North Edinburgh News – Page 2293 – The NEN

Edinburgh student provides ‘invaluable’ support for care residents during Lockdown

AN EDINBURGH student has been commended for her support after working at one of Scotland’s leading housing providers during the pandemic.

University of Edinburgh student, Ellen Kilgour, took on a care assistant role over the Summer providing personal care, social support and domestic assistance to help older people get through the pandemic.

The 19-year-old Medical Sciences student worked as part of the Bield at Home service team for over 60’s in Linlithgow and the surrounding area.

After universities were closed, Ellen took it upon herself to help those most vulnerable in her town, whilst gaining valuable work experience. She was passionate about taking on this role after her Gran had received care and support from the Bield at Home team.

Ellen, along with two other students from the University of Aberdeen and the University of Glasgow, were an invaluable asset to the Bield at Home team after members of the workforce had to self-isolate and shield over the course of lockdown.

Medical Sciences student, Ellen, said: “My Gran had received care from Bield at Home so I was fully aware of the services they provide and I wanted to be a part of that, to give something back. She received tremendous support from the carers and I could see how massive an impact it had on her life, and so I wanted to offer this quality of care to all the Bield customers.

“Although we are all lone workers when in the customers’ homes, our support network was fantastic. Whenever we were unsure of something, or had a question we got instant support from more experienced members of the Bield at Home team.

“Everyone looks out for each other which made it really easy to enjoy the work. All the carers have been so supportive.

“I love this job. Getting to know each and every one of the Bield customers was very enlightening. They all have different stories to tell, and can draw upon so many of their experiences through their lives, it was fascinating. It was a privilege to have built up a relationship with them all.”

Each of the students had to undergo rigorous training to meet the care standards of the Bield service as well as encapsulating the up-to-date Government guidelines on Covid-19.

Ellen was part of a care service team which operates between 7.30am – 9.30pm every day, and provided an additional emergency response service when necessary.

Bield Area Manager, Lorna Smith, thanked Ellen for her hard work and welcomed her back at any time. Lorna said: “Ellen provided an invaluable service to our hard working team. She approached this difficult, and in many ways vital role with enthusiasm and dedication.

“Everyone at the team were delighted how she fitted in and got on with the tasks. This has a very difficult and demanding period, and with Ellen’s support we have been able to continue providing a high quality service to all of our customers.

“We look forward to welcoming back Ellen in the near future.”

Bield at Home aim to improve the quality of life of older people by offering a diverse range of services. The service caters for those living within Bield’s West Port and Brae Court establishments, as well as offering support to those who live within a half mile radius of the housing developments.

Staff are not only SSSC certified, but they have also been equipped with sufficient PPE and relevant training.

In advance of using the service, a member of the Bield at Home management team will set up a meeting to discuss an individual’s needs, in order to outline a personal support plan.

Bield is committed to investing, changing and innovating its services and operations to address the needs of the next generation of older people.

For more information on Bield at Home call 01506 840846 or email homeedinburgh@bield.co.uk.

To find out more about Bield and its developments, visit www.bield.co.uk or follow on Facebook @bieldhousingandcare and Twitter @BieldScotland

Movie and TV buffs assemble!

Pop-culture retailer Lost Universe is recruiting a professional binge-watcher

● £300 cash payment to binge-watch geek movies or TV from your sofa

● One-year subscriptions to ALL the top streaming services up for grabs!

Lost Universe Binge-Watcher Dream Job_2.jpg

Pop-culture online retailer Lost Universe is recruiting for a seriously dreamy job, a geek movies and TV binge-watcher. All that’s required for the role is to rate three movies or TV episodes of choice from the latest superhero/Sci-Fi/fantasy releases.

The opportunity is a one-off project which will pay one talented movie or TV fanatic £300 for their binge-watching efforts, gift them a £30 voucher to spend at lostuniverse.com and will also offer the ultimate binge-watching bundle: ONE-YEAR subscriptions to ALL the top UK streaming platforms, from Netflix, Disney +, Amazon Prime and NOW TV Entertainment all the way to YouTube Premium.

Five runners-up will also win a £30 Lost Universe gift voucher each, giving pop-culture fans even more reasons to enter.

The dream job winner will enjoy best-in-class entertainment, including the latest from the Marvel or DC Universe, all the 11 Star Wars movies and TV show the Mandalorian (on Disney+), all seasons of Game of Thrones (on NOW TV), exclusive YouTube content with no ads, and much more.

Binge-Watcher Dream Job requirements

Lost Universe is the home of all things geek, offering a wide range of fan favourite licensed merch, including the most sought-after limited editions and exclusives, so they are looking for someone who lives and breathes pop-culture for the fun role. Job requirements list someone who obsesses over their favourite superhero/Sci-Fi/fictional characters, follows the latest movies and TV releases and reviews them with friends for fun, and even cite “owner of comfortable sofa/armchair for binge-watching preferred”, but the role is open to pop-culture newbies and veterans alike.

Sounds like a tough job indeed!

How to apply

It couldn’t be easier to apply, with the company asking applicants to upload a picture of themselves recreating a superhero/Sci-Fi/fictional character pose, either on Facebook or Instagram, mentioning the name of their chosen character in the description. They will need to tag @lostuniverse.club and use the competition hashtag #bingewatcherdreamjob.

Applicants are free to snap a fun pic using social media filters or improvising with stuff they have around the house – Lost Universe will judge entries based on creativity and following the superhero/Sci-Fi/fictional theme, and don’t require professional pictures, costumes or attire. The one-off binge-watcher job opportunity is encouraging all pop-culture fans to enter!

Applications are open until 28th October 11:59 PM and the winner will be announced on 2nd November on the Lost Universe website and social media. The one-off role is open to UK residents aged 18 and over.

For the full description of the role and the terms and conditions, please visit:

https://lostuniverse.com/blogs/lost-universe-blogs/binge-watcher-dream-job-applications-now-open

Council steps up customer contact to pre-Covid levels

Council officers handled over 250,000 inbound customer phone calls, 150,000 emails and 50,000 tweets at the height of the pandemic, as part of the city’s round the clock response to supporting residents in need.

The Contact Centre team has been thanked for their lockdown efforts – which have largely been from home – ahead of the Council’s move to re-instate all phone lines to pre-Covid levels.

From tomorrow (Monday 5 October) a full service will start to resume with 200 staff managing customer queries by social media, email and phone. This will take place remotely and from Council buildings, seven days a week, 24 hours a day.

Residents are being urged to keep going online where possible to save time and to keep phone lines free for those without digital access.

Councillor Rob Munn, interim Convener of the Finance and Resources Committee, said: “Our customer team has done an incredible job of supporting residents, with great care given to help some of our most vulnerable citizens during what has been a very challenging situation. I’d like to thank each one of them for this as they prepare to return to their usual roles.

“Over the last six months, we have seen more and more residents save time by going online to report an issue, request help or pay for services, and that’s something we want to see continue.

“We know increasing numbers of people would rather use their mobile phone, tablet or computer to contact us and the website is by far and away the quickest and simplest way to get in touch. The savings we make from digital service delivery can also be invested towards improving the city.

“That said, not everyone has the means, the ability or the want to go online. That’s why it’s also important that we start to reinstate our usual phone services again, and why we need people to help us keep these lines free and accessible for those who need them most.”

Councillor Joan Griffiths, Vice Convener of the Finance and Resources Committee, added: “The ways in which we communicate in our day-to-day lives have evolved this year and our Contact Centre team has had to adapt to the changing demands of the Council, of residents and of course the pandemic.

“More than ever, residents and businesses want and need to contact us and receive information digitally, and our officers offer a responsive social media and email service.

“We recognise that the team has helped an unprecedented number of residents with questions and concerns at all hours of the day, and that they have done this from home. It has been an incredible effort and I’m pleased that we’re now seeing a return to more phone lines being open too.

“We recently extended our ICT contract with CGI which will help us to move more services online and invest in new technology, as this is all part of our commitment to making Edinburgh a Smart City. I’m sure we’ll continue to see a sea change in the way people want to interact with our services and the demand for quick, useful online services will only increase.”

An emergency only service was introduced during lockdown so that the most critical customer queries could be prioritised as well as new phone lines to support people who were vulnerable and shielding.

Many officers were also redirected to boost welfare and benefits advice services and to process tens of thousands of applications for the Coronavirus business support scheme, which has allowed over £112m to be paid out in grants to local business owners.

The Council’s website is designed for reporting issues such as problems with street lighting, potholes and litter and there are currently 70 services available, ranging from requesting a new recycling bin to parking and licensing transactions. It is also simpler and quicker than ever to report, request or pay online, with customers no longer needing to register or sign in to their mygovscot account to use online waste services.

Since the drive to move customer contact online was launched in 2015, the number of transactions being processed by the Council online has risen to over 80,000 a month with the website receiving close to 288,000 visits every week.

Protecting education staff: COVID antibody survey launched

A nationwide voluntary survey of education staff in schools or Early Learning & Childcare settings will help identify whether those tested are likely to have had coronavirus (COVID-19).

The COVID-19 Antibody Survey in education Staff (CASS), launched on Friday, will help identify the proportion of people working in an education setting in Scotland who have had coronavirus by testing for antibodies in their blood.

COVID-19 has had a huge impact on life in Scotland and understanding how many people have had the virus, particularly those working in an education setting doing a variety of roles, and how this changes over time will inform the measures taken to limit risk and strengthen the ongoing pandemic response.

Following the return to school, protecting the health of all staff working in and around schools is crucial to ensure their safety and wellbeing as well as minimising the disruption of children’s education – a vital component to their own health and wellbeing.

This survey will use home testing kits provided through the UK Government antibody testing programme, which commenced in September 2020. The timing of this study allows for monitoring and the ability to track changes over the school year while staff are in their normal work environment. As the test looks at past infection, it will identify whether those tested are likely to have had the virus in the school year to date.

From the test, we aim to learn whether someone has been infected in the past, and understand how this relates to their occupation, and the setting in which they work. All of which will be important to inform future decision-making for the protection of Scotland’s education staff, and pupils as a result.

The tests, however, will not influence the activities of individuals who take part. This is because an antibody test provides information about whether someone is likely to have had the coronavirus before, but it does not provide information about an individual’s immunity, or whether they can or cannot spread the virus to other people.

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “This new survey, part of the schools surveillance led by Public Health Scotland, is an exciting opportunity to monitor COVID-19 antibodies in the education workforce.

“This will help us understand more about the virus within educational settings as well as understanding more about antibodies and any protection they may give. I would encourage teaching staff to sign up once they are invited to take part over the coming weeks. There is no need to do anything before you are contacted.”

Dr Diane Stockton, COVID-19 Social and System Recovery Lead said: “Scotland’s education staff are working tirelessly to ensure the health and safety of children so they can continue their education in the traditional school setting, spend time with their peers and get back to something more like normal.

“We recognise the impact the return to school has had on staff and the CASS study is intended to provide a more detailed look at this particular work setting and provide important surveillance for staff in the long-term.

“Any adult working in a school or Early Learning & Childcare setting in Scotland is eligible to sign up for the CASS study. What we learn from participants’ test results will support and strengthen Scotland’s response to COVID-19 and ensure school settings are as safe as they possibly can be for all.”

Cllr Gail Macgregor, COSLA Spokesperson for Resources said: “The Scottish Local Government workforce has and continues to play a vital role the response to COVID-19.

“Ensuring essential services can continue to be delivered safely is a critical part of supporting the health and wellbeing of everyone in our communities. The return to school has been a vital step in not only ensuring the education of children and young people is maintained, but also in strengthening their mental health and wellbeing.

“Doing so has been a whole workforce effort and it is therefore key that all employees who work in and around schools are encouraged to take part in the CASS survey.

“Whether you are a teacher, a pupil support assistant, a cleaner, janitor, caterer or any other of the many roles that keep our schools running, we need you to take part. Doing so will help ensure we know as much as possible about COVID-19 and that we can continue to protect you and everyone in our communities.”

The CASS study is part of a larger programme of enhanced surveillance in schools. People working in education and Early Learning Centres can expect to see communications from their employers and places of work with further information about participating in this study over the coming weeks.

Twenty-year journey for the social service workforce

Social service workers and the key role they have played in supporting some of Scotland’s most vulnerable citizens during COVID-19 have quite rightly been recognised as a vital part of the health and social care system.

Their prominence and recognition come at the same time as a significant milestone is reached in the regulation of social service workers, marking a 20-year journey towards a trusted, qualified and safe workforce.

Lorraine Gray, SSSC Chief Executive said: ‘The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the social care, social work and early years workforce into the public eye and shown that they are a professional, qualified and skilled workforce with parity alongside other similar roles, such as health.

‘The aspiration of the original legislation passed almost 20 years ago to protect people who use social services is coming to fruition with people in social care and early years joining social work to create a fully qualified, accountable workforce.

‘The stories we’ve heard from the sector about how they’ve coped in the most challenging circumstances are just awe inspiring and it’s these individuals who have helped services to continue delivering high quality care to the people who need it most.

‘What comes through most of all are the values and compassion of workers, many of whom could never imagine doing anything else, such is their commitment and dedication.

‘The Scottish Government’s independent review of adult social care is an opportunity to acknowledge those workers, giving them not only the recognition they deserve for the life changing work they do but also the opportunity to change the way society values their role.

‘Adult social care alone contributes more than £13bn each year to the Scottish economy, which is more than agriculture, forestry and fishing, so the economic importance of social services shouldn’t be overlooked either.’

Regulation of Care

The Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001 set a vision for a registered, qualified and professional social service workforce with Codes of Practice setting the behaviours and values every worker must work to.

It meant social service workers in a wide range of roles; from social workers to day care of children workers and care home workers to residential childcare workers; have to register with the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC).

SSSC registration requires workers to hold, or be working towards, a relevant qualification for their role and work to the SSSC Codes of Practice.

A trusted, skilled and confident workforce

One in 13 people employed in Scotland work in social services.
The adult social care sector contributes £13.4bn a year to the economy.
The last group of workers the SSSC Register opened to was support workers in care at home and housing support in October 2017. Some 61,920 of them were registered by the deadline of 30 September 2020.
There are 166,282 people on the SSSC Register working in a range of roles.
This represents 80% of the total social service workforce in Scotland, as not all roles require to register, for example directly employed personal assistants.

UK Parents toying with their children’s safety

Parents have been warned that children in the UK are at risk of death or serious injury from the sale of unsafe toys through various online marketplaces.

Health and safety experts from CE Safety say parents should ensure they are not buying cheap, unsafe or fake toys on the market, as there is an increasing trend towards unregulated sellers flooding online marketplaces.

Buying toys online is often the cheapest and easiest way of buying children’s playthings, but illegal toys can be very dangerous.

The British Toy and Hobby Association conducted a test on many toys sourced from online marketplaces, which has exposed the serious safety failures, with many posing a terrifying risk to children.

Among the breaches are toys with small parts that are a choking hazard to under-3s, as well as small button batteries that could be easily removed by young children and would kill them if swallowed.

A spokesperson for CE Safety said: “Responsible toy brands work tirelessly to adhere to health and safety standards, but there is a lack of regulation in popular online marketplaces such as Amazon and eBay.

“There are even counterfeit copies of genuine products, including Disney Frozen dolls, Elf on the Shelf, LOL Electric Princess Doll and a Harry Potter Movie Castle game.

“Parents often assume that a branded toy meets safety regulations, but this is often not the case. Many traders fail to provide safety warnings on products or traceable contact details.

“British parents need to stop this threat to children’s safety, and make sure they are clued up with how to safely buy toys online.”

Here are CE Safety’s tips on how to make sure British parents are safely buying toys online:

Traditional retailers are trusted

If parents don’t feel comfortable with buying online, go for peace of mind with a brand that is known and trusted. Most retailers now sell their stock online too and often they have more choice online than in their stores.

Research is key

Search the company that makes the toy, and include the toy name in the online search. All toys that flouted Toy Safety Directive regulations in the BTHA’s study were from third-party sellers. Never assume the marketplace has done any checks on these traders.

Check the reviews

While some reviews on product information can be unreliable and generated dishonestly, try to assess who is responding. Pay particular attention to negative feedback that sounds very genuine. Customer feedback is vital in the research stage of buying a toy online.

Does the trader usually sell toys?

Check the Amazon or eBay seller account and what their business focus is. If they don’t have a prior history of selling online toys then this could be a red flag. Again, check the reviews.

Check for a UK or EU address?

This should be listed somewhere on their site. Having an address is a legal requirement to sell toys in the UK. If British parents can’t find their address then the seller is not accountable. And if they’re not accountable, what else are they not bothering to comply with?

Beware of the price

If the price is too good to be true, it probably is. The reason it might be cheaper is that it could be falling short of the standards required in the UK, with poor quality materials that may be unsafe. Quality testing and meeting the necessary safety regulations is costly to businesses, which is why genuine products can be more expensive to manufacture.

How to spot a counterfeit toy

If parents see the words ‘compatible with (brand name)’ on packaging or marketing, it could be that this product is posing as a genuine known brand. Is the product cheaper than usual without being on sale?

For more information, please visit this comprehensive guide on buying toys safely online.

Indulge at Home for Autumn/Winter

by MARK McCARTHY, owner of MARK DAVID SALON in Henderson Row

With current pandemic it’s so important for us to take time for ourselves at home to relax, indulge and have some self-care time. The colder months can also play havoc on our hair and leave our hair looking dry and frizzy and therefore it’s so important that we look after our hair and ensure we are keeping it moisturised at all times.

In the salon, after you have had a treatment with us, we provide you with a hot towel with lavender, which accentuates the hair treatment and allows you really unwind and feel good. To do this at home we have put together some simple steps:

1. Wash your hair in the shower and once you come out, dry out your hair and get rid of any excess water by patting it with a hair towel (not rubbing) before getting changed into your favourite lounging outfit or dressing gown.

2. Get a hand towel and drench this with water.

3. Wring out the water and add some essential oil to the hand towel. (If you do not have any essential oil you can use a few sprays of your favourite perfume).

4. Heat your towel in the microwave to a temperature that suits (be careful as the towel can be very hot!)

5. Apply your favourite treatment to your damp hair.

6. Wrap your hair in the hot towel and set up your sofa to enjoy 15 minutes of bliss!

7. Once you’ve finished this step you can rinse and then dry your hair as normal with your hairdryer and it should feel soft and silky and the experience will have made you feel a lot more relaxed and pampered!

Follow the MARKDAVID salon on Instagram at

https://www.instagram.com/markdavidsalon/

and for bookings call 0131 285 0991.

“Don’t Play Covid Russian Roulette”

Hospitality Group Warns of House Party Boom if Lockdown Tightened

A group of Scotland’s most successful restaurant and bar operators have pleaded with customers to stay away from house parties this weekend, after Scotland’s National Clinical Director highlighted household mixing was a major driver of the upsurge in Covid infections.

The Scottish Hospitality Group, whose members employ over 6,000 people, has also warned that any further tightening of lockdown in the sector will drive a boom in illegal gatherings in homes across the country and will force many pubs, restaurants and hotels to close their doors permanently.

SHG spokesman Stephen Montgomery, who runs two successful hotels in Dumfries, said: “Professor Jason Leitch was spot-on when he identified household mixing as the major cause of increased infections.

“Unlike in bars and restaurants, where there is track and trace, social distancing, PPE and strict hygiene rules, if you go to a house party this weekend, you’re just playing Covid Russian Roulette.

“We’re urging people to follow the official advice not to take the huge risk of socialising at home, and to do so safely in Scotland’s bars and restaurants, where they can be sure that all possible precautions have been taken to look after them properly.

“Scotland’s bars and restaurants are a vital part of the fight against the spread of Covid. If we are locked down or the restrictions on us are tightened, it will simply drive more people to socialise at home, with the inevitable increases in Covid that will follow.”

Kenny Blair, founder of Buzzworks, which operates 12 venues in Ayrshire, said: “Publicans and restaurateurs have followed Scottish Government guidance to the letter. We are a vital part of the solution to combatting Covid.

“We’re the only safe place people can socialise, and the figures from SHG members – over 1.8million customers served since July, with only 17 confirmed cases – show that the Government’s own measures are working really effectively.

“However, the clear feedback we are getting from many in our industry right across the country is that they are only just managing to stay afloat. If we have further restrictions imposed or, God forbid, another lockdown, it will be Armageddon for a sector which employs more young Scots people than any other.”

The Scottish Hospitality Group comprises many of the country’s largest and best-known restaurant and bar businesses, including The DRG Group, Buzzworks Holdings, Signature Pubs, Montpeliers, Manorview Group, Lisini Pub Co, Caledonia Inns, G1 Group, Siberia Bar & Hotel, Mor-Rioghain Group, and Caledonian Heritable.

Share your stories of lockdown learning and teaching

Education Scotland wants to celebrate the fantastic work we know has taken place right across the country over the last few months – and we need your help!

The COVID-19 pandemic led to the sudden closure of school buildings and other learning sites. There were many examples of extraordinary work across the entire education system to support learners and communities.

For many learners, this was through distance and online platforms, with different forms of on-going contact with their teachers, childcare workers, youth workers, tutors and others. Of course, for children and young people, support from parents and carers continued to be key to their learning.

We’d like you to share your stories with us and we’ll use as many as we can to create a book of celebration to showcase the important work carried out by educators, learners, parents and communities at this unprecedented time.

Check out our website for more information, but be quick – the closing date for submissions is 10 October.

We can’t wait to hear your story!

Lottery win for Gyle neighbours

Three people in North West Edinburgh are celebrating after winning £1,000 each thanks to their lucky postcode.

The North Bughtlinfield neighbours netted the windfall when EH12 8XZ was announced as a Daily Prize winner with People’s Postcode Lottery on Thursday (1st October).

People’s Postcode Lottery ambassador Judie McCourt sent her well-wishes to the winners. She said: “Congratulations to our winners. What a great surprise to hear on a Thursday morning!”

A minimum of 32% of ticket sales goes directly to charities and players of People’s Postcode Lottery have raised over £600 million to date for thousands of good causes in Britain and beyond.

This draw was promoted on behalf of Canal & River Trust which has received more than £10 million in funding thanks to players. It cares and brings life to over 2,000 miles of canals and rivers across England and Wales. It believes waterways have the power to make a difference to people’s lives and that spending time by water can make us all healthier and happier.

Many good causes close to the winners have also benefitted from players’ support, and local charities can apply for funding next year.

For more information onPeople’s Postcode Lottery, please visit www.postcodelottery.co.uk or Facebook and Twitter.