Published on Monday 04 May 2020
BCP Council is proud to thank its staff for their flexibility and commitment so far during the coronavirus crisis.
A significant proportion of the workforce are focused on the Covid-19 response work, including over 500 staff who have redirected their efforts to help in this most valuable of work.
Leader of the Council Cllr Vikki Slade says: "I couldn’t be prouder of our staff and the way they have so proactively risen to the challenges presented by Covid-19. As well as hundreds of staff continuing to do their ‘day jobs’ in difficult circumstances – our refuse crews, care workers and beach rangers for example – I want to thank all those who have taken on new temporary roles; whether that’s staff moving from parks to the temporary mortuary, from libraries to customer service, or passenger transport to food delivery. That’s more than 500 people out of their comfort zones, helping the response effort and doing their bit."
On top of this, many council services continue, with staff now working from home, socially distanced in their offices, or carrying out their duties with enhanced safety procedures. This includes planning, grounds maintenance, highways repairs, environmental services and children’s social care. The council’s IT team pulled out all the stops to allocate over 500 laptops and roll out Skype and MS Teams across the council, meaning staff from many departments could adopt new technology and work efficiently from home.
Cllr Slade continued: "Just because we are focusing our efforts explaining our Covid-19 response to people and reinforcing national messages about staying home, staying safe and saving lives, it doesn’t mean the rest of the council has shut down. In fact, in reality it’s quite the opposite."