Connect Derby deploys staff to support council services

Staff at Connect Derby have been deployed to help Derby City Council deliver its services through the current lockdown.

Towards the end of last year, the managed workspace provider had been supporting the council’s efforts to help local businesses affected by the Tier 3 restrictions.

Now, in the current lockdown, Connect Derby has deployed some of its team to help where it is needed the most.

Headed up by Ann Bhatti, the staff have been supporting council teams and services that have been most severely impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

During the November lockdown, four Connect Derby managers were redeployed to the council’s economic growth team to help them manage and distribute the Additional Restrictions Grant.

In addition, Connect Derby’s customer support team has offered its services to the city council’s corporate health and safety department, following a significant demand during the pandemic.

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Due to the coronavirus crisis, the city council’s adult social care team currently has reduced admin support so Connect Derby has put forward two members of staff to help with back of house admin duties.

This comes at a time when Connect Derby has also taken on temporary management of Derby’s Market Hall.

Connect Derby specialises in managing multi tenanted buildings where tenants operate and deliver commercial services.

Three members of Ann’s team have currently been deployed to assist Market Hall traders.

At the same time, Ann and her team have been running their seven managed workspaces and supporting tenants as they navigate their way through the current crisis and the changes it has brought to the way we do business.

Ann said: “We’re happy to have been able to offer support to various teams at the city council at a time when they’re under significant pressure because of the impact of Covid-19 and the latest lockdown restrictions.

“We support the council’s values and are committed to working together to make a positive difference to the city.

“We’re always looking for opportunities to collaborate and are pleased we could utilise our existing skills to immerse ourselves into the Derby City Council team and take on any activities that needed completing as a matter of urgency.”

Councillor Mick Barker, cabinet member for governance and licensing, said: “Every council department is facing challenging times at the moment and it is heartening to see the willingness that Ann Bhatti and her staff in the Connect Derby team have shown to support their colleagues in other departments.

“The help and support they are giving to council colleagues and traders in the Market Hall is very much appreciated by us all at Derby City Council.”