selected road closures and on street parking suspensions on busy days will be deployed by North Yorkshire County Council, to help manage flows of people and maintain social distancing.

Virtual Armed Forces Day

In the absence of being able to host the Armed Forces Day National Event this month as originally planned, a virtual celebration of the nation’s Armed Forces will be coming to your screen instead!

Keep a close eye on scarborougharmedforcesday.co.uk from 22 June and look out for posts on the Scarborough Armed Forces Day Facebook page.

Parking reminder

Don’t forget that car parking charges and enforcement start again on Monday 15 June throughout the borough.

Hope you get chance to relax this weekend and if you’re out and about in between the rain showers, please continue to #stayalert and observe social distancing.

Coronavirus – moderate and high risk staff

Government guidance now makes it clear that people who cannot work from home should now return to work, so our approach has been updated to reflect this.

The new guidelines for moderate and high risk staff provide clarity in terms of the working arrangements for those staff that fall into the moderate and high risk groups. It also aims to assist staff and managers in discussing their individual circumstances sensitively and confidentially and undertaking individual risk assessments to minimise occupational exposure to coronavirus.

Test and Trace reminder

It appears to have been another week of a recently introduced government service facing criticism. The optimistic ones among us like to think that this is just part of the initial bedding in period and that the more it is used, the more useful it will become in helping to prevent the spread of the virus.

If you missed it last week, detailed information about how the service works and how you should play your part in helping to contain coronavirus, is available at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/nhs-test-and-trace-how-it-works

Discretionary Business Grant Scheme

Yesterday we launched our £3.23m Discretionary Business Grant Scheme, which is funded by government. Certain small businesses throughout our borough will be able to benefit from a grant of between £500 and £10,000 to provide much needed financial support to help them manage the ongoing effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

If you know relatives or friends that run a small or micro business and haven’t already had money from another government grant scheme, it would be worth them looking at the criteria to see if they might qualify. Please direct them to https://www.scarborough.gov.uk/latest-news/discretionary-business-grant-scheme

Facilities and services update

Some of our public facilities will return to operating as close to pre coronavirus normal as possible in the run up to 15 June. This is in response to the ongoing national easing of coronavirus restrictions, more people choosing to travel for exercise and leisure, and in anticipation of the opening of non-essential retail in the middle of the month. You can read about the changes, which include information on car parks, public toilets and beach dog bans at https://www.scarborough.gov.uk/latest-news/council-facilities-update

Meanwhile, we are continuing to steer customers to self-serve online or call 01723 232323. Our Customer First centre in Scarborough remains open from 10am to 2pm for customers who are vulnerable and have no other means of contacting us. The centre has had to change the way it operates to allow for social distancing and to ensure services can be provided in a safe and convenient way, so the capacity for seeing people in person is significantly reduced. For some enquiries, including benefits, appointments will be offered and customers should arrange these by phone before visiting.

This weather this weekend is set to be more inclement than it has been of late, but if you head out for some fresh air, remember to #stayalert, observe social distancing and keep washing those hands! Have a great weekend.

Harbours Update

From Monday 1st June leisure users will be permitted to use our slipways again for day launching.

Charges apply as usual and any vessel entering the water to take up a berth should check with Gary before doing so.

Monday 1st June also sees a relaxation for Charter Angling vessels. Following guidance from the MCA, charter anglers may proceed to sea with passengers if they comply with the following:

1. Angling vessel has to have a valid certificate

2. Operator of the vessel has to have a valid licence / certificate of competency

3. Vessel not to carry more than 12 passengers

4. Suggest that operators contact their Certifying Authorities and insurance companies to check if they have any different views on the above

5. Operator has to comply with government guidelines regarding social distancing, risk assessments, etc.

Lockdown relaxation – safe ways of working

In response to the government’s relaxation of coronavirus restrictions, EMT has agreed a number of key principles about our approach to safe ways of working for staff and councillors. The key principles will be reviewed at the end of June and revised as appropriate in line with any further national guidance.

We are adopting working from home as the preferred method of work. Wherever possible, service delivery should be digital by default. Only staff that absolutely have to attend workplace premises, or work out and about within the borough, should do so. This will also apply to councillors and we are making sure they are informed.

Mental Health First Aiders

The excellent response we’ve had to our appeal for Mental Health First Aiders means we will be able to train 33 people to carry out this important role as part of our ‘Pride in Our People’ programme. The first group of staff will start their training in June with training for the others following throughout the summer.

Thanks to everyone that volunteered for the role; you will make an invaluable contribution to the health and well-being of your colleagues.

Test and Trace

Many of you will have heard this week’s government announcement about the new Test and Trace service. It aims to help return life more to normal, in a way that is safe and protects our NHS and social care. The service should allow the health professionals to trace the spread of the virus and isolate new infections and play a vital role in giving early warning if the virus is increasing again, locally or nationally.

Detailed information about how the service works and how you should play your part in helping to contain coronavirus, is available at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/nhs-test-and-trace-how-it-works

Another sunny weekend ahead

We are pleased to report that we weren’t overrun with visitors last weekend. We’d like to think this was all down to our proactive messaging, but we suspect the rather inconsistent weather also played a part.

The weather is set to be sunny this weekend but will be considerably cooler on the coast compared with inland. This should help to keep visitor numbers manageable once again. We will continue with similar messaging, reminding people to respect our communities, avoid busy areas and practise social distancing.

We are proposing to reintroduce charging in our off-street car parks and reinstate dog bans on beaches from 15 June. Until then we are continuing to monitor the impact of visitors on a daily basis and will open some of our car parks and toilets in busy areas if there is a demand.

Please continue to #stayalert and do your bit to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Thank you and have a lovely weekend.

Dear colleague

They say a week is a long time in politics. I think it’s even shorter in local government.

This time last week many of you would have been hanging up bunting, and perhaps even baking cakes, ready to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day.

I’ve heard reports of some very well organised community commemorations across the borough that were carried out all the time social distancing rules were respected.

For those of you who had to work over the bank holiday, I’d like to say a personal ‘thank you’.

I suspect many of you were keen to watch the prime minister’s TV speech on Sunday. The announcement has raised some issues particularly in a tourist area like ours.

As you will read in today’s staff update, the current remote working arrangements will stay in place until further notice. Please carry on as you are for the time being.

We are developing on plans to reintroduce some working at our offices and sites, but we need to do this in a controlled way to ensure our buildings are safe for everyone to use.

You’ll be kept up to date on progress, but I am not anticipating any change for at least a month.

The easing of the ‘lockdown’ rules to allow unlimited exercise is a welcome development. I may even be able to get back to running again myself!

However, the government’s message that it’s now permissible for people to drive to “beauty spots” to carry out exercise presents us with a significant challenge.

So, just a week after marking VE Day, we are now preparing for a potential influx of people who may choose to drive from perhaps many miles away to visit the coast.

Ordinarily, on most weekends when the weather is nice, we’d welcome people to the borough with open arms. As it is, this weekend, we’d rather they stay closer to their homes.

That’s why we’ve issued joint communications with Whitby and Filey town councils discouraging people from travelling to the coast. Our message is “now is not the right time”. North Yorkshire Police and the county council are also supporting this narrative.

We’re not the only destination to take this approach.

This morning, on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, senior leaders from Cumbria and the Lake District National Park were saying exactly the same.

Their concern – and I share their view – is that a deluge of people presents a serious risk to the health of our local communities.

Our overriding priority is the safety and wellbeing of our residents.

The other issue is that many facilities, like public toilets and car parks, are not open because we don’t currently have the resources to or make them ‘COVID-19 secure’.

We are working closely with colleagues at the county council and partner organisations like the coastguard to manage the impact of car loads of visitors.

That said, our powers to enforce the government’s revised coronavirus guidelines are practically non-existent.

Frustrating as it is, we cannot stop people coming to the borough. Even North Yorkshire Police’s powers diminished since last week.

We are working to manage the concerns of local communities, but also their expectations.

And, while the government’s response to the pandemic has changed slightly in the last seven days, we’re still working hard to support our residents and businesses.

I know some people in the borough are returning to work in offices and factories after many weeks on furlough and that’s perhaps a relief for them.

That said, you’ve been working almost as ‘normal’ throughout. Actually, in many cases you’ve been doing much more than normal!

I continue to be amazed by your dedication, commitment and resilience and I know the leader of the council shares that view too.

We will return to normal (whatever ‘normal’ will look like in future) as soon as we can but only when it is safe to do so.

For the latest on staff support, please look out for the link to the weekly staff update on Porthole later today.

Thank you for your continued hard work.

Best wishes. Stay safe. Look after yourself.

Mike

Mental health awareness – training

Next week is Mental Health Awareness Week. Staff who can access Bob’s Business will be sent a link to complete two training courses: (1) Mental Health Awareness (2) Stress Awareness. The courses are voluntary, but as they are so relevant in the current climate and designed to help you, we encourage you to spend a few minutes working through them.

Mental health first aiders

As part of our work to support colleagues’ mental health, we are looking for volunteers to become a mental health first aider. Full details on how to express your interest will be circulated on Monday 18 May.

For staff not on email, please ensure they have access to the information about this opportunity so we can encourage responses from different services and departments.

Support information – Porthole

Please have a look at the new activities page added to Porthole, which gives you dozens of ideas for indoor and outdoor activities as well as dozens of links to many online attractions.

Don’t forget there is a wide range of staff support information on Porthole, including the helpline numbers for you direct any queries or concerns you may have during the ongoing coronavirus situation.

Staff survey

Information on the staff survey about how we have responded to the coronavirus pandemic, how you are managing and how we can take forward some of the positive outcomes from the current situation was emailed to noticeboard earlier today.

The survey is open until 5pm on Wednesday 27 May and should take no longer than a few minutes to complete.

Our response to the government’s easing of restrictions

The easing of restrictions to allow unlimited exercise should, with social distancing and a common sense approach, help boost our health and wellbeing. We are therefore supporting the national ‘stay alert, control the virus, save lives’ campaign.

We know we can count on you to interpret the revised measures sensibly. This means staying at home as much as possible, continuing with your current working arrangements, keeping at least two metres apart from other people when you do go out and continuing to wash your hands regularly, for at least 20 seconds. As an individual, you can meet up with one other person outside your household provided you respect social distancing. When exercising with other members of your household, please don’t arrange to meet others.

You will probably be aware of local concerns about the potential for an influx of visitors to our area this weekend in light of the government message that people can travel anywhere for exercise. This is not unique to North Yorkshire; similar concerns have been raised in other tourist hotspots throughout the country.

Our message, which we are conveying through our own channels and via local, regional and national media is that now is not the right time to visit. We are encouraging visitors to only come back when our facilities, local businesses and attractions are ready to welcome them properly.

We will be working with our partners in the Local Resilience Forum in the coming days to monitor and manage any potential impact.

Finally, enjoy your weekend and don’t forget to #stayalertsavelives

Following my recent update to you, I have today received further guidance from DEFRA, the British Ports Association and the United Kingdom Harbour Masters Association. I have copied below some information that will be of interest to all our users and will hopefully answer the majority of questions we are receiving.

What water-based activities can I take part in?

• All forms of water sports practiced on open waterways, including sailing, windsurfing, canoeing, rowing, kayaking, surfing, paddle-boarding and the use of privately-owned motorised craft (in line with the guidance issued by the relevant navigation/marina / harbour authority) are allowed.

• You may participate in water-based activities as an individual, household group, or as a pair of two people from different households who are socially distancing (i.e. you should keep at least 2 metres apart). For example, it would not be possible to form a ‘double’ canoe or kayak or rowing boat with someone from outside your household because it would be impossible when doing so to follow social distancing guidelines.

• As longer trips outdoors generally are allowed, owners of both private and commercial boats can now make day visits to their moored boats in marinas and elsewhere to ensure they are properly maintained.

• Commercial passenger boating operations currently remain closed. Some areas of the hospitality sector are anticipating starting to re-open in July, but this will be subject to further government advice.

If angling is being permitted, am I also allowed to go canoeing/paddling?

• Where individuals have either a licence with the navigation authority or a voluntary agreement with riparian landowners in place, then private canoeing/paddling for individuals from the same household is permitted, subject to being careful and staying away from other users and houseboats.

Can I go to visit my private boat to sit on it and enjoy the sunshine?

• People are permitted to travel to make day visits to their private boats in marinas and elsewhere to sit on them either individually or with members of their household, subject to being careful and staying away from other users and houseboats in line with social distancing guidelines and the guidelines set out by the relevant marina/harbour authority.

Can I now go and stay on my boat overnight or for a few days?

• The guidance on staying at your primary residence still applies. Overnight visits and extended stays to private boats are not permitted.

Can I go on my private boat with someone from a different household if we stay two metres apart?

• On small private boats it would not be possible to be in the same boat with someone from another household because it would be impossible to follow social distancing guidelines.

• On larger private boats, we recommend that you avoid sharing a boat with a person from a different household. If you do share a boat with someone outside of your household, you should stay at least two metres apart – and it should only be with one other person. Cleaning protocols should be put in place to limit coronavirus transmission on boats. Frequent cleaning of boats, using your usual cleaning products, is advised, with increased attention given to touch points (e.g. handrails). Please also remove waste and belongings from boats when finishing a day-trip.

Will marinas re-open to allow people to visit their boats and carry out essential maintenance?

• Marinas may re-open to allow people to visit their boats to carry out maintenance, ensuring appropriate measures are in place to follow social distancing guidelines.

Am I allowed to walk around marinas, as well as access my boat to sit on?

• This is primarily a matter for the marina operators to decide, but if it can be done safely following social distancing guidelines then it should be possible.

Am I allowed remove my boat from the marina for private boating?

• This is primarily a matter for the marina operators to decide, but if it can be done safely following social distancing guidelines then it should be possible.

Our harbours:

Our priority is the safety and wellbeing of our staff, harbour users, emergency services and our local communities.

We need some time to employ the appropriate measures to meet or exceed the new guidelines to provide a COVID-19 secure environment to allow our ports to operate as safely as reasonably practicable.

As such we would like to make berth holders feel welcome to safely visit their vessels from 12.00pm on Friday 15 May, albeit we recommend this is limited to carrying out essential maintenance checks on vessels, while adhering to the above guidance and respecting and adhering to social distancing at all times.

We are not currently in a position to accept visiting leisure vessels or slipway day launches. We anticipate this will change in the not too distant future, but more time is needed to enable us to ensure the onshore facilities meet the new COVID-19 standards. Changes regarding visiting vessels and day launches will be made available on our website.

At present we are not in a position to allow vessels to lift in nor out of the harbour without express permission of the Harbour Office. A large number of movements need to take place to restore normal berthing and these will be coordinated during the coming weeks.

We ask that your contact with our staff is primarily carried out over the telephone. Where this is not possible, please respect social distancing. Ancillary payments where possible should be by phone or contactless methods.

I would like to thank you for your continuing support in adhering to the government guidelines and wish you a safe season.

Dear Harbour User,

Following the Prime Ministers roadmap statement, and the publication of the UK Governments Covid-19 recovery strategy in relation to a phased easing of lockdown restrictions, we are currently receiving numerous enquiries from harbour users assessing the situation at Whitby and Scarborough Harbour as well as Filey Coble Landing. Our priority is the safety and wellbeing of our staff, customers, emergency services and the general public including residents.

I am sure users are aware that the Government has advised that “as well as exercise, people can now spend time outdoors subject to not meeting up with any more than one person from outside your household; continued compliance with social distancing guidelines to remain two metres (6ft) away from people outside your household; good hand hygiene, particularly with respect to shared surfaces; and those responsible for public places being able to put appropriate measures in place to follow the new COVID-19 Secure guidance”.

We expect that specific government advice will confirm that certain sailing and water sports will be able to start shortly, following which our marina leisure facilities will need to be assessed and prepared to accommodate social distancing and hygiene measures. The British Ports Association and United Kingdom harbour Masters Association are in daily contact with the relevant Government departments and are assured that further guidance is expected to be released shortly.

As such as the responsible Harbour Authority we need to employ the necessary measures to meet or exceed the new guidelines to provide a Covid secure environment. To establish what measures are appropriate, we need further detail and clarity. As a result we are not as yet encouraging users to visit their vessels however we hope to be able to do so in the very near future when we would like to make berth holders feel welcome to safely visit their boats while respecting and adhering to social distancing guidelines at all times.

We understand the desire to be on board your vessel, lift your vessel into the harbour or proceed to sea, but also appreciate that cumulatively we all have a duty to help reduce the rate of transmission of the Coronavirus.

In the coming days it appears likely for a single household to go boating together provided that the boating activity is strictly confined to members of the household.

Should this be the case we would like to remind boat owners that boating, by nature, comes with inherent risks and extra care should be taken by boaters to carry out all the required checks prior to going to sea, especially if your vessel has been laid up for a long period over the winter months. Checking the seaworthiness of your boat should be of upmost importance and include items such as batteries, fuel, oil, mechanical and electrical systems, engine / sail controls, steerage and the condition of onboard safety equipment as well as remembering to wear a correctly fitted and serviced lifejacket.

Adopting a cautious and responsible approach in returning to boating will significantly reduce the likelihood of harm and putting extra pressure on frontline emergency services that could have otherwise been avoided. Please also consider that each time the RNLI or HM Coastguard are called out, the responding crews come from different households and are often within their roles unable to maintain 2m social distancing. This puts the crews and their households at further unnecessary risk of contracting Covid-19.

Her Majesty’s Coastguard has recently released the following guidance: “In England, now more than ever, people need to respect our coastline. Whether you’re local or not, experienced around the water or a novice, the sea can still catch you out. Beaches may not be lifeguarded. Social distancing must be observed. If you get into trouble call 999 and ask for the Coastguard and we will come to your aid. But coronavirus hasn’t gone away and we all need to follow the rules. Remember your choices might put people, including yourself and frontline responders, at risk. Take extra care in these extraordinary times.”

I would like to thank all harbour users for their continued support in adhering to the Government guidelines so far, and please be assured that when we receive further Government guidance all users will be advised accordingly.

Captain Ian Vasey

Borough Harbour Master

Ryan Douglas

Senior Coastal Operations Officer, HM Coastguard

The new staff recorded message line is up and running.

It gives staff that can’t access Porthole an opportunity, in their own time, to listen to a verbal summary of the weekly staff news updates we’ve been putting on the intranet during the coronavirus pandemic.

The number to call is 01723 383524.

The current recorded message is for week ending 24 April. The aim is for future updates to be recorded by Friday evening of each week.

Thank you to all those who engaged so enthusiastically with Mike’s first live Q&A on 23 April and for asking well thought out questions. More than 100 staff tuned in to the event, which is a fantastic response.

Our ICT team pulled out all the stops to make sure the technology worked well, hopefully without gaining too many grey hairs! The team is producing video clips from the event. These will be distributed to service managers, on request, so they can share them with their teams. This will be particularly helpful for staff that don’t have access to a council device.

For a first attempt, we’re really pleased with how the live event went. We’ve already received some positive comments and we’d like to capture your feedback too. If you engaged with the event, please complete the short poll below and feel free to leave your feedback in the comment section at the bottom of this update. We’ll use this feedback to help inform possible future events.

Health and wellbeing

The coronavirus help and support pages have been updated to include details of how you can ask for help and advice and get top tips to support your health and wellbeing.

In addition to the new staff helpline and email featured, you can also text your queries to 07860 065166. Your text will be treated as confidential and you will receive a response no later than the next working day.

Comprehensive information on dealing with domestic abuse has been added, with the following topics coming soon: stress and burnout, managing roles and different ways of working, coping with traumas and crises, and healthy lifestyle. We’ll keep you updated as information is added.

The final bit

Last night’s The Big Night In on the BBC provided welcome light relief. It showed once again the power of our country to come together and help those who need our support the most, despite the ongoing challenges we’re all facing.

In yesterday’s government briefing, journalists referenced reports of increased traffic on the roads in some parts of the country. We’re not aware this is an issue in our area and we know we can count on you all to continue to do your bit to help prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Please don’t be tempted to go out more than the current restrictions allow. #stayhomesavelives and help to protect the NHS. Have a lovely weekend.

Maritime sector is doing work of ‘national importance’ — UK Maritime Minister Kelly Tolhurst says the maritime sector’s response to the current health crisis has been ‘remarkable'

The Coronavirus outbreak is among the biggest challenges our transport industry has ever faced. While it’s essential that the vast majority of the population stays at home, I recognise that it’s not possible for many maritime and supply chain workers.

But despite the unprecedented difficulties, the industry has responded magnificently, working round the clock to keep the nation fuelled, fed and supplied with vital goods.

That means we have the medicines we need. It means supermarket shelves across the country can be replenished every night. It means the nation’s provided with energy. And it means our ports can keep operating safely and efficiently.

So I want to pay tribute to all those in maritime who have gone out to work during this time of national crisis, from every port employee to every seafarer.

As workers doing a job of national importance, rest assured that your own health and safety remains of upmost importance. That is why we’ve issued guidance for those working at ports and at sea to protect themselves and minimise the potential for further infections.

Thanks to your diligence and professionalism in following these guidelines, you have not only helped reduce the spread of the virus. You have also strengthened the resilience of the country and saved countless lives.

I also know how hard the virus has hit the cruise sector. I’m immensely grateful to all the operators who have worked tirelessly with us to bring passengers home safely.

We’re in constant dialogue with the maritime industry to monitor progress and the changing nature of the outbreak. We’ve already made £330 billion available across the economy to help companies stay afloat, and we’re providing non-working employees with up to 80% of their wage. And we stand ready to take further action and bolster our support for the industry as the pandemic develops.

I know how challenging these past few weeks have been for every part of the maritime sector. But the way in which you have rallied and risen to the challenge has been remarkable. There will be more difficult months ahead. But when we recover from this crisis, the whole nation will owe you a debt of gratitude for your outstanding service.

Kelly Tolhurst - Minister for Maritime, Aviation & Security.

OFFICIAL - NOT FOR PUBLIC

Covid-19 - NCA warning to port, airport and international rail link workers

The National Crime Agency is issuing a warning to all port, airport and international rail link staff affected by the Covid-19 crisis.

With major restrictions on the movement of people and goods around the world, the NCA assesses that during this time YOU are at greater risk of being exploited by organised criminal groups.

These groups want to exploit your ability to access secure sites and your knowledge of the border.

They may try to take advantage of those who are facing financial uncertainty caused by the pandemic, offering to pay bills now in return for help in the future.

While what they may ask of you initially may seem minor, these criminal networks are drug smugglers, gun runners, money launderers, terrorists and people traffickers.

They cause harm in all of our communities.

You could be approached face-to-face or online. They could be posing as recruiters or on some other legitimate pretext, offering enticing opportunities when their real intent is to use your access and knowledge to further their own criminal ends. You can find out more by visiting https://www.cpni.gov.uk/think-you-link-0

If you are approached or you have information please contact Crimestoppers anonymously, either online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org or by phone on 0800 555 111. You can also report this through the Duty Harbour Master or the SBC whistle-blowing scheme (whistleblowing@scarborough.gov.uk /01723 232335).

Please do not turn a blind eye.

OFFICIAL - NOT FOR PUBLIC

Positive feedback about your hard work

We’re seeing some lovely feedback across our communication channels about the hard work you are doing to support our communities in so many ways during the coronavirus outbreak. Thank you for everything you are doing and will continue to do in the coming weeks.

We want to share one particular message from Whitby councillor, Sue Tucker, with you and hope it goes some way to lifting your spirits and letting you know how much you are appreciated.

“Please can you pass on a big thank you to all the staff, telling them what a fantastic job they are all doing? It is greatly appreciated and it is useful to have the information to be able to spread the word, that staff are going over and above their normal duties to support the residents of Scarborough (borough).

“I know how hard working the staff are normally. It is amazing how everyone at the council is working together to continue to provide services during this extremely difficult time. I appreciate that it will have been very stressful, trying to adapt quickly to the demanding situations.

“It goes to show how skilled and professional the staff at Scarborough Borough Council are. I can't thank them all enough, knowing that they each will have their own family situations to also be concerned about.”

“Take care.

“Best wishes, Sue.”

Revised annual leave policy

As a result of the unprecedented situation we find ourselves in, our Annual Leave Policy has been revised for the next two years. The government has recently released changes in relation to the carrying forward of annual leave, enabling staff unable to take their leave due to coronavirus, to carry over four weeks leave spread over the next two years. You will see that we have agreed to the carrying over of leave in excess of the government guidelines. We have consulted with the unions on these changes. If you have any queries, please contact HR for advice.

Happy Easter

We know Easter will be very different for us all this year and some of you will be working throughout the bank holiday weekend. However we hope that you will be able to have a well-earned rest at some point and enjoy your Easter treats (which you’ll have bought when shopping for essential food of course). For those without gardens, remember that Easter egg hunts can be just as fun indoors!

Finally, it’s as important as ever to ensure you and your family continue to follow the social distancing measures. Only go out for your permitted daily exercise and for essential food and medical supplies. When exercising, make sure it’s in the immediate vicinity of your home and only exercise alone or with members of your household. #stayhomesavelives and help to protect the NHS. Thank you.

We wrote recently about online resources to help keep children occupied whilst we stay safe by staying inside, but the internet has so much to offer adults at this challenging time as well. From virtual tours of world famous museums to online training there are an unprecedented amount of free resources just a few clicks away.

The folks at Chatter Pack have created a huge and comprehensive list on all manner of topics, there really is something for very one.

https://chatterpack.net/blogs/blog/list-of-online-resources-for-anyone-who-is-isolated-at-home

History, Heritage and Culture

Time Out Magazine have spent their time in compiling links to virtual tours of some of the world’s most spectacular museum collections:

https://www.timeout.com/travel/virtual-museum-tours

Whilst The Guardian have invited us to bring the great outdoors inside with a compilation of tours of some of the planets most impressive landmarks:

https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2020/mar/30/10-best-virtual-tour-worlds-most-famous-landmarks

You only have to be young at heart to enjoy a virtual tour of Disney’s Orlando Theme Parks:

https://www.visitorlando.com/en/things-to-do/virtual-tours/walt-disney-world-resort

Have you ever wondered about your family history? You can start researching your family tree for free, see these links for tips and websites that can get you started on your journey:

https://www.family-tree.co.uk/reviews/3-top-free-genealogy-websites-to-start-your-family-history-at-home/

https://www.familytreemagazine.com/premium/best-free-genealogy-websites/#generalgenealogy

https://www.freeukgenealogy.org.uk/

AgeUK have also put together some handy information on how to access the National Archives and the Government offers a downloadable pamphlet on accessing their resources:

https://www.ageuk.org.uk/information-advice/travel-hobbies/hobbies/trace-your-family-tree/

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/discover-your-family-history

Historic England are on hand to help if you would like to discover more about the history of your home:

https://historicengland.org.uk/advice/your-home/your-homes-history/how-to-find-out/

Theatre fans are in for a treat, Housebeautiful have tips on how to stream a number of major productions for free. There’s something for all tastes including Shakespeare, Opera and musical theatre:

https://www.housebeautiful.com/uk/lifestyle/g32030829/coronavirus-lockdown-stream-musicals-theatre-shows-free/?utm_medium=social-media&utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=socialflowFBHBUK&fbclid=IwAR31Z2MMhd6KMZzABMxH5MCX9G-PCqVoRBdJP-K6b8A_iLnyJwN0OLWeqM8

Nature and Gardening

If you’re missing the chance to get out into nature Forestry England want to help, they have gathered together a selection of nature themed pod casts on a variety of topics from wild flowers to rambling and if you’re in the mood for something fictional there are also a selection of stories to enjoy:

https://www.forestryengland.uk/blog/top-nature-podcasts

The BBC Wildlife Magazine team have also put together an informative page on enjoying wildlife from your home covering everything from bee identification to bird drawing clubs:

https://www.discoverwildlife.com/news/enjoying-nature-during-coronavirus/

Whatever sized garden space you have from full sized plot to kitchen windowsill there are lots of tips online about keeping gardening and growing during this challenging time.

The BBC have produced a guide to gardening during isolation:

https://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/grow-plants/10-ways-to-garden-during-self-isolation/

Learning

Whether you would like to improve your computer skills or learn a new language there are oodles of free courses online.

The Open University have over 900 free short online courses to enjoy:

https://www.open.edu/openlearn/free-courses/full-catalogue

If you want to enhance your skills and achieve a nationally recognised level 2 certificate at the same time then both the Skills Network and Vision to Learn offer fully funded opportunities to study at home:

https://www.vision2learn.net/courses

https://www.theskillsnetwork.com/learners/courses?level=2&page=2

Reading and Online Games

The libraries may be closed but they still have oceans of content available on their digital site including access to books, audio books, newspapers and magazines. If you fancy something a bit different why not download a graphic novel or two they are defiantly not just for kids!

If you’re looking for a mental workout there are lots of sites offering free brain teasers and puzzles, Mensa has many question and answers:

https://www.mensa.org.uk/puzzles

Fun Quizzes UK has dozens of quizzes on a wide range of subjects from general knowledge to personality type:

https://www.funquizzes.uk/

Many of the daily newspapers post their crosswords online.

If you have an Alexa device there are hundreds of interactive games you can play from movie quizzes to choose your own adventure quests:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/b?ie=UTF8&node=10387805031

We hope you found something on here of interest! Please feel free to share with anyone you think may enjoy some of these suggestions.

Take care and keep in touch.

The South Cliff Team

Skills survey

Many of you will have hopefully seen the email yesterday, or had it conveyed to you by your manager, about the skills survey we’re running with staff who have online access.

To enable us to continue providing the critical services listed below and provide support to our community (i.e. telephone enquiries, shopping, deliveries) we are asking if any staff would volunteer to work in other roles on a temporary basis.

If you currently do not work in the work areas listed, are in good health and have the capacity to temporarily relocate, please express your interest by completing the skills survey

• Communications

• Community Hub

• Customer First

• Crematorium

• Emergency Property Maintenance

• Grave Digging

• Refuse

• Re-housing Homeless

• Emergency Housing support for social care – rapid discharge from hospital

• Environmental Health function – similar to out of hours EHO provision

• ICT

• Food & Occupational Safety

• Housing Benefits

• Harbours

• CCTV

• Payroll

• Creditors

• Car Park Wardens

• Local taxation in terms of business rate reliefs

• Public conveniences

• Community Impact Team

• Vehicle Maintenance

We are currently consulting our Unions on a Deployment Policy for Covid-19 which will be circulated when complete. Training and PPE will, of course, be provided where required. If you have any queries please contact hrfeedback@scarborough.gov.uk

Counselling reminder

Please don’t forget the counselling services we have access to, which are available for any member of staff. If you need further support or things are just getting too much and you feel that this service would help you, please either contact your manager or a member of the HR Team via hr@scarborough.gov.uk. All referrals are confidential and meetings will be held via Skype or telephone.

Stop and check by North Yorkshire Police

To support the Government’s measures to protect the NHS and save lives during the coronavirus outbreak, North Yorkshire Police is carrying out vehicle checkpoints to ensure that motorists are complying with Government restrictions and only making essential journeys. The checkpoints will be unannounced and could appear anywhere any time.

When you are out and about on essential work duties, please carry your council ID badge with you at all times in case you are stopped. If the police ask you about the purpose of your journey, you should explain that you are travelling to carry out work that cannot be done at home and explain that you are classed as a critical worker.

Further information is available at https://northyorkshire.police.uk/news/covid-checkpoints/

#StayHomeSaveLives

When we reduce our day-to-day contact with other people, we will reduce the spread of the coronavirus. Every person in the UK must comply with the latest stay at home and social distancing measures. The relevant authorities, including the police, have been given the powers to enforce them, including through fines and dispersing gatherings.

Anyone can spread coronavirus. The only reasons to leave home are:

• To shop for basic necessities or pick up medicine

• To travel to work when you absolutely cannot work from home

• To exercise once a day, alone or with members of your household

Do not meet others, even friends or family. Stay home, protect the NHS and save lives.

A note for the weekend

A sincere thank you to you all for your continuing hard work in such difficult circumstances. It’s times like this that reaffirm how strong our staff community is and how much we can achieve by pulling together and supporting each other. Please try to relax this weekend, enjoy some downtime with those you live with and above all stay safe.

All

I’d like to start by extending a big thank you to you for the way in which you’ve responded so far to the coronavirus outbreak, with the utmost professionalism and compassion.

We are in unprecedented and challenging times and none of us know what might lie ahead in the coming weeks. However we are already showing how well we can pull together to support each other and our communities. I am exceptionally proud of what we have managed to do under such difficult circumstances.

As you will have heard last night, the Government announced new stringent measures about staying at home, keeping apart from each other and not travelling unless it is really necessary.

Our ICT colleagues have been working hard in the last couple of weeks to make sure our systems can continue to support remote working for as many staff as possible. Thank you for being flexible in adapting to your new way of working; your managers and the Executive Management Team will continue to do all they can to support you.

For those that continue to work on the front line delivering our essential services, you are doing an excellent job in the most testing of circumstances; thank you. I realise this is a difficult situation but you are doing the country proud by delivering vital services for our communities in this difficult time.

For staff who have to remain in work at our offices, please remember the importance of social distancing and regular hand washing, even with any colleagues that may be in the building with you. Enhanced cleaning measures of our key buildings continue.

I would like to take this opportunity to reassure you that we are working closely with our Trade Unions to ensure we are all following the most appropriate guidance to keep ourselves healthy and safe in these exceptional circumstances and we will continue to make sure you receive all the information you need.

From tomorrow, the Customer First centre in Scarborough will further reduce its opening hours to 10am to 2pm for only the most urgent enquires from the most vulnerable customers. We are pushing out communications to urge our customers to self-serve online where possible or call 01723 232323. Any efforts you can do to amplify this message through your own networks would be appreciated.

Our housing and communities teams, including our Home Improvement Agency, are working with partners to support our vulnerable residents during this difficult time and provide practical support for people that are socially isolated. This includes telephone befriending and assistance with shopping, food delivery and collecting prescriptions. This support will be vital for many in our communities and I am proud of the hard work our staff are putting in to help resource this service. If you are worried about someone who needs this kind of support, you should advise them to contact 01723 232323 or ask someone to call on their behalf.

Finally, I know that this is a very stressful and worrying time for all of us. Anxiety levels are high and that’s understandable and we want to do everything in our power to support you all in this difficult time. Please talk to your manager if you have any concerns and please look out for helpful information we will be putting on Porthole later today.

I will keep in touch via my blog. Stay safe.

Mike

The coronavirus (Covid-19) response has ramped up significantly over the last few days and as such the council’s response is also changing according to new information and guidance.

Following the Prime Minister’s address last night the council is currently assessing the needs of our critical and public services in order to ensure the safety and wellbeing of staff while maintaining a level of service needed by residents of the borough. Further updates will be available in the coming days. In the meantime, your manager will speak to you about any changes relevant to your service area.

Working from home

Most staff who are able to, are now working from home. Our ICT team is working remotely too and doing its best to iron out issues that arise and sending regular updates. For most staff working from home, it is very different to the way you normally work. There are a number of online resources which promote handy tips for trying to ensure your wellbeing. These include:

• Establishing a work area in your home which can help with concentration but also help you to switch off at the end of the working day

• Taking regular breaks and making time to eat proper meals and drink regularly

• Maintaining regular contact with your manager and colleagues

• Avoiding being ‘always on’ – make you sure you clearly identify non-working time

• Being aware of the things that could affect your wellbeing and the activities and resources that can help you

Please do remember that flexi time has been relaxed, therefore giving the ability for people to work flexibly and not just during normal office hours.

The ICT Service Desk is open 8.30am to 5.00pm, Monday to Friday, to offer you support and provide information about out of hours availability for specific IT systems. If you are planning to work evenings and/or weekends, overnight backups and data processing on most IT systems start from 11pm and run through to 6am so please do not connect to the ICT network during these times or you risk data loss.

Exceptionally, iWorld, our Revenues and Benefits system is unavailable due to processing between 7.00pm and 7.00am on weekday nights. Weekend working on iWorld is not guaranteed due to regular maintenance work. If you need to work on iWorld during the weekend, please request this in advance via the ICT Service Desk.

You may also find the following websites useful:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-51868894

https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-seven-essential-tips-if-you-have-to-work-from-home-11950757

https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/coronavirus-working-from-home-tips-outbreak-how-to-a9374806.html

Additional support

Scotland’s First Minister recently said “Life should not feel normal right now” and don’t we know it! This is a very difficult time for everyone and each of us will be dealing with the uncertainties in the coming weeks very differently. Our personal circumstances are all different and how each of us feels in any one day can change in a matter of seconds. You will know that your colleagues will be there to support you if needed, however, there may be a time when you need further support or things are just getting too much. We have access to counselling services, which are available to any employee. If you feel that this service would help you, please either contact your manager or a member of the HR Team via hr@scarborough.gov.uk. All referrals are confidential and meetings will be held via Skype or telephone calls in the near future.

Following the government’s announcement that all schools will close as of Friday 20 March, more information about this has now been provided. A list of key workers has been issued and children whose parents are critical to the Covid-19 response will be able to attend school. You are considered to be a key worker if you work in delivering frontline services and delivering essential public services. A link to the list is provided below:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-educational-provision/guidance-for-schools-colleges-and-local-authorities-on-maintaining-educational-provision

Schools are currently gathering information from parents in relation to these jobs so they know how many children they need to make provision for, and how and where they will be schooled. Please get in touch with your child’s school if you are a key worker and follow the guidance they give you. Schools are still getting to grips with the latest information from Government so please bear with them. If you find that arrangements aren’t in place for your child in time for Monday 23 March and you are unable to work from home, you will be able to take paid urgent family leave to enable you to make alternative arrangements as soon as possible. If you have any queries, please contact your line manager. In the event that your childcare provider requires any further information regarding your employment then please make your manager aware of this as soon as possible and they will provide this.

The link below provides further information with regards to the closure of educational settings.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/closure-of-educational-settings-information-for-parents-and-carers/closure-of-educational-settings-information-for-parents-and-carers

Pay variations and annual pay rise increments

Due to the current pressures on the human resources and payroll service, this year’s expected pay increments, which would normally be implemented on 1 April, will instead be paid at a later date. Rest assured, when the payments are made, they will be backdated to 1 April so no one will lose out on their entitlements.

In the coming weeks it may prove difficult to keep up with any weekly and monthly pay variations and where this information is not available for payroll deadlines, then payments will be made based on previous weekly or monthly payments. Any adjustment to salary that may be required as a result of this (either owing or reclaiming) will be addressed as soon as the payroll team is able to do so. The team will of course make you aware of any adjustments required.

Social distancing

You can find the latest guidance on social distancing and self- isolation, including who is classed as vulnerable and a list of the underlying health conditions at risk at gov.uk website and nhs website

If you have any of the underlying conditions stated and have not already discussed these with your manager then please do so as a matter of urgency. Your manager will then be able to undertake a risk assessment with you using the form available here.

Working from home

Service managers are working with staff to manage the working from home process, protect those in vulnerable groups and together with our ICT team, ensure that everyone that can work from home, will be able to do so.

You should ensure that you are taking steps to look after your wellbeing when you are working from home:

• Maintain regular contact with your manager and colleagues

• Take regular breaks

• Avoid being ‘always on’ – make you sure you clearly identify non-working time

• Be aware of the things that could affect your wellbeing and the activities and resources that can help you

You could also follow the five ways to work well from home by the BBC at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-51868894

We are aware that the majority of staff working from home already have Wi-Fi within their homes. Where this is not the case, ICT is exploring alternative options.

Flexible Working Hours Scheme

The Monday to Friday 7am to 7pm timeframe in the Flexible Working Hours Scheme has been relaxed and will be kept under review as things develop. If you are covered by the scheme, hours can be worked across seven days of the week and outside of normal office hours. This is subject to tasks that are time/date critical and your manager will discuss and agree this with you. Staff are still required to record their working hours whilst working from home.

Those that can’t work from home

If your job doesn’t allow you to work from home but you fall into one of the vulnerable categories, or you find yourself having to self-isolate due to a household member displaying coronavirus symptoms, you will still be paid.

There are colleagues that still need to come into their usual place of work to deliver essential services and again this is being guided by their managers.

School closures

The Government has announced that schools and nurseries will close for the majority of pupils after Friday 20 March. We are working through what this could mean for our workforce and will provide further guidance when available.

Meetings

In order to alleviate the need for people to come together unnecessarily, we are recommending that all non-essential meetings are cancelled until further notice. If it’s important that your meeting still goes ahead, you should look to hold it remotely by teleconference.

Please remember - whilst the council is doing what it can to help, ultimately much will depend on people taking individual action to help prevent the spread of the virus by following advice from PHE. We are very grateful to you for acting responsibly – it will benefit everyone, not just your colleagues but also people who use our services. Thank you for your continued work and commitment.

For the most up to date information coming out from the Government and Public Health England, keep referring to the gov.uk website and nhs website

Question 1

Gabrielle:

“I think it’s fair to say Mike that even for those of us that usually find it easy to keep calm and carry on, it’s hard not to worry about how we’re going to do our jobs and take care of all personal needs too. Can you offer us any words of encouragement?”

Answer 1

Mike:

“I completely understand that this is a worrying time for all of us, but we can and we will get through this together by working as one big team. We are facing unprecedented times in the UK, but this is one of those occasions when local government can shine by showing how well we can support our communities and each other.

“Our service managers are working hard with their teams to look at business continuity measures and how best to implement them so that we can continue to deliver the most essential services to our communities but also ensure that we’re supporting each other at work and at home for however long the restrictions are in place.”

Question 2

Gabrielle:

“Many colleagues will have heard the Prime Minister announce new social distancing measures last night, particularly the instruction to work from home where possible. What does this mean for our workforce? What about staff that can’t from work from home?”

Answer 2

Mike:

“We need to enable colleagues to follow the Government’s guidelines as far as possible and so we’re aiming for colleagues who can, as part of their team’s business continuity plans, to work from home from tomorrow (Wednesday 18 March) until further notice. Your manager will be working with you in the coming days to manage this process and together with our ICT team, ensure that everyone that can work from home, will be able to do so. I ask everyone to keep an eye out for further updates from the ICT team and respond to any requests they may have as soon as possible so that we can help them to continue to support us all.

“Of course there are colleagues that still need to come into their usual place of work to deliver essential services and again this will be guided by their managers. Business continuity plans will ensure these services are managed in the best possible way, allowing for any impact from colleagues that might find themselves having to self-isolate.

“I am working with our directors and the internal tactical group managing our response to ensure that the well-being of all colleagues remains a top priority, whether you are working from home, carrying out front line duties in your usual workplace, self-isolating or off sick.”

Question 3

Gabrielle

“For those colleagues in the vulnerable categories, which is the over 70s, pregnant women and those with underlying health conditions, or those that find themselves having to self-isolate due to a household member displaying coronavirus systems and whose job doesn’t allow them to work from home, will they still be paid?”

Answer 3

Mike:

“Yes they will.”

Question 4

Gabrielle:

“How will the latest Government restrictions impact on our meetings?”

Answer 4

Mike:

“In order to alleviate the need for people to come together so that we can safeguard staff, councillors and the public, we are recommending that all non-essential meetings are cancelled. However we are expecting further guidance from the government on this shortly.

“If it’s important that your meeting still goes ahead, you should look to hold it remotely by teleconference. Please look out for further guidance from ICT on this in the coming days.”

Question 5

Gabrielle:

“What impact will the latest Government restrictions have on our borough’s major events?”

Answer 5

Mike:

“The Government has instructed that emergency services will be unable to support major events and mass gatherings for the foreseeable future. In effect this means that without the safety measures fundamental to the safe running of major events, there will undoubtedly have to be cancellations. We will be working with event organisers to consider events on a case by case basis and where cancellations have to be made, ensure consistency on key messages to partners, the public and the media.”

Question 6

Gabrielle:

“For colleagues that continue to come into the workplace, what extra hygiene measures are being put in place to help prevent the spread of coronavirus?”

Answer 6

Mike:

“Without wanting to sound like a stuck record, the most important measure we can all continue to take is to wash our hands with soap and hot water more often and thoroughly, for around 20 seconds, particularly when arriving at work and at home, after blowing your nose, sneezing or coughing and before eating or handling food. When you can’t access soap and water, use hand sanitiser if you have some.

“The provision of soap in staff toilets at the Town Hall will be monitored and replenished as required, but if anyone finds supplies are getting low they should email assetmanagement@scarborough.gov.uk

“In terms of extra measures, we’ve instructed our contract cleaners to undertake additional cleaning during the day as well as their usual early evening routines. This should take effect from tomorrow (Wednesday 18 March). Their focus will be areas subject to high levels of touch, such as door handles and push plates, kitchens and toilets.

“We are working with managers of our other sites to facilitate similar enhanced cleaning measures and continual provision of hand soap.

“We have also ordered a large supply of sanitising surface spray and disposable hand towels for colleagues to be able to wipe down surfaces in their office areas. This is due to be delivered later this week and will then be distributed across our sites. Please don’t use this on anything electronic, including screens, smartphones and multi-function devices and printers. Our ICT team is looking to source specific wipes for these kind of applications.”

Question 7

Gabrielle:

“I’ve had quite a few colleagues ask about the provision of hand sanitiser in our buildings and why we haven’t provided any yet. Will we be getting a supply and when can we expect to see it?”

Answer 7

Mike:

“I’m sure many of you have tried and perhaps failed to get your hands on your own personal supply of hand sanitiser from high street retailers due to the increased demand. Similarly, organisations trying to bulk buy for their premises, are facing relatively long lead times as suppliers are, understandably, having to prioritise clinical settings such as hospitals and doctors’ surgeries above anywhere else.

“Our procurement and operations teams placed orders for hand sanitiser earlier this month and the earliest they have been told to expect delivery for hand held bottles is during week commencing 23 March. For fixed wall dispensers, we are still awaiting indication of delivery. As soon as we have an update on the exact date of delivery of both types and how they will be rolled out to our different buildings we will let you know.”

Question 8

Gabrielle:

“Do you plan to do further video updates in relation to coronavirus?”

Answer 8

Mike:

“The situation continues to develop on a daily basis so I will be continually liaising with our internal tactical group to ensure colleagues receive regular updates about the evolving situation. The most up to date guidance going forward will be on our intranet, Porthole as that will be quickest and most efficient way of getting information to colleagues.”

Question 9

Gabrielle:

“If any colleagues have further queries or concerns, who should they discuss them with?”

Answer 9

Mike

“You can take up individual queries and concerns with your line manager. Please also keep up to date with the latest advice from the Government and NHS, by following the links available on the coronavirus pages on our intranet, Porthole, or from the homepage of our website, www.scarborough.gov.uk

“Finally, I would just like to reassure all colleagues that we are all here to support each other to do our jobs to the best of our ability, continue to serve our communities in the best way possible and look after each other at work and at home.

“Thank you for the hard work and commitment that I know you will give during these challenging times and please continue to take all sensible precautions to keep safe.”

From: Mike Greene

Many of you will have heard the latest announcement by the government last night in relation to coronavirus. I would like to reassure you all that we are taking this information seriously and are looking at how we incorporate it into our business continuity plans. Most importantly we want to ensure that we are in the best possible position to look after each other, in and out of the workplace.

What does the government announcement mean for you?

You will need to self-isolate at home for a period of 7 days if you develop either a new, continuous cough or high temperature. Do not go to a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital. You do not need to contact 111 to tell them you're staying at home.

For more information about staying at home and what to do if you still have the symptoms after 7 days, please refer to the links to official Government and NHS guidance on the coronavirus page on our intranet, Porthole.

For information on how to report your self-isolation to your manager and what will be recorded as sickness please refer to the staff coronavirus guidance on Porthole.

Sensible preparations for being able to continue working

From today (Friday 13 March) we are asking everyone who works on a Windows laptop or a Surface Pro (or Go) to take it home every time you finish work for the day. In the event that you develop the symptoms listed above outside working hours and need to self-isolate, you will be able to use your Windows laptop or Surface Pro (or Go) to work from home if you feel well enough. If you do not have any of the symptoms, come to work as usual with your ICT device.

Please look out for an email later today from our ICT team, which will cover home working in more detail and provide support on how to get connected from home.

If you are unable to work from home due to the nature of your job, please refer to the staff coronavirus guidance on Porthole or seek guidance from your line manager.

Handwashing

Helping to protect you and your colleagues through regular and thorough hand washing remains extremely important. You will start to notice handwashing guidance posters in toilets, kitchens and other locations within our key staff buildings. Please follow them or refer to the video and illustrations on Porthole.

Future updates

The coronavirus situation and the official guidance about it is evolving and changing at a rapid pace. We will do our best to keep you informed about how any future changes could affect you. In the meantime, please stay well informed by referring to the official Government and NHS information available online.

Mike