EAST COAST COLLEGE SUPPORTING YOU to WORK from HOME, STAY WELL and FEEL PART of TEAM ECC Purpose
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EAST COAST COLLEGE SUPPORTING YOU TO WORK FROM HOME, STAY WELL AND FEEL PART OF TEAM ECC Purpose This guide has been developed in response to the exceptional working arrangements we have suddenly found ourselves in. These are unsettling times and it’s hoped that the information contained within this guide will perhaps answer some questions that have been playing on your mind, or provide some reassurance when you are feeling a little adrift. As a team, East Coast College staff are formidable, the work we do and the challenges we have overcome in recent years prove that we will come through this bump in the road and continue on our journey to provide an exceptional experience for our learners. Keep living our values, they are as important now as they will ever be. Most of all, if the answer isn’t in this guide then reach out to your manager, your swim buddy, someone in the People Team, just don’t ever feel you are alone in this. Absence & leave Can I use my accrued Time of in Lieu (TOIL) to cover me for any time I cannot work? Absolutely, please discuss and agree with your manager and where possible book it on select HR in the normal way. We expect all accrued TOIL to have been utilised before the end of the Easter break. Can I cancel some holidays I have booked but now cannot go on? We are asking all staff not to cancel their leave for two main reasons: 1) It is very important during this period of remote working that staff take time to rest, recuperate, and draw a distinction between work and non-work time. 2) When the College reopens, if all staff have banked their leave and then wish to take it, it could further exacerbate the operation of the College as we work to get back to full speed. The College has announced a closure for the 2nd week of the Easter Hols (13/04/20 - 17/04/20), what if I don’t want that week off? In these unusual circumstances, we have made the decision that a 1-week period of closure would be in the best interests of all parties. All support staff will have one working week booked during the 2 week break, if they already have leave booked during the 2 week holiday that is equivalent to, or more than one working week, no additional leave will be booked. All academic staff will be booked on leave for the entire 2 week break. The only exception to this are staff who have been invited in to support EHCP/ vulnerable learners. We will continue to review the situation and may enforce further closure periods if the College continues to close. This will be done to ensure jobs and pay are protected. Absence & leave What if I don’t have enough leave to cover the closure? Please speak to the HR Business Partner (HRBP) for your area to discuss your options. What if I need my annual leave to cover my childcare/home life arrangements? Please discuss with your line manager how you can make a flexible working arrangement that works in the best interests of all involved. I am feeling unwell, should I report it? Yes please continue to report your absence in the normal way by calling the absence line on 01502 525077. You will then need to ensure you complete your return to work on Select HR when you are feeling better, if you can’t access this please let the People Team know and we will update your record for you. contracts & pay I am variable hours (VH), will I still get paid? All hours that were agreed and committed to the finance system will be honoured. If the closure continues and we are unable to provide remote work for VH staff, we are looking into the support package offered by the government to understand how this can be best used to support any staff who may be struggling financially. I have a fixed term contract (FTC) will this be renewed? All FTC will continue to be honoured, if your FTC expires in the next few weeks the People Team will be in contact around the time of your notice period to discuss next steps. What happens when I have no more work I can do from home? We are working with our partners to find alternative options for staff who can’t work remotely, this may involve volunteering with the NHS or other front line organisations that need us right now. The Government will be issuing guidance around the option of ‘Furloughing’ where staff do not have meaningful work they can do at home as an alternative to any redundancies. Rest assured that we are doing all we can to ensure that we have options for our staff. What happens if I run out of sick pay? Please make contact with the HR Business Partner for your area, we’ll try find a solution on a case by case basis. staying connected What contact should I expect from the College? As a minimum, you can expect the contact detail below, although we envisage this could be significantly more as you work within your teams to find the right flow for your departments. • A weekly team meeting by video conference • A weekly 1-2-1 call with line manager • A weekly all staff briefing from CEO • Welfare KIT calls from People Team where desired • Weekly People Team update • Regular contact with your swim buddy What if I can’t find a swim buddy? Speak to your line manager in the first instance; the People Team are always willing to help also. What groups are there that I can join? • The ‘not just for girls’ book group will be meeting virtually every fortnight to discuss the current book we are reading – contact Ann Wall to join • Place for Prayer – Thurs 12.45pm In this unique and challenging time of uncertainty, the Place for Prayer social group is continuing remotely. If there is anything specific you want us to pray for, or if you would like to join us, please feel free to get in touch with Ruth Bollinger. • Virtual running club will be led by Nicola Pollard, please contact Nicola directly to join • Yoga sessions will be led weekly, details to follow If you are interested in starting a staff virtual group please contact Ann Wall directly. staying connected How are we staying connected with students and what are we telling them? Guidance for students has been placed on our website and sent directly to students and their parents/carers. There are agreed systems that can be used for contacting students, this is designed to protect and safeguard both staff and students. These systems are: 3CX Moodle Promonitor/Dashboard College Email We are conscious that staff may be using other software to assist with distance learning, and we are currently reviewing what other technology is being used and how safe this is. We would request that any technology outside the list above, to communicate with students, should be prior agreed by your line manager who will seek agreement from the College Quality Group. We will then amend and circulate those systems which have been found to be safe and reliable. staying connected College Supported Technologies for Online and Distance Learning 1. Communications Technologies Objective College provided Online technologies technologies Announcements (messages • College website (for • College Social Media without expectation of reply) public messages) (for public messages) • Moodle (for class • Departmental related messages, web Facebook/Instagram/ or mobile app) Twitter 1-2-1 communication • College Email • WhatsApp – ONLY for • College Phone staff to staff communications (College landline, 3CX and only if 3CX chat cannot app or college procured accommodate. mobile) • 3CX chat (staff to staff only) Small group communication • Moodle (text based - • Facebook groups (only real time and if college provided tech asynchronous options) cannot accommodate) • Brightspace for University of Suffolk students • 3CX (audio/video - real time only; chat groups staff only) • Microsoft Teams (text, audio and video options) staying connected 2. Web conferencing When participating in a video conference it is easy to forget who may be able to see and hear you. All conference participants should therefore follow good practice both before and during conferences: • Ask everyone who can see or hear the conference to introduce themselves. • If a conference is being recorded, all participants should consent to this in advance and should be reminded of the fact during the conference. • Don’t use conferences for 121s with students – use phone or email using college systems Where is the recording taking place? Teachers should be in a neutral area where nothing personal or inappropriate can be seen or heard in the background. Which platform will you use? Always make sure the platform you are using is suitable for the students’ age group. Set up school accounts for any online platforms you use (don’t use teachers’ personal accounts). Consent Make sure parents, carers and children understand the benefits and risks of online lessons and get written consent for children to be involved. the future How do we plan for September? Curriculum planning is continuing as normal and the final round will be concluded by the end of April. Students will continue to be recruited, interviewed and inducted to the College by remote methods where necessary. It is significantly important that all learners (both new and those progressing with ECC) continue to be contacted and are made to feel part of the ECC family before they commence.