A matter of life or death Keeping you informed
October 2013
Keeping you informed
Welcome Welcome to the October edition of ewords. This edition contains information on our successful award winners, Nikki McNaught and Jimmy Richmond; a review of Vibrant Communities’ action packed summer and essential Health and Safety advice. ewords is your magazine – get in touch if you or your colleagues have any good news to share! Please do not print this magazine.
Disclaimer… East Ayrshire Council makes no claims about the suitability of the information contained via links or connectivity to third party websites contained within this publication. We do not accept responsibility for any loss which may arise from reliance on such information nor do we guarantee that these links will always be available.
October 2013
Contents Ride for Dad Strong alliance is future of roads The force is with us A matter of life or death Excellence Awards Ceremony 2013 Blue suede shoes One tough mudder And the winner is.... Palace memories wanted Partnership benefits all Van excellence first for East Ayrshire Vibrant communities shine all summer long Training success for outdoor team Jimmy is school champion winner! By royal command Health and Safety in the news The Queen’s Baton Relay seeks local nominations
Ride for Dad A hundred bikers, all sporting a variety of blue beards, brought East Ayrshire to a temporary standstill when Provost Jim Todd led Scotland’s first ever Ride for Dad. All in aid of his chosen charity, Prostate Cancer UK, the bikers travelled in convoy from Kilmarnock to Cumnock, returning to Dean Castle for food and live music. Provost Todd said: “For too long men have been bad at recognising and dealing with their own illnesses, too inhibited to talk about symptoms or seek help soon enough. Prostate disease is very treatable if caught early and Ride for Dad was all about building awareness – proving that if the biker community is brave enough to confront the issue then so can everyone else. “Ride for Dad has run for many years in Canada but we’re the first in Scotland to do it and with the support we’ve had we’re sure that this will become an annual event.” Congratulations and thanks go to the Ride for Dad working group – Julie McGarry, Cheryl Paton, Catriona Cochrane, Jonathan Burn, Andrea Davidson, Chris Walker, Anneke Freel, Martin Vivers and Stewart Campbell. The group was supported by Shirley Ann Barnes from Breast Way Round. Refreshments on the day were provided thanks to the generosity of the Co-op and the East Ayrshire Fairtrade Steering Group, Braehead Foods and Ferguson’s bakery.
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A matter of life or death Elaine Turner, Shopmobility Support Assistant, has been hailed as a lifesaver after her quick actions saved the life of colleague and friend, Danny Howley, Shopmobility Manager. It was a normal Monday morning in June when Danny arrived at work. Elaine’s working pattern had changed due to work commitments and she was also in the office; previously Danny worked alone on a Monday. Everything was running smoothly until early afternoon when the day took a terrible turn and the unthinkable happened – Danny collapsed. He had a blocked heart valve and was desperately ill. Elaine sprung into action, calling for help and performing CPR on Danny. Scott Darroch, Burns Mall Manager, raced to Elaine’s side and they performed CPR until the paramedics arrived. At the hospital, doctors confirmed that if it hadn’t been for Elaine being in work and using her first aid skills, Danny would have been unlikely to survive. Thankfully he is now on the mend, and that is due in no small part to Elaine and Scott who are real heroes to Danny, his family and their colleagues.
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The force is with us A warm welcome to Sergeant Brian Anderson, the Council’s new Police Local Authority Liaison Officer. Brian joined Strathclyde Police in 1996. He was promoted to Renfrewshire in 2004, working in Johnstone and Paisley. From 2006 to 2009 he worked at the then Strathclyde Police Force Headquarters on a number of projects, including the introduction of a new shift system for the Force. In 2009 Brian undertook a role as Temporary Inspector working on national ICT projects and returned to operational policing at Kilmarnock in 2012. Brian is relishing his new post. He said: "I have very much enjoyed my first four weeks in post and have tried to get out and about meeting as many people as possible across the authority. Everyone has made me feel very welcome and I look forward to working together in the months ahead.” Brian shares his time between an office at the Risk Management Centre and the Police Office at Kilmarnock and can be contacted at: brian.anderson2@east-ayrshire.gov.uk or on (57)6512.
Strong alliance is future of roads The Ayrshire Roads Alliance is starting to take shape with the recruitment process for the new Head of Service now underway and interviews taking place this month. The Alliance, which will be governed by a joint committee of elected members from East and South Ayrshire Councils, will be led by our Council and will deliver all road services throughout East and South Ayrshire. It is anticipated that, over a ten year period, the new arrangements will achieve joint savings in excess of £8m, due to reduced management and administration costs, coupled with better economies of scale. Around 90 South Ayrshire employees will transfer to our Council by April 2014, retaining their existing terms and conditions.
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Blue suede shoes Care co-ordinator John Reid recently donned the famous white suit to raise funds for St Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, and along with award-winning Elvis tribute artist Andy Wood, he performed in ‘Double Trouble’ fundraising evening at the Grand Hall, Kilmarnock. Entrance donations, CD sales and raffles on the evening raised £1500 for the charity which Elvis himself so generously supported. John, from Muirkirk, is a huge Elvis fan and has performed as a tribute artist for 20 years. He travelled to Memphis to hand over the cheque to the charity in person and while there he participated in ‘The Wonder of You’ Elvis Week - as one of the top 30 tribute acts from around the world involved in fundraising on behalf of St Jude’s. John, who has been named as an ambassador for St Jude’s in Scotland, said: “The Grand Hall concert was absolutely fantastic. I had the opportunity to visit St Jude’s while I was in America and it was quite incredible. Research carried out at St Jude’s has as greatly improved survival rates for cancers and other serious diseases and has benefited children across the globe - including Scotland.” Details of all fundraising can be found at ‘Elvis loved St Jude’s and so do I’ (www.elvis.com)
Excellence Awards Ceremony 2013 On Thursday 24 October, the Council will hold the Excellence Awards Ceremony at the Grange Campus, Kilmarnock. The event, funded entirely by sponsorship, will recognise excellence within 10 distinct categories and the shortlisted employees are:
Continuous Improvement
Customer Focus
Delivering Results
Engagement
Excellence in Customer Service
In addition to these eight key awards, there will be two special awards presented on the night:
Provost’s Award The Provost will select the winner of this Award from amongst employees or teams who have been nominated for or gained external recognition.
Chief Executive’s Award
Health and Safety
This will be awarded by the Chief Executive to an individual or team who have impressed by their innovation in terms of improving and delivering services.
Young Achiever
The next Edition of Ewords will be an awards special edition showcasing all of our winners.
Working Together
Keeping you informed
October 2013
And the winner is.... Congratulations to Nikki McNaught, Catering Assistant from Loudoun Academy, who has been named School Cook of the Year! Nikki scooped the top prize at the ASSIST Scottish School Cook of the Year competition with a fabulous two course meal. Her winning meal, which had to meet stringent nutritional standards and cost just £1.50, was salmon and pea fishcakes served with a chilli and lime yoghurt dip, crunchy coleslaw and cucumber ribbons, followed by spiced apple strudel with summer berry sauce. Nikki performed brilliantly for East Ayrshire, supported by colleague ‘kitchen fairy’ Isabel Connell and catering manager Claire Keohone. Nikki said: “I hadn’t a clue I was going to win, as the standard of the competition was so high. “The final was held two weeks before the ASSIST event where they announced the winner, so we had a bit of a wait. I couldn’t believe it when they called out my name! “The icing on the cake was when TV weatherman Sean Batty presented my prize. I just love him!”
One tough mudder
EAST AYRSHIRE BOOK FESTIVAL Tuesday 5 - Saturday 16 November
Michael Fullerton, Community Worker from Vibrant Communities, is officially a Tough Mudder after completing the 12 mile endurance event in a very respectable time of 2 hours 50 minutes. His efforts raised £500 for Alzheimer Scotland, thanks to generous friends, family and colleagues.
TONY ROBINSON JAMES ROBERTSON LAURA MARNEY A CELEBRATION OF LAIDLAW SCOTLAND’S GREAT FOOTBALL BOSSES 632 &980-2 Evening events:
Workshops: JAPANESE STYLE BOOKBINDING PAPERMAKING PLANNING A NOVEL LIFEBOOKS For kids: SHADOW PUPPETS RUMBLE IN THE JUNGLE HORRID HENRY’S HULLABALOO FUN ON THE FARM TONY ROBINSON’S WEIRD WORLD OF WONDERS
Plus much more! Pick up a brochure or visit: imprintfestival.co.uk
Tickets from: 4EPEGI 8LIEXVI &S\ 3J½GI
T: 01563 554900
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East Ayrshire Council has become the first local authority in Scotland to be awarded the Freight Transport Association’s Van Excellence award.
Van excellence first for East Ayrshire
The Certificate of Excellence awarded to the Council is the result of intensive work by the FTA who scrutinised the Road and Transportation service during a full audit. A representative visited the Council to explore the management and supervision of the van fleet operations ensuring that the FTA’s Van Excellence Code was followed and that best practice was developed to ensure the service was operating safely, legally and efficiently. Officers from the Council were quizzed on a range of topics including: vehicle maintenance systems; vehicle administration; driver licensing; securing the load, method of restraint and overloading; speed limits; towing equipment; driver identification, behaviour and competence. Congratulations to the whole team.
Palace memories wanted Partnership benefits all A partnership between Criminal Justice, Neighbourhood Services and East Ayrshire Leisure has led to improved opportunities for people who are subject to an Unpaid Work Requirement. An Outdoor Amenities supervisor has worked very closely with five individuals, delivering an intensive gardening programme, improving their skill base and the opportunities open to them for future employment. Four of the individuals have now completed their programme and their feedback has been very positive.
The Palace Theatre will be 150 years old this year and to mark this landmark birthday a host of celebratory activities and events are planned. The team needs your help to revive the magic of the Palace and the amazing acts that have performed there. Do you have any good stories, old photographs or newspaper cuttings about the Palace? Have you or anyone in your family worked at the Theatre over the years and have a story to share? If so, then please get in touch by contacting Audience Development on 01563 554902 or emailing infothepalace@east-ayrshire.gov.uk
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October 2013
Vibrant communities shine all summer long Over 10,000 people flocked to the Kay Park in August for the annual Playday event. Organised for the first time by the Vibrant Communities team, the event was an outstanding success. It was one of the biggest, and arguably the best, Playday in the UK. It was a real celebration of the child’s right to play but it was also a celebration of community spirit. Everyone worked together – the Council, local community groups, sports clubs and the voluntary sector – demonstrating what a strong community we can be and how these important partnerships benefit of our communities.
EA Extreme rolled into town The competition for skateboarders, skaters, scooters and BMX-ers is in its second year and was organised by Vibrant Communities, Kilmarnock Stake Group and Choices.org. Over 300 people were wowed by Team Extreme, a professional extreme sports team, who put on an impressive display of stunts and tricks at the Grange Campus. Spectators were entertained by live music from local bands the Hostiles and the Baltimore League and were completely blown away by the phenomenal talent of the finalists who put their all into the competition.
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11 Steps to the Commonwealth A high energy dance performance by over 100 young people was the culmination of a two week dance programme delivered by Dance Motivator, Zara Smith with support from local sports clubs, volunteers, Young Ambassadors and Physical Activity Assistants.
Training success for outdoor team Employees from Outdoor Services have recently embarked on an ambitious training programme to ensure that the highest quality of service is provided by the team. Responsible for street cleaning, grounds maintenance and bereavement services, a number of employees, from team leaders to modern apprentices, have benefited from a range of training opportunities. Leading the way were four senior officers, namely Nick Kelly, Team Leader Streetscene Services; Lawrie Dinwoodie, Acting Team Leader, Facilities, Golf, Playparks; David Law, Senior Arboriculturalist and Allotments Officer and Brian Jones, Bereavement Services Co-ordinator, who all achieved an SVQ Level 4 in Management. This qualification provides senior officers with essential management tools which will benefit the day to day delivery of services and long term project planning. Brian Jones also received an Institute of Cemetery and Cremations Management diploma. Other team members are also gaining new qualifications. Last year 15 employees gained an SVQ Level 2 in amenity horticulture and a further 20 are presently going through their training which will be completed early next year. Two employees completed SVQ assessor training and as a result are qualified to deliver in-house training to the section’s Modern Apprentices plus 19 candidates from the private sector.
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Adult Literary and Learning success The Adult Literary and Learning team held their annual celebration of achievement recently, when over 180 learners were presented with certificates to mark their success. The impact the team have on community learning is immense and this was crystal clear from the film showcasing the learners’ success which was shown on the night.
Talented athlete takes gold! Congratulations to Jonathan McDonald, talented athlete and resident at Benrig House, who returned from the Special Olympic Games with a gold medal for breast stroke and a bronze medal for the relay. Everyone who works with Jonathon is proud of his achievements. The Special Olympic Games were a huge success for East Ayrshire, with local athletes racking up 8 Golds, 2 Silver and 3 Bronze medals!
New Faces Vibrant Communities have recently welcomed new Community Workers – Elaine Millar and Margo Crolley, who will be based in Dalmellington Area Centre and Stephen Burns who will be based at North West Area Centre. Kerry Dair, Community Worker (Inclusion) to Young People has joined the Sport and Diversion Team. Active schools are delighted to welcome Krissy Allan and Scott Guy to the team as our Active School Coordinators for the Doon and Cumnock Learning Communities.
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By royal command Seven specially selected employees were delighted to attend the Royal Garden Party at the Palace of Holyrood-house, Edinburgh back in July. Nominated by Provost Jim Todd for their services to the Council and the community, the party-goers were Councillor Stephanie Primrose and her husband Ian; Councillor George Mair and his wife Nancy; Councillor John Bell and his wife Maureen; John Rae and his wife Elaine; Katie Kelly and her guest James Kelly; Caroline Gordon with her husband Niall and Lorraine Rennix and her guest Paula Hasson. The group gathered at the Dower House at Dean Castle for a photograph with the
October 2013
A fond farewell to May May Trakalo (Stevenson), Senior Support Officer from Roads and Transportation, has recently retired after an impressive 39 years of dedicated service to local government. Colleagues old and new, joined May at the Broomhill Hotel to wish her a long and very happy retirement.
Jimmy is school champion winner!
Bellfield school ‘jannie’ Jimmy Richmond celebrated winning a prestigious West Sound Cream of Ayrshire award recently. Jimmy had a great night at the glittering awards ceremony at Brig O’Doon House Hotel. Jimmy said: “It was a fantastic evening. The Parent Council, who nominated me, sent a stretch limo to take my wife and me to the Brig O’Doon in style. The whole event was quite spectacular”.
Food waste and household plastic collections extended The extension of food waste and plastic collections to all households across East Ayrshire began on Monday 26 August 2013. The new service is being rolled out on a phased basis starting with rural households which didn’t previously receive a black box collection service. Thanks to a new style of bin lorry, rural properties now benefit from a weekly collection service of food waste, mixed household plastics, glass, cans, small electrical items, bagged textiles and bagged household batteries. In the first two weeks alone almost 3 tonnes of food waste and 4.5 tonnes of recyclate was collected from the two rural collection routes, which equates to about 3900 households. A weekly collection service for food waste and plastics is currently provided to Dunlop, Lugton, Fenwick, Kilmaurs, Stewarton, Crosshouse, Gatehead and Knockentiber. Between October and November 2013, this service will be introduced to Auchinleck, Mauchline, Catrine, Crookedholm and the Irvine Valley; Kilmarnock will follow between February and May 2014, with all remaining towns and villages receiving their new collection service between June and August 2014. Once fully introduced the Council has, in its Transformation Strategy 2012-2017, indicated that from April 2015 the frequency of uplifts of the general waste bin will change from its current collection of every two weeks. Further information regarding this change will be made available during 2014/2015.
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Fatality of mobile elevated platform operator The company director of a demolition firm in Co Durham was jailed following the death of an employee who fell from a working platform. It was found that a safe system of work had not been provided. http://eac.eu/7h
Site supervisor fined
National statistics show that slips and trips are the single most common cause of accidents at work, accounting for an average of 40 per cent of all major injuries to employees and over half of all injuries to members of the public. Slips and trips can also cause other serious accidents such as falls from height. In 2012/13, 19% of East Ayrshire Council health and safety incidents were caused by slips, trips and falls. Over half of these had to be reported to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) because they were either major injuries or resulted in an employee being off work for more than seven days.
Health and Safety in the news A Scottish Council was found guilty of a breach of the Health and Safety at Work Act after a 90 year old woman died when she fell through an access hole in her home when council employees were carrying out refurbishment work. A London firm has been fined £30,000 for breaching the Work at Height Regulations when a trainee employee broke his back after falling from an access ladder which wasn’t suitable for the work.
Test your knowledge on slips, trips and falls with our quiz: http://eac.eu/7k
A site supervisor in West Yorkshire has been fined after a co worker was left paralysed from the neck down after falling through an unprotected and fragile roof. He ignored the safe system of work provided by his employers and exposed workers to serious risks to their health and safety. http://eac.eu/7i
Young people operating high risk lifting equipment Managers should ensure young people under 18 years old are not permitted to use any high risk lifting machinery unless they are competent, trained and are adequately supervised to do so. http://eac.eu/7j
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The Queen’s Baton Relay seeks local nominations The big countdown to the XX Commonwealth Games in Glasgow has begun with the Queen’s Baton Relay beginning its epic journey from Buckingham Palace through the 70 nations and territories of the Commonwealth. The baton will come home to Scotland on 14 June 2014 and will spend 40 days visiting communities in length and breadth of the country. In East Ayrshire we are excited to announce that our communities will welcome the baton on Saturday 21 June and whilst there is still a lot of arrangements to be confirmed by Glasgow 2014, it is anticipated that it will visit several towns and villages throughout the area, and we hope to see a range of community events taking place to celebrate the visit. The full route will be revealed closer to the big day. Some 4000 baton bearers will be required to help carry the baton throughout Scotland on the final leg of its journey to the opening ceremony in Glasgow. Within East Ayrshire, the Council is seeking local heroes to carry the baton through our area. You can nominate a family member, a friend or someone who is active in your community. Nominated baton bearers will need to meet one, or more, of the following criteria: • made a positive contribution to the lives of others through community sport • undertaken voluntary work or contributed to schools or youth organisations • contributed towards greater inclusion for disadvantaged or marginalised sectors of the community • been a role model or mentor to youth through sport • displayed a level of individual achievement against the odds • made a significant contribution to their local community To nominate a community baton bearer complete the nomination form here: www.glasgow2014.com/nominations/nominator All completed applications must be received by 17:00 on Friday 22 November. Nominees must be over the age of 12 years and be UK citizens or have permission to reside in the UK.
Kilmarnock’s
Switch on Sunday 24 November 14.00 - 17.30 K I L M A R N O C K T O W N C E N T R E Gospel Choir•Sean Kennedy•Jai McDowall•Them Beatles•Jade Richards Christmas Market Community Stage Street Entertainment
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