September 2020

22 September 2020 - Key change in legislation and how to make information accessible

Today we have issued a detailed managers' briefing and supporting guidance on how to follow best practice principles to make your information accessible for as many users as possible.

Accessibility is about making sure information can be used by as many people as possible. As a public authority we have a duty to create information in an accessible format as it can be widely shared amongst various audiences and could be published online at some point.

Your information - online

If you use a computer at work, and are the author of information that could be published on our website, you should be aware of an important change in legislation that requires all information to be presented and published online in an accessible format - from this month.

For our citizens our website may be the only way that they can interact or get in touch with us. So making our website content accessible is not just about complying with a change in legislation, it is vitally important that we make sure that our citizens can find important information easily and that they are able to read it.

Your general information - making it accessible

We would like all staff to think about how you produce information and follow best practice principles to make it accessible - even if you do not intend to publish the information on our website.

We have a large diverse internal audience and our information should be produced with accessibility at its core so that as many people as possible can use it.

How to create accessible information

• Please read our detailed briefing so you can better understand the steps you should follow when creating your information - to make it accessible.
• The briefing includes two appendices which give detailed guidance and support linkson how to follow the key principles when creating your document.
• For example, how to structure and layout your information, how to make best use of tables, using the right colours and fonts, how to use simple language and how to insert a description to any images you insert.

7 September 2020 - Local lockdown restrictions: stay informed

Following an increase in coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in the West of Scotland, the Scottish Government introduced additional restrictions for people living in Glasgow City, East Renfrewshire and West Dunbartonshire.

UPDATE: From midnight on 7 September 2020 these restrictions were extended to the Renfrewshire and East Dunbartonshire council areas too (see timelines below).

• People living in these local authority areas should not meet with people from another household inside their private home.

• Members of different households can continue to meet outdoors, including in gardens, and in hospitality settings, provided all existing guidance on meeting outdoors is followed

• Those who have formed an extended household can continue to meet indoors with enhanced hygiene measures in place

These local restrictions for Glasgow City, East Renfrewshire and West Dunbartonshire were introduced at midnight on 1 September for an initial two week period from midnight on 1 September 2020; they will be reviewed after seven days.

The local restrictions for Renfrewshire and East Dunbartonshire will be introduced for an initial 2 week period from midnight on 7 September 2020, and reviewed in 7 days.

Changes to self-isolation in restricted areas

The new localised restrictions mean that for anyone living in these dedicated areas who is identified as a close contact of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, and all those in their household groupshould self-isolate for 14 days. 

If you need to self-isolate because you are following the government guidance or told by NHS Scotland Test and Trace service to do so, then you will be paid.

You should advise your line manager as normal by following the guidance on attendance management, as normal.

More useful information

• Find out more about restrictions to the Glasgow City Council area. If you are unsure if this applies, you can use this postcode lookup facility to check your local authority.

• Find out more about restrictions to the East Renfrewshire Council area, West Dunbartonshire Council area,  Renfrewshire and East Dunbartonshire Council areas.

• Find out more on the Scottish Government website.

7 September 2020 - Schools video helps parents decide when it's time to test

NHSGGC's Director of Public Health has produced a helpful video for parents worried about when to get their children tested for Covid.

Dr Linda de Caestecker worked with the council on the video, after a dramatic rise in requests for tests for children after the schools returned in mid August.

Dr de Caestecker said: "The idea of the video is to explain in some detail the work that goes on in Public Health when a positive case is confirmed in a particular school. In each case a Public Health doctor will work with teachers, the headteacher of the school and the Education Department to carefully calculate who are close contacts of a case.

"There is also lots of information in the video about the symptoms to look out for and who does and does not need to be tested.

"I really do understand the anxiety that some parents may have but it's vital we make sure the system is not overloaded. This means it's really important to keep those testing slots for the people who really need them.

"I hope parents find the video reassuring in what are fairly uncertain times. The NHS inform website is another great source of information - www.nhsinform.scot."

Maureen McKenna, Executive Director of Education said: "We'd canvassed a few of our headteachers to find out what questions parents were asking and complied these so that Linda could specifically answer them.

"Our aim of the video is to provide concise information and reassurance to our families that we are all doing everything that we can to help suppress and reduce the risk of the spread of the virus.

"Parents and carers will of course worry but we need to make sure that they have all the relevant information in order to make the correct decisions about their children."

More information / view the video

• You can watch the video on the council's website here

• You can find lots of useful information at www.nhsinform.scot.