Staff News

If you or your team have current or previous Smart Survey forms for gathering information from staff or the public please read on:

Our suppliers will be carrying out maintenance on the main council website next week. During this time it may be unavailable for a very short time.  This could affect the public trying to access the website from any device, but also any website administrators trying to access the admin area.

If you experience any issues accessing the website it maybe that you just need to wait five minutes before trying again. 

1077 members of our community took the opportunity to respond to the consultation -  many more than responded in previous years – indicative of an increased understanding from the public of the financial challenge our organisation is facing and the value that our community place, not only on council services, but also on having their say on what happens with those services.  

As an organisation we are committed to continual improvement - ensuring greater efficiency, security, and service excellence - benefitting our organisation and the communities we serve. 

One recent step we have taken is the roll out of our EDRMS project. This will modernise our day-to-day work through a significant upgrade of our document and records management processes and capabilities.  This forward-thinking initiative is set to transform the way we manage our information.  

The following update provides you with more information on the background to this and how it will affect you and your work.

In 2022 we launched our first brand guidelines and templates to help you create recognisable, consistent and professional information.

Over the last couple of years we have taken onboard your feedback and added more colours and fonts for you to use. The latest version of the guidelines and templates can be found at www.orkney.gov.uk/brand

Following a successful multi-agency approach by the Orkney Partnership, myself, NHS Orkney’s Chief Executive, Laura Skaife-Knight, and Police Scotland’s Orkney Area Commander, Scott Robertson, would like to thank all staff from across the partnership who have worked so hard to deliver an incredible turnaround of Adult Support and Protection in Orkney.

Recently the council website changed over to a new system.

It still looks the same but there are a few things you need to know: 

This will be your chance to help us celebrate the fantastic work that all of our many services do for the people of Orkney.

We would love you to join us, so check with your line manager first and if you can make it book your tickets now as places are limited.

At Orkney Islands Council we are incredibly lucky to have a hard working and dedicated workforce – but we need more people to join it!  

This is particularly true for our social care service.  

There is a shortage of carers joining the profession across the country and we are struggling to recruit.  This has led to an increased reliance on agency staff – which impacts significantly on our budgets and on the continuity of care for our service users.  

If you take on a new member of staff, or have a colleague moving roles within OIC, our process is changing.