Grapevine
Ho ho ho! It’s that jolly time of year again, when most of us get to kick back, relax, and enjoy a festive mince pie (or three). But before you put on your holiday sweater and settle into watching Gavin & Stacey, Love Actually or Die Hard (depending on your tastes), we’ve got something equally exciting in store for you –the Christmas edition of TARGET!
Now, we know that the holidays are a time for giving, sharing, and counting our blessings (like that extra helping of Christmas pudding), but it’s also a time to reflect on all the incredible work that the Tayside Contracts team does year-round
And while most of us are sipping mulled wine and enjoying turkey with all the trimmings, there’s a dedicated group of colleagues who will be out there, on standby, or even working through the festive season No rest for the heroic, as they say! So, while you're unwrapping gifts and binge-watching Christmas specials, think of those who are keeping everything running smoothly for Tayside You are the unsung heroes of the holiday season So, raise a glass to them - just don’t spill it on your laptop!
This special Christmas edition is jam-packed with some truly fantastic articles that highlight the work our people do to support our local communities. We’ve got stories that shine a spotlight on our front-line staff, from those in Catering, that are the backbone of school and community meals lunches, our FM and Cleaning colleagues who keep buildings and people safe, to the teams out there maintaining roads and infrastructure, ensuring that the local area is safe accessible for everyone - even in a snowstorm!
And let’s not forget our essential and dedicated teams working behind the scenes in Transport, Stores, Business Support, Procurement, Finance, HR, Safety & Training, Equalities & Communications, Property and IT, keeping the gears of Tayside Contracts running smoothly and supremely effectively. We couldn’t do it without you!
But there’s more! We’ve got heart-warming features on how we give back to our communities, including those acts of kindness that make such a difference, especially at this time of year
Whether it's supporting local charities, providing vital services, or offering a helping hand to those in need, Tayside Contracts is there - making Christmas feel just that little bit more special for so many.
So, as you flip through this Christmas edition, take a moment to appreciate the dedication and hard work that keeps Tayside Contracts ticking all year long. Enjoy the stories, the people, the laughs, and the festive spirit that brings us all together Here’s wishing you a Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year, and a well-deserved break – unless you’re working, of course, in which case, we’ll save you a piece of cake (it’s only fair!)
Stay safe, stay jolly, and thank you for everything you do!
Gordon Hally, retirement
Gordon Hally, Roadworker 5 at Ruthvenfield Depot retired on 30/08/2024, two days before his 64th birthday, following a lifelong career spanning 46 years and 75 days which commenced on 18/05/1978. Gordon was only 17 years old when he started at Auchterarder Depot before moving to Craigiehaugh Depot in Perth and finally to Ruthvenfield Depot.
Gordon was well-liked and respected and will be missed by all his colleagues, who wish him all the best in his well-earned retirement.
Gordon, who has not previously held a passport, intends to put that right and enjoy some foreign travel with his wife Elaine. First on the list is a long-held ambition to visit Rome and see the sites.
Tayside Contracts would like to thank Gordon for his service and commitment and hope that he enjoys a long and fulfilled retirement.
Peter McCann’s retiral
It’s something of an end to an era at Pe Workshop, Arbroath when Peter McCann 20 December. Peter initially served apprenticeship as a mechanic with Angus starting in 1975 – yes, 49 years ago be becoming ‘time served. He then transferre the current Fleet Partnership arrangeme Angus Council to Tayside Contracts in 20 moved to flexible retirement in Septemb working 3 days a week, as part of his tran or some may say “winddown” toward retirement. Peter has a wide and len experience that has made him an inva member of the Peasiehill workshop team his presence and banter will be sorely mi wish him well in his retirement.
by Bob Ritchie – Transport Manager
On the 31st October, we said farewell to three senior members of our Facilities Services Division. Frank Reilly, Head of Facilities Services and HR, Gary Conway, Facilities Business Manager, Dundee and John Bow, Facilities Business Manager, Angus, with 88 years service between them.
Frank had 31 years local authority service, joining Tayside Contracts as Senior Personnel Officer in 2001 from P&K Council.
We wish Frank all the best in his retirement.
Gary had 26 years local authority service, joining Tayside Contracts as Sector Manager in 1998
We wish Gary all the best in his retirement
John had 31 years local authority service, joining Tayside Contracts as Area Cleaning Services Manager in 1993.
We wish John all the best in his retirement.
Frank Reilly
Gary Conway
John Bow
Developing our Workforce
EV Training
Through Tayside Contracts close working relationship with Dundee & Angus College in the delivery of various training and development programmes across our service. We are pleased to be connecting further, taking advantage of the courses and funding available to train mechanics in the maintenance of Electric Vehicles (EV’s).
We are currently building on previous opportunities around EV training to extend the depth and knowledge of our mechanics to obtain Level 3 standard in the maintenance of electric vehicles (EVs). This will not only allow us to maintain the growing number of EV vehicles on our internal fleet and that of Angus Council (who we deliver a Fleet Management & Maintenance Service for), it will also allow us to support our other council partners as necessary and potentially to the external private market. It is vital that our workshop staff are equipped to maintain the growing EV fleet and this training is a vital component in achieving this.
by Bob Ritchie – Transport Manager
With over 25 years of experience in the design and manufacture of all types of signage for the public and private sector.
From the initial design stage to the full manufacture and installation of signage, we offer a full range of professional signage services.
The Sign Shop offer competitive pricing, meet exacting deadlines and are flexible in adapting to your requirements If you have any queries or questions about signage or sign design, don’t hesitate to contact a member of the team email signshop@tayside-contracts.co.uk
by Stevie Doyle, Sign Shop Supervisor
SIGN SHOPwork
Click to view our brochure
New signs in Edzell New signs in Edzell
The Sign Shop has recently enhanced its presence in Edzell with the installation of new signs. These signs celebrate the friendship agreement between Edzell and Sauze d’Oulx, Italy
TayCuisine has rece delivery of two Citro freezer vans with a th shortly. These will be u with the delivery of meals to various Hub across the Dundee, A Perth and Kinross area Manager at TayCuisin she was delighted with were her drive
VaNS
or Tay Cuisine
by Bob Ritchie – Transport Manager
Gritter Naming Gritter Naming ‘Big Neil’
Neil Barton was a long serving and highly valued employee of Tayside Contracts from 1993 until his unfortunate passing in March 2022 Neil was a very accomplished and well regarded chargehand specialising in the erection of vehicle safety fencing as well as other road maintenance skills. Like the majority of our Construction employees, he was also a very skilled and accomplished winter
maintenance operative, driving gritters and snow ploughs out of Kinross Depot for many years. Neil was usually allocated to the route which covers Kinnesswood and passed his own front door.
When we were approached by his daughter, Rachel, advising how her mother, Neil’s widow Pauline, was upset each time she saw the gritter passing by her bringing back memories of Neil, we were only too happy to help with Rachel’s request to name that gritter after Neil. So, the six wheeled DAF gritter which operates in the area has now been named ‘Big Neil’ We’re sure that this will now bring happier memories to mind and a smile to Mrs Barton’s face.
by Bob Ritchie, Transport Manager
Further Success at World Skills Finals - Further Success at World Skills Finals -
Dundee apprentice mechanic Dundee apprentice mechanic
by Bob Ritchie – Transport Manager
Dundee apprentice mechanic Callum Stewart attended the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) Skills Finals late November where he showcased his exceptional skills on a national stage.
Callum travelled to Swindon to compete in the prestigious IMI Skills Competition Finals, an event celebrating the very best young talent across various automotive disciplines.
Callum’s journey to the finals is particularly significant, as he was one of three Edinburgh College students who competed in the regional heats. Significantly, Thomas Twaddle, an apprentice at Peasiehill Workshop in Arbroath, was one of the other two. They represented a large number of competitors in the Heavy Vehicle Engineering category. Callum won his heat outright before heading to Swindon as one of only six finalists nationally.
From left to right:
Bob Ritchie, Transport Manager, Callum Stewart, Apprentice Mechanic, Keith McNamara, Managing Director
During the final, Callum and his peers undertook six timed challenges on heavy vehicles over two days, Wednesday 20 and Thursday 21 November, which tested their skills and knowledge relating to vehicle repairs, safety and inspection. The winner and medallists were announced at an awards ceremony held in Manchester on Friday, 22 November. At the ceremony Callum was awarded the bronze medal, coming third overall. This is a significant achievement in such a prestigious competition.
For our part at Tayside Contracts were delighted to have supported Callum on this journey. His participation in the IMI Skills final is a testament to his talent and hard work. It also reflects highly on his colleagues within Dundee workshop who have helped Callum in learning his trade. We wish him the very best of luck for the future.
Transport Services
Continued Apprenticeship Engagement
In Transport we have a lengthy record of ‘growing our own’ through our apprentice programme
It was therefore pleasing that in September Ciaran Duke in Dundee and Jake Wightman in Perth completed their four year fixed term contracts and accepted the offer of full time contracts as mechanics within their respective workshops.
At the same time, two new apprentices were recruited. Jack Rundle is in Dundee and Lewis Wilson is in Blairgowrie.
We wish all four the best of luck goi
by Bob Ritchie – Transport Manager
Long Service Recognition Quarry Catch-up
Scott Marnoch, Collace Quarry, was unfortunately unable to attend the long service recognition presentation ceremony held on 19th September, however the team at Collace couldn’t let this significant achievement go by without recognition.
On a recent visit to Collace, Dougie McKay, Head of Operations (pictured left) took the time to thank Scott (pictured right) for his dedication and hard work over the last 25 years and present him with his much deserved long service award.
Scott started with Tayside Contracts on 8th November 1999, working within Perth Operations, then moved on to Collace on 1st April 2011, where he took on the role of Coating Plant Operator.
I would like to thank Scott for his dedication, hard work and passion with Tayside Contracts and for producing the best asphalt in the region.
by Greg Campopiano, Quarry Manager
Ciaran Duke Jake Wightman
On Thursday 19 September we held our Long Service Recognition Awards for those employees who had reached 25 years service. This was held in the grand surroundings of the City Chambers, Dundee City Council We were delighted to be joined by Provost Bill Campbell who welcomed and thanked everyone for their long service and presented each employee with their certificate and well-deserved vouchers. I'm sure there was some Christmas shopping straight after the ceremony. Well done and thank you to each of you for your hard work and loyal service
George Anderson, 25 years
Sandra Anderson, 25 years
Barry Brown, 25 years
Alistair Bruce, 25 years
Elaine Burgess, 25 years
Miriam Cosgrove, 25 years
Annette Dow, 25 years
Sheila Duffy , 25 years
John Findlay, 25 years
Avril Forbes, 25 years
Carol Holman , 25 years
Denise Hunter, 25 years
Mark Livingstone, 25 years
Greg McKenzie , 25 years
Fiona Neave, 25 years
Isobel Rattray, 25 years
Fiona Ritchie, 25 years
Isla Robertson, 25 years
Ian Stewart, 25 years
Rose White, 25 years
Hilary Wilkie, 25 years
We are delighted to announce that the nomination f Tayside Excellence Awards 2025 are now OP
We are excited to also announce that the 2025 ceremony wi Click on the images below to make your nom
These awards ar office-based) who have worked o January 2025.
FACES
We are delighted to welcome Mojeed (Mo) Adeboye to the Estimating and Business Improvement Team.
The Dundee Roads Maintenance Partnership (DRMP) are delighted to introduce our new Assistant Project Engineer, Blair Shaw, to the team. Blair started with the DRMP in August joining from AMEY where he worked as a Highways Engineer. Prior to working with AMEY, he also held the role as a highway’s inspector with BEAR Scotland.
Blair has hit the ground running immediately and fitted in seamlessly within our operations team, managing the DRMP’s lining and signing operations and is looking forward to his first winter running our mini plough operations In his spare time Blair enjoys walking his dog Cash
by Graeme Allan, Depute RMP Manager, Dundee Blair Shaw
Originally from Nigeria, Mo earned his BSc in Building Construction in 2018 and honed his skills on various projects as a Site Manager and Project Manager in his native Nigeria. Most recently, in 2024, Mo achieved in Masters in Sustainability and Environmental Modelling from the University of Dundee, further solidifying his passion for sustainable practices in construction.
Mo has a diverse experience in construction management, data analysis, and environmental development and will play a key role in supporting the departments ongoing projects and is excited to contribute as a member of the Climate Change Group.
We’re thrilled to have Mo on board and look forward to his contributions!
by Mark Melnyk, Business Improvement Manager
Mojeed (Mo) Adeboye
by Michael Colgan, RMP Manager
As the winter months approach, Tayside Contracts prepares for the challenges brought on by colder weather. From icy roads to heavy snowfalls, winter conditions can pose significant risks to safety and infrastructure. However, our operations teams are ready for whatever the winter of 2024/25 will throw at us, and as always, we’ll endeavour to ensure the region remains safe and accessible during the harsh winter season. Winter is an around the year process for Tayside Contracts and when you are putting the winter your coats into storage and preparing to get “beach body” ready, departments across the organisation are hard at work ensuring the following winter season is fully prepared for.
Winter maintenance is a shared responsibility between Tayside Contracts and our client partners; Dundee City Council, Perth and Kinross Council, and Angus Council. These authorities work collaboratively with Tayside Contracts to ensure that their respective areas are well-prepared for winter conditions This includes everything from gritting roads to ensuring the integrity of public services such as waste collection and emergency response. In conjunction with each Council, a winter plan to address the specific needs of its area has been developed, considering a number of factors including public transport and rural communities.
With our client partners and our inhouse training departments, extensive training is delivered to our winter operatives before the winter season commences, including refresher training on routes and specialist plant operation training, ensuring most importantly that the winter service is delivered in a safe and efficient manner.
Salt arrives to our various winter depots during the summer months, with thousands of tonnes delivered between June and August to supplement an already extensive supply of salt which is held at strategic locations throughout Tayside, with further deliveries ordered to replenish supplies as and when required. In addition to maintaining our fleet of operational plant and vehicles throughout the year, our workshop team spend the summer months servicing and preparing our winter fleet for the forthcoming winter season.
There are over 2,500 grit bins located throughout the Tayside region which are replenished before the cold weather starts, then refilled throughout the season as usage levels require. This allows communities to ensure that everyone remains as safe as possible during winter events.
Across Tayside, an extensive fleet of specialist winter equipment is situated across multiple depots ready to be deployed to keep the areas carriageways and footways passable and safe. This fleet consists of over 120 items of specialist winter equipment, from traditional carriageway and footway gritters, to specialist snow blowers.
Winter maintenance in Tayside is not without its challenges One of the biggest hurdles is the unpredictability of the weather. As temperatures fluctuate, Councils must constantly adapt to changing conditions, balancing the need to treat roads, with the costs and logistics.
Predicting and responding to changing weather conditions is essential for effective winter maintenance, thus the real-time weather data and forecasts received from our service partners are vital. These forecasts guide the decisionmaking process, helping maintenance teams prepare for sudden temperature drops or snowfalls that may affect road conditions. This information is provided by weather stations and road sensors which monitor road surface temperatures and guide when action is needed.
Regardless of the round the year efforts to ensure we are prepared, winter would not be successfully delivered without our dedicated frontline workforce. Our frontline workforce are vital to keeping the roads and footways of Tayside safe and passable around the clock, so that when your alarm goes off in the morning, you can go about your day with minimum disruption.
This vital service runs from October to April and every day is covered. Whether it be the weekend, Christmas or New Year, like Santa, our frontline staff will be out working hard. On Christmas day alone, nearly 100 staff are available to react if necessary. When the snow inevitably arrives, Tayside Contracts is fully prepared for the worst. With a well-established support network of local farmers and our clients supplementing our winter efforts, even the worst weather can be tackled successfully. Whatever and whenever the weather, we’ve got it covered.
byJonHazleton, ProjectManager
O R
(score was 17 but under the rules we can publicly only mark the score with a 9 goal difference)
Our very own Steven McLean, Roadworker 5 from Ruthvenfield Depot has been nominated for Scottish Women’s Football Youth Coach of the Year. He had 1 in 4 chance of winning the award.
The league cup is played across 2 regions within the SWF - East Region (Tayisde & Fife) South East.
They won the SWF Cross East / South East Region u18 League Cup.
Final - played at Ainslie Park, home of Spartans FC Jeanfield Swifts 1 - Musselburgh Windsor Whites 0
Semi Final - Jeanfield Swifts 5 - Raith Rovers Colts 2
Quarter Final - Bo'ness United 1 - Jeanfield 8
1st round - Edinburgh South 1Jeanfield Swifts 10
Well done Steven!
CARPARKUPGRADE CARPARKUPGRADE CARPARKUPGRADE
by Graeme Allan Depute RMP Manager, Dundee
The Dundee Roads Maintenance Partnership (DRMP) recently were tasked with the upgrading of the Templeton Woods car park and access road for Dundee City Councils Neighbourhood Services team.
Initial quotations for this project far exceeded the budget the Neighbourhood Services team had available for the project, so the DRMP were engaged to value engineer, project manage and construct all works By utilising the in-house knowledge within the DRMP, this project was able to be successfully delivered within the client’s original budget.
This project involved a significant amount of kerbing work, with timber edging installed around the perimeter of the car park and precast concrete kerb installed within the main car park to separate the parking bays and the main access carriageway.
The upgrade work considered the existing levels within the car park where water retention had been a particular issue due to the lack of formalised drainage, with the revised DRMP design ensuring that all rain fall was naturally encouraged to run into the surrounding forestry, avoiding ponding of water within the main parking area
Parking bays were constructed in Type 1 topped off with chippy dust, with the main carriageway being constructed from traditional bituminous material, all sourced from Collace quarry. Given the location of these works, the operational team had to take extra care that no damage was done to any tree roots at any stage of the project. All works were delivered to a very high standard and were a great example of the benefits in working closely with our client partners.
before during after
Winter Slips, Trips and Falls
Slips, Trips and Falls already account for around 30% of workplace accidents in the UK. These can often result in serious or significant injuries. In fact, in 2023, over 200,000 days were lost at work due to slips and trips. As we rapidly approach winter and temperatures continue to drop, slips, trips and falls only continues to worsen due to the inclement weather.
Our Severe Weather Management of Slip Risks Procedure, which can be found on our website outlines some simple steps that we can take to make slips, trips and falls this winter, a thing of the past.
As detailed within this procedure, Tayside Contracts management will take all reasonably practicable measures to prevent the risk of slipping, however a large degree of responsibility for avoiding slips and falls in severe weather conditions lies with employees.
So, what can we do?
We can take reasonable care and attention when there is extreme weather conditions and travel with caretake your time and walk deliberately, shortening your stride to maintain better balance. Walk flat-footed or shuffle to keep your centre of gravity, keeping your hands free for balance and avoid rushing.
Only use approved exit points being aware that during extreme weather conditions, not all parking bays, walkways and thoroughfares will be treated. All main entrance and exit points will be prioritised when there are icy conditions underfoot.
Winter Slips, Trips and Falls
Wear appropriate footwear for the weather conditions, choosing shoes or boots with good traction. Rubber soles or shoes with deep treads provide better grip on ice and snow. Avoid smooth-soled shoes, such as dress shoes or high heels.
Wherever possible, walk on areas that have been treated with salt and grit or have been cleared. Stick to wellcleared footpaths and avoid shortcuts through snow or across icy surfaces. Watch out for black ice too. This can be very hard to spot but extremely slippery.
Where they are available, always use handrails when walking up or down stairs or on ramps. You could also support yourself on stable objects, like walls or railings, whenever possible.
And finally if you are driving, please be mindful that it is not always possible to clear whole carparks of snow so you may step out of your car onto untreated conditions.
Slip, Trip & Fall incidents are almost always avoidable & with a little input from everybody, we can avoid many potentially nasty incidents this winter.
by Chris Brown, Health and Safety Adviser
Dundee Catering Teams Praised at Civic Reception
The fantastic work that our Catering teams provide in support of Dundee Bairns, was highly praised at a Civic Reception in Dundee City Chambers on 26th November.
I was honoured to attend the Civic Reception in recognition of Dundee Bairns, on behalf of Tayside Contracts, alongside our Convener, Steven Rome. If you are not familiar with Dundee Bairns, they are a charity which supports some of the most vulnerable children in Dundee. Tayside Contracts has been helping Dundee Bairns in two main ways since around 2016. Firstly, we provide holiday meals to fill the gap for these children who would otherwise go without a meal during the school holiday period Secondly, we provide meals for their Tea Clubs, which combine a hot meal with after-school homework and other activities This project has demonstrated improvements in pupils’ attainment, confidence, and engagement with learning, which is a great achievement.
So, a huge thanks to Diane Wilson and Susan Findleton who work closely with David’s team - and to the superstars at Balgartho and North East Campus who defy all challenges to make it their mission to ensure the bairns of Dundee don’t go hungry I’m so delighted that your dedication was recognised in this way is speech at the Civic Reception, id Dorward, Chair of Dundee Bairns d all the partners that support the rity. Top of David’s list was Tayside tracts, and David was passionate in praise of our catering colleagues, o do so much to help the charity and vulnerable children David cribed the support our people vide as ‘formidable’ According to David over 500,000 meals have been provided for vulnerable children since Dundee Bairns started
by Keith McNamara Managing Director
Provost Bill Campbell
David Dorward MBE
Annual Performance Report
A Year of Dedication and Achievement
As we bid farewell to another successful year, Tayside Contracts is excited to share our Annual Performance Report, which was recently approved by the Joint Committee in November. And let me tell you - this year’s report is filled to the brim with examples of the dedication, hard work, and relentless commitment that our people bring to their roles every single day. Whether you're behind the scenes or in a public facing role, this report has something that will make you proud. It certainly made me proud to be part of 'Team TC'.
For those of you who haven’t yet had a chance to dive into the report, now’s the perfect time It’s packed with incredible stories from across the organisation, all showcasing the vital role we play in supporting our local communities, businesses, and fellow colleagues. The report was described as 'really excellent' at the recent Joint Committee, with Councillors recognising the valued support they receive from Tayside Contracts
The report isn’t just about numbers and statistics - though, let’s be clear, there are plenty of impressive ones to go around! It’s also a celebration of the people behind those results. There are stories of teamwork, problem-solving, and the kind of community spirit that makes Tayside Contracts not just a workplace, but a family.
So why should you take the time to read the Annual Performance Report? Simply put, it’s a fantastic reminder of the important work we all do and the positive impact we have on the communities we serve It’s a chance to reflect on our collective achievements and to see just how far we’ve come as an organisation. As we look ahead to the year to come, let’s continue to build on the successes of this past year The Annual Performance Report is more than just a reflection of what we’ve done - it’s a source of inspiration and a motivation to keep striving for excellence.
So, grab a cup of tea, sit back, and enjoy the read. And who knows - you might spot some well-deserved recognition for yourself or your team along the way!
Introducing the new Introducing the new Procurement Team Procurement Team
Some of you may already have met and worked with the new members of the Procurement Team however here we put a face to the name and a little bit of background Annemarie and Andy both joined Tayside Contracts in September from external recruitment processes and Fiona in October following a successful internal appointment process. The team are currently developing new procedures and processes that will provide efficiency, deliver best value and ensure compliance for the organisation. This is an ongoing process while the team continue to deliver existing procurement requirements and will be communicated in full to the organisation in due course. In the meantime, if you need advice or help with anything relating to procurement please contact the team by emailing tcprocurement@taysidecontractscouk or by calling 01382 834114 where they will be happy to assist
MEET THE TEAM
Annemarie Hannaway, Procurement Manager
I joined Tayside Contracts from City of Edinburgh Council where I was contracted as a Senior Procurement Specialist Consultant. My experience in Procurement has been solely in the Public Sector starting in 2012 as a Procurement Development Officer at River Clyde Homes, following that Corporate Procurement Officer at Inverclyde Council and Corporate Category Manager at the University of Dundee prior to the position at City of Edinburgh
I am delighted to join Tayside Contracts with the new team and be part of the positive changes the organisation is undertaking.
I am a west coaster a “daughter of the rock” born and bred in Dumbarton and I settled back in Dundee in 2020 when my son began studying at Abertay University (previously I attended the same institution when it was Dundee College of Technology) I am a big football fan and now that my son is about to fly the nest, I am enjoying a healthy social life and have lots of exciting travel plans.
Andy
Arnot, Procurement Officer
I have worked in the private sector for a number of years, building a good client base but wanted to expand my knowledge of procurement in the public sector and knew Tayside Contracts could offer this. I like football and spending time with my family.
Fiona Armstrong, Assistant Procurement Officer
I’ve worked for Tayside Contracts since 2016 in HR Admin, initially as a Clerical Assistant then most recently as Acting Business Support Assistant. I’ve always been curious about Procurement so when the Assistant Procurement Officer was advertised, I saw it as my chance to challenge myself and learn something new.
New Recruitment and Onboarding Platform
Watch our short video to preview our new recruitment platform!
Lighten the Load of Seasonal Affective Disorder
Throughout the calendar year, the HR Team highlight awareness events such as Men’s Health Week, Samaritans Awareness Day and World Suicide Prevention Day.
As the cold snap has started to bite, many of us are affected by the dark days and cold weather, which often affects our mood, energy and focus This is known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
Vivup have published a blog offering practical advice to help manage SAD. Read the blog by clicking here!
Remember – As part of your employee benefits package, we have partnered with Vivup to provide you with access to a dedicated Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) where you can receive completely confidential, impartial assistance from qualified counsellors to help you in times of need including a 24/7, 365 days a year helpline!
by Suzanne Keay, Senior HR Business Partner
Are you one of the 1811 individuals?
There are currently 724 Tayside Contracts employees registered to access their employee benefits that Tayside Contracts provides via Vivup!
This means that approximately 71% of colleagues could be missing out
You can change that today by following the simple steps below to self-register:
Visit www.vivup.co.uk and click on the “Register” button
Select “Tayside Contracts” from the Organisation drop down list
Enter your details including your 6 numerical digit payroll number in the employee number field
Set your password and agree to the terms and conditions to complete your registration. 4.
WINter is here
Don’t miss your chance to win 1 of 5 sensational prizes this season!
Take the chill out of winter with the chance to WIN 1 of 5 prizes from the biggest brands
To enter, simply register on Vivup between 00:00 on 1st October 2024 and 23:59 on 31st December 2024. Once you’ve registered, you’ll be in the running to win: LOLA Handheld Body Massager �� AI SAMSUNG Galaxy Buds3 Wireless Noise-Cancelling Earbuds �� APPLE 10.9" iPad 64 GB �� META Quest 3 Mixed Reality Headset �� AMAZON Echo Show 8 Smart Display with Alexa
45 Free Employee Health Checks carried out in November
In November, we partnered with our Occupational Health provider, PAM OH to offer employees a free health check which involved the Occupational Health Adviser (OHA) measuring an individual’s height, weight, Body Mass Index (BMI), blood pressure and cholesterol. It was also an opportunity to discuss health concerns with the OHA within the 20-minute appointment.
Karen Kirkpatrick, the OHA stated:
“Overall, I think it was well-attended, and I hope that some or all got something from it.”
Some of those who attended definitely did:
“I wanted a bit of advice regarding my diet and weight. Karen made me feel at ease, was very informative and gave me some useful tips as well as a booklet with further information. I came away with some 'food for thought' and have already started making some little changes. Overall, I thought it was a very beneficial experience.” (Anonymous)
“The health check was informative and reassuring, my height, weight and blood pressure were taken along with my cholesterol which initially I was concerned was high but still in the green so just a couple of minor changes to lower slightly. (Anonymous)
by Suzanne Keay, Senior HR Business Partner
by Suzanne Keay, Senior HR Business Partner
Is it just a festive tipple or something more?
As the festive season approaches, many of us like to indulge in eating and drinking including drinking alcohol, therefore we’d like to remind all colleagues about our Substance Misuse Policy and Substance Misuse Testing Procedure.
Why do we have a Substance Misuse Policy and carry out testing?
Tayside Contracts’ as an employer has a duty to provide all of us with a safe and healthy working environment and in order to meet this duty, there has been a formal Substance Misuse Policy in place since 2016 to ensure that employees’ use of substances such as illegal drugs including cannabis and alcohol does not impair the safe and efficient running of the organisation, or result in risks to the health and safety of themselves, their colleagues, clients, customers and the general public.
We are not permitted to attend work, drive a vehicle or operate plant and machinery while not free from illegal drugs, legal highs and/or while above the Scottish legal drink-drive limit
We recognise that for some people, it is not just a festive tipple. A substance addiction can be a health issue, and we want to ensure that these individuals are supported.
What should I do if I think I might have a problem with alcohol or drugs?
If you believe you have an alcohol or drug problem, you are encouraged to voluntarily disclose this to your supervisor/line manager. Confidential support will be provided to you if you voluntarily admit to a dependency problem; however, you must be committed to resolving your dependency
For friendly, confidential, drug advice visit www.talktofrank.com or call 0300 123 6600
For alcohol advice visit wwwalcoholicsanonymous.org.uk or call 0800 917 7650 Your confidential Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) is always available 24/7
‘Your Care’ also confidential on the Vivup Employee Benefits Platform also has lots of resources on alcohol including an alcohol assessment which produces a score.
Celebrating Success:
Firstly, I am pleased to confirm that Tayside Contracts has RETAINED Investors in People accreditation.
I want to take you through the remainder of this journey which was the issuing of our leadership survey and sample interviews with employees/managers across the organisation.
IIP Leadership Survey
Since the last Target article, we continued our Investors in People journey with the issuing of the IIP Leadership Survey which was open for completion from Monday 16 September to Friday 4 October 2024.
Keith McNamara, Managing Director with the new IIP plaque
I am pleased to announce that we received 794 responses from a total scope of 2447 which was an overall percentage of 32% across the organisation. I want to thank everyone who took the time to complete this survey either in the workplace or via the electronic link
The following graph highlights the percentage response rate for each Division/Unit within the organisation.
* Please note that at the time of the survey - Financial Services Unit included Stores/Procurement & Property/IT/Finance, HR Unit included HR/Business Support/Safety and Training/Equalities and Communication and the Constructions Division included operations, SLP, Transport, Signshop, Quarry and Estimating Services
As part of our review process, we will look to explore the reasons of low response rates and consider what the challenges were for completion within these areas for future surveys
Average Section Indicators - The results for the 9 key sections show that in all areas the indicators have moved positively, which on closer analysis has shown that less people have selected those more negative responses.
The biggest increases have been noted around: leading and inspiring people (04) recognising and rewarding high performance (0.4) delivering continuous improvement (04)
As we accept the positive themes, we also need to consider those areas where people see the challenges within the organisation, below are some of the areas which were identified. The survey statements that have contributed to these positive themes:
As with any survey further analysis of each of the sections/indicators is being carried out and this will form part of the overall organisation IIP Action Plan for improvements as we progress into the next accreditation period along with the results of the IIP report.
IIP Group/Individual Interviews
Along with the survey, another part of the process is for the IIP assessors to interview a sample group of employees and managers across the organisation. Our IIP Assessors Hilary Crick and Sarah Taylor confirmed that they would need to see a minimum of 75 employees from various units/divisions and a cross section from each of the three areas
MS Team calls/face to face group and individual interviews were set up in November where employees/managers were asked a range of questions based around the 9 sections This ranged from being asked re leadership, communication, training, induction, recognition and reward (to name but a few).
The assessors moved round the following areas – Contracts House, Tay Cuisine (CPU), Monifieth High School, Carnoustie High School, Arbroath Academy, Arbroath Depot, Blairgowrie Depot
I’m pleased to feedback that our assessors managed to talk to approximately 100 employees and managers over the period of assessment
Again, I would like to extend my thanks to my fellow colleagues for helping set up the sessions and making those available to attend, as well as those that attended. Without your support we couldn’t have made it this far.
What happens now
As I briefed at the start of this article, we have retained our Investors in People accreditation, but the hard work doesn’t stop there.
We are awaiting the final report from Investors in People which we will use along with the results of the survey to continue to develop the on-going IIP Action Plan. Further communication with employees will be provided as well as working closely with the Senior Managers to consider their own actions within their Divisions/Units
From there our eyes are on the next accreditation period
by Susie Newton, Training and Development Adviser
On Friday 27th September, staff within Contracts House and Tay Cuisine decided to take part in the Macmillan Coffee Morning, which was also being held all over the country to raise funds for Cancer support. Coffee Morning, which was also being held all over the country to raise funds for Cancer support. Our colleagues at Tay Cuisine held theirs the following week.
As you can see we had lots of donated cakes to buy and there were plenty takers!
As well as the cakes on sale, we also had an online option for people to donate to because we have so many people now working from home or hybrid working.
We held the ‘count the coffee cups competition’ and the winner of that was Andy Arnot who won one a very big Chocolate Cake. I think he would have been feeding the neighbours with it too!
Cappuccino Layer Cake
Gluten Free Carrot Cake
So, between sales at Contr ay Cuisine and the online donations, we were delighted to raise a total owing that it will all go to a very good cause.
Should you want or need to find out any information about how Macmillan Cancer Support can help you, a relative or a friend, you can visit their website for all the information you need.
We’d like to advise that, we have successfully had two units within Tayside Contracts short listed for this year’s awards.
Street Lighting Partnership (Dundee) - Street Lighting Category Best Performer Transport Services - Transport Operations and Vehicle Maintenance Best Performer
The awards ceremony took place on the evening of Thursday 5 December 2024 as part of the Performance Networks seminar at the Village Hotel, Blackpool. The prestigious performance networks awards are a high-profile occasion where both the best performing and the most improved authorities are awarded for their achievements. These awards are based on annual submissions relating to 2023/24 services provided and independently administered and validated by APSE.
Being shortlisted for these awards is a huge achievement given we are being benchmarked against hundreds of local authorities across the UK to reach this stage. What makes this achievement all the more remarkable is that both services were shortlisted in 2023, evidencing a continuing high standard of work by both services.
Unfortunately, as was the case last year, it was disappointment on the night as both units missed out on securing the coveted winners award in their respective categories, however it can’t be understated how proud everyone is of both services for being shortlisted and showcasing the high quality work that Tayside Contracts undertakes on a national forum.
by Dougie McKay, Head of Operations
Spooky Day Menu
Frankenstein’s Fingers
Goblins Toes (primary only)
Dracula’s Coffin
All served with Witches Broomsticks (primary only), Bat Wings (nursery only) and Ghost Guts or Frog Brains
And how about our brand-new dessert – Spooky Chocolate Chip Shortbread!
The children enjoyed the Spooktacular menu on Halloween with some new frightful treats
Community Work In Balbeggie
Partnering BAM Nuttal
Tayside Contracts were approached by BAM Nuttal (the main contractor on the new Cross Tay Link Road project and who Tayside Contracts are part of the supply chain for this project) with regards to partnering to provide works for benefitting local communities.
The Balbeggie Community Council had identified two areas within the village that would greatly benefit the local community if upgraded and approached BAM Nuttal to see if anything could be done as part of their Cross Tay Link Road project works.
Given the request perfectly aligned with Tayside Contracts skillset and strategic priorities, BAM Nuttal approached Tayside Contracts who were happy to assist at no cost to the Community Council
All material was delivered from Collace Quarry, with a squad from the Perth Roads Maintenance Partnership (PRMP) undertaking the work over the course of two days in early September
In total, 20 tonnes of 20mm single size stone was provided for upgrading a section of the Balbeggie village hall car park with a further 10 tonnes of whin dust provided to upgrade an access foot path to one of Balbeggies play parks.
by Greg Campopiano, Quarry Manager
We hope everyone has enjoyed this years Christmas Lunch in particular our new Christmas Cupcake for dessert!
Christmas
Here at Tayside Contracts, we pride ourselves on the amount of work and preparation that goes into our school meals service.
And this year we would like to give a big shout out to our CPU Bakery Team!!
This was the first year our menu development team challenged them with making this year’s Christmas dessert and I am sure you will agree they smashed it!
They pulled off handmaking, individually piping and topping 28,596 cupcakes!!
Well done to our CPU team for making over 28,000 Christmas lunches and a big thank you to all our Catering staff for pulling off another fantastic year of Christmas lunches!
You will be needing your Christmas holidays now!
Lunch
Well, what a cracking old photo this is!
This was found on good old Facebook and sent to us to share in Target We have no idea where or when this was taken in Dundee or who anyone in the photo is, but if you do know anyone, or you have a good idea of when this was taken, please do let us know.
If you have any similar old photos of Tayside Contracts through the ages, feel free to email them in for us to share and reminisce
Our email address is below.
