4 minute read
In the know
from Insight - Issue 18
by ACT
know
The Best Companies b-Heard Survey… coming soon!
Once again, we’ve signed up for the b-Heard survey which is run by Best Companies, who work with organisations like ours to measure, recognise and improve levels of workplace engagement. The survey is a fantastic opportunity for you to have your say about our organisation. You can really help us to understand what we are doing well, and where we might be able to improve. If we achieve the same overall Best Companies Index score as we did in the autumn, we’d be very close to getting into the top 10 best companies to work for in the UK – which would be an incredible achievement. Your responses are completely anonymous so please be completely open and honest with your feedback. You’ll receive your survey via email on 8th February and for every survey completed a £1 donation will also be made to City Hospice, Cardiff in memory of our colleague Mike Owen.
Wellbeing Friday’s
As many of you know, Wellbeing Friday has resumed and will run weekly throughout this lockdown period. The initiative will be reviewed when restrictions ease. All staff will finish at Midday on Friday’s so please use this time to recuperate and recharge your batteries.
Zero Racism Wales
We have recently signed up to the Zero Racism Wales pledge as part of our ongoing commitment to ending racism. Keep your eyes peeled as we will be sharing further details about our Leaders in Diversity journey over the coming months and our ongoing commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI). In the meantime, read more about Zero Racism Wales here.
Annual Leave
Just a reminder for all staff to take their annual leave entitlement by 31st July 2021. We appreciate planning for the future is difficult in these uncertain times but booking your annual leave will allow ACT to focus on recovering from the impact of the pandemic post August, and more importantly ensures you are taking much needed time off for your wellbeing.
ACT Staff Learning & Development (LMS) Launch
We are really excited to announce that over the coming weeks we will be trialling our new LMS platform with a select pilot cohort. The group will feedback on the site and make suggestions on how we can improve and build on our efforts so far. The trial will happen throughout Feb ‘21, with a further rollout to other staff members (by department) scheduled for March ’21. The LMS will change the way we approach CPD, with training taking place in a virtual platform rather than face-toface. This will enable staff to engage with the platform at any time using either their laptop, tablet or smartphone. As well as being able to dip in and out of the courses available, it allows staff to schedule their CPD around their own timetable.
Keep your eyes peeled for more information in the coming weeks!
Mike Owen – A happy, funny and kind man!
It is with great sadness and regret we inform you that our dear friend and colleague Michael Owen sadly lost his battle with cancer recently. Mike was a happy, funny and kind man who displayed absolute bravery, courage, determination and admirable resilience throughout his illness. He worked at ACT for over 7 years and will be greatly missed by everyone at ACT. A memorial page has been set up and we encourage you to share your memories and stories of Mike so we can celebrate his life and time together at ACT. You can access the page here.
If you are struggling with the loss of a loved one and need support you can contact the MetLife workplace bereavement support line at any time on 0800 917 0096.
Need someone to talk to?
Education Support are offering a free, confidential helpline 24 hours a day for anyone working in education. You can find out more about this service at educationsupport.org.uk or calling the helpline direct on 08000 562 561.
Thank you from Cardiff Foodbank
We are delighted to share Cardiff Foodbank recently reached out to thank us for the 39.3 kg of food and other items donated by ACT from October to December 2020. The food helped feed 3 individuals for three days! Well done everyone.
We're looking for foodbank delivery drivers
Following the latest government restrictions, our ACT foodbank kitchen is back up and running and we need volunteers to act as delivery drivers. We are currently providing food in the Cardiff and Caerphilly area for our most vulnerable learners and members of the community, so if you would like to help, please contact Emma Page in Facilities. Don’t forget you are entitled to 4 volunteering days a year with ACT, so why not put those days to good use!
A massive congratulations to Karen Richards, Accounting Tutor & Co-ordinator, who has been shortlisted for Tutor of the Year in the Apprenticeship Awards Cymru 2021. The awards reward individuals, learning providers, and employers who have excelled in contributing to the development of the Welsh Government’s Employability and Apprenticeship Programmes across Wales. An enormous round of applause to Karen for being shortlisted and we wish you all the best at the awards later on this year!
We are delighted to report that our application for the Digital Exclusion Grant has been successful!
We will receive just over £150,000 from Welsh Government to enable us to buy Chromebooks and Mi-Fi devices for our digitally excluded Traineeship learners across ACT and our partners. This is absolutely brilliant news as this grant ensures we can continue supporting and delivering to our most vulnerable learners!
