SJIB Update from Fiona Harper

A message from Fiona Harper, The Secretary of the SJIB (1 February 2021)

In accordance with current Scottish Government guidance, the SJIB Administration Team is working from home.

As a result, like so many others during these unprecedented times, they have had to modify their processes under the COVID 19 restrictions to ensure that they continue to meet your expectations. 

A significant proportion of their time is taken up responding to queries, which impacts on their ability to process applications and requests. While they are responding to telephone calls or email queries, they are not processing applications or assessments.

For the time being, if you have a query, I would urge you to please contact us via our Contact Us Form It’s easy to use – just enter your contact details, click on Enquiry Type and choose from the following drop-down list:

> ACA
> Apprenticeship
> ECS
> Employment Affairs
> General
> Grading
> Holiday Pay & Welfare Credit Scheme

Your query is then sent directly to the designated SJIB Administrator’s mailbox who will attend to your query and respond.

Recently, the team has found that the same query has been sent through more than one drop-down topic. Whilst you might think you are ensuring the team receives your request, it actually causes duplication and confusion, and means that more than one administrator can be working on the same query at any given time, wasting time and effort.

If you do decide to use the Contact Us link, please be assured that an SJIB Administrator will respond and will process your request.  Please don’t feel the need to email again or to follow-up with a phone call. 

Please continue to send your completed applications for an SJIB (ECS) Grade Card or an ECS Health, Safety and Environmental Assessment by post to The Walled Garden, Bush Estate, Midlothian EH26 0SB. At least one member of the team visits The Walled Garden every day to process the incoming mail and distribute the workload.

One final note – we are all trying to do our best in these unprecedented times, and the SJIB team understands and appreciates that your query is important. Nevertheless, I would ask, when you are communicating with the team, that you do so with courtesy and respect.  Please be kind – they are doing their best to assist you!

I will keep in touch with further updates over the coming months. 

In the meantime - keep well and stay safe.

Fiona Harper

The Secretary of the SJIB 

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