Renfrewshire Council

Continuing our #LivingOurValues series, Internal Communications Officer Lauren Cunningham tells us why great collaboration is vital in her role.

Watch Lauren's video here:

...working with people right across the council, combining their knowledge and experience and developing new and innovative ways to engage and connect with our audiences"

In her six years at Renfrewshire Council, Lauren has worked as a marketing intern, a museum visitor assistant, a customer services advisor, a benefits assessor and an employee engagement officer. With a strong customer focus, she knows the importance of building great relationships, working together to deliver great results. Now an internal communications officer, Lauren tells us what great collaboration means for her

Our values important to me...
Because they are a guiding set of principles that everyone can aspire to. They're not complicated. They're just the simple things that our people have told us matter to them. It's our roadmap for getting it right. 

Being great COLLABORATORS means...
For me it's about breaking down barriers and coming together to do the best we can for each other and everyone in our communities. It's at the heart of what we do, combining knowledge and experience and developing new and innovative ways to engage and connect.  

Working in communications is busy, varied and super interesting...
I'm responsible for producing the weekly Take 5 staff newsletters and monthly newsletter - yep guilty!. There really is amazing work going on all the time and I enjoy the responsibility of representing that work well and keeping people informed. I'm always on the lookout for great news stories and I love getting to know the people who deliver these services.

If  I could change one thing about working here...
We'd have more time! I see so many good ideas and good intentions, but naturally we all have to prioritise and quite often people are too busy taking care of the essentials to spend time on good ideas. If we could find more time to really get to know our people, explore their ideas and make the most of their skills, I believe there could be so much we could achieve together. 

My biggest achievement to date...
Professionally, it's getting into my current job role - I'm passionate about communications and I've worked so hard to get to where I am now. I hope I can keep moving forward and adding value to the team. On a personal level it's becoming a mum - and not bad one by most accounts, even if my kids think everything I do is "cringe".  And more recently, it's smashing Couch to 5k! I've never been particularly fit or sporty and gave up on running a long time ago, but during lockdown fever I was quite inspired to pick up my trainers one day and give it a go. I've never looked back since (except to check for approaching cyclists!) and I'd recommend the programme to anyone

If I do get any spare time...
...which is not often with two wonderful children, I like to read, watch a good TV series, listen to music and generally unwind.

A surprising fact about me is...
When I was 14, I met Billy Connolly in a Waterstones store in Glasgow. I actually had the guts to approach him and asked him to sign my Nirvana 'In Utero' album that I happened to have on me at the time. He said it was a privilege! 

For me, #LivingOurValues means that...
I will always be a welcoming, approachable person. I think looking after our colleagues and helping them achieve their goals is part of what makes us a strong organisation. I'm a passionate ambassador for Renfrewshire and will continue to celebrate and share the incredible efforts of our fantastic staff, partners and local communities.
 

Head teacher, Karen MacKechnie shares her thoughts on being great collaborators

Watch Karen's video here:

 ...a really happy, vibrant staff team working together for the benefit of our children and families."

Karen has been with Renfrewshire Council now for ten years, first as Head Teacher at St John Bosco Primary School in Erskine and has recently moved to Kirklandneuk Primary School in Renfrew. Originally from Ayrshire, Karen grew up in Perthshire and describes her job as nurturing, inspiring and challenging.

Our Values are important to me...
Because they are based on nurture, care and support. Everyone has a right to be treated fairly and with respect and that is what we are trying to get across. I love working with children, seeing them flourish and building on their creative ideas.

Being great COLLABORATORS means...
Encapsulates everything in terms of the way we work together as a team and the way we care for our children in our local communities. It's not just about staff who work in a single school, it's about working with colleagues across Children's Services and our most important group - the parents and carers - who really value the work that we do with their children. It's evident when there's vibrancy and happiness and people are working well together.

Every day is different in a primary school...
I spend most of my day working with children, staff and families - teaching, training and building relationships. I mainly leave the paperwork and emails to after-school hours. I am currently working on our recovery plan to ensure a safe and smooth transition for returning our children and staff back to school in August.

If I could change one thing about working here it would be...
 The weather (or our response to the weather!). Children are always happier when they get to spend significant periods of their day outside.

My biggest achievement to date...
Setting up the St James' Hub in March 2020 to look after the children of our local key workers in response to the COVID 19 pandemic. This was a really outstanding achievement for the staff team involved who had to respond so quickly to the ever-changing nature of the pandemic within tight timescales and strict health and safety parameters. The children who attended settled in with us very quickly and positively. Thank you to everyone involved in this.

If I manage to get any spare time, I like to...
Visit family and friends or play the piano. I love writing music and songs, particularly Scottish music.

For me, #LivingOurValues means that...
I will continue to be approachable and respectful, always striving to achieve the best possible outcomes for the children and families. Together with my valued colleagues, we will work as a team to deliver high quality learning and care for the communities we are serving.