MyGlasgow News

The University is currently progressing with reviews of Facilities Services and Catering & Events, to help us better meet the changing needs of staff and student communities. Although we have been working closely with colleagues in each affected area, as well as campus trade unions, we would also like to keep the whole University community updated with progress on these reviews.

Facilities Services

Consultation on the Facilities Services review was launched in Summer 2018 to look at how we enhance customer service and support colleagues in teaching and research environments, which are becoming increasingly complex.

The changing needs and expectations of our community mean we must look at new approaches to delivering maintenance and facilities support across our campuses as new buildings open, occupancy levels increase and longer opening hours are required. We need to build upon, and support, new ways of working.

Over the last year, this was paused to allow us to address the impact of the pandemic on both our personal and professional lives, and in recent weeks we have concluded the review and begun to engage with Facilities Services staff on the next stages.

The review will reflect the University’s commitment to fairness and equality. Broader roles and working patterns will be accessible to a more diverse workforce and support a positive work/life balance. It will increase diversity, standardise terms and conditions and provide better opportunities for career progression across full time and part-time roles, as well as promotion prospects, which we would like existing members of staff to be able to take advantage of.

The Facilities Services review will also allow the University to align operational processes across the estate as new buildings come on-stream, ensuring greater efficiency and cost effectiveness and a consistent quality of service delivery.

We have engaged with colleagues throughout the process to ensure those impacted are fully consulted, and that everyone is supported during this time of change.

Catering & Events

At this time the University is also reviewing its catering and hospitality operations, in response to changes in footfall and the way customers access services.

Most of the University’s outlets remain closed at the present time due to COVID-19 restrictions, however as part of the lifting of restrictions we will be opening three new catering facilities in the James McCune Smith Learning Hub, which will service a variety of hot food and drinks.

We have also reviewed other services across the campus to ensure that Catering & Events can continue to operate sustainably and deliver a return to the University, while offering great service to staff and students at convenient locations.

We are therefore proposing to close our delivered catering operation and not to reopen a small number of the catering outlets, which were loss-making, even prior to the pandemic.

These are:

• 1A The Square Brasserie (not the Starbucks café bar)
• Food for Thought, Fraser Building (not the Food to Go outlet)
• Wolfson Link Café (James Black/Davidson Building)

We are currently engaging with colleagues from both the Facilities Services and Catering teams, as well as with trade unions at every stage to communicate the proposed changes and mitigate impacts through a mix of redeployment, retraining and voluntary release.

We want to ensure that colleagues can receive support and further information if needed. If you do have a query please do speak to you line manager, or contact: estates-facilities-review-help@glasgow.ac.uk

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First published: 29 March 2021