Teams tips and information governance guidance

There are a range of options to change your teams for different requirements.  Read more about switching to high contrast mode or find out about using a  screen reader with Teams. Many users find that using an external keyboard with keyboard shortcuts for Microsoft Teams on Windows helps them work more efficiently.  Find out more about keyboard shortcuts.

You can use your keyboard or mouse to make the Teams interface bigger or smaller, using the same familiar controls you might already be using with your browser.  Read more about zoom or find out how to  increase or decrease your message font size. 

As we roll out Microsoft Teams across the organisation, we will start to see requests from members of staff looking to set up new Teams. To efficiently manage these requests, we have created an approval process to significantly reduce the amount of time and input from those requesting a new Team and those authorising approvals/rejections of these requests. In order to initiate the process, the requester of the new Team submits a request via the Microsoft Teams Request web form (created using Microsoft Power Apps). This web form is accessed via MyCouncilWorks and collates information relevant to the Team. This includes, though is not limited to;

• Who will use the Team

• The purpose of the Team

• What type of data will be shared on the Team

• Who will administer the Team

Upon submission of the successfully completed web form, the relevant 3rd tier manager will receive an approval notification via Microsoft Teams and via Outlook, where the request can be reviewed and approved or rejected as necessary.

Go to the channel where you would like to search for content and press CTRL F on your keyboard. /find <your channel name> will appear in the search box at the top of the Teams window.

Enter search criteria and press Enter. Search results will appear in the left column of the window.  You can also search directly in the Teams Search box. 

Enter /find, the name of a channel or chat as well as the search criteria. Press Enter.

Please note that this search option does not allow you to search chat messages/posts in a  General channel.

Alternatively, use a pin to highlight important information by hovering over the message and clicking ··· More options > Pin.

All pinned items are visible in the channel info pane located at the top right of the channel. Pinned posts appear below the names of those who recently interacted with the channel. 

In Outlook, scroll down the left-hand side (below the mail folders) and you will see a Groups option. Click on this and your group should appear as:

Voicemail_(followed by your group name)

For example: Voicemail_CYPSPA       1

As with emails, when you receive messages, the counter beside your group name will increase.

Note: As the Groups appear the bottom on Outlook, we recommend you right-click your voicemail group and select Add to Favourites. This will move it to the top section of your Outlook making it easier to monitor any new messages.

At present you will be unable to delete voicemails in the desktop version of Teams. You can do this by logging in through your browser.

If you are unable to see a call group that you feel you should be part of, please contact the IT Service desk.

HSCP and council colleagues can now contact people in external organisations via Teams. You can also share calendars, make video calls and check availability. This function was only available via Skype previously.  Contact colleagues via Teams in the following organisations: 

• Highland Council 
• South Lanarkshire Council 
• North Lanarkshire Council 
• Argyll and Bute Council
• Renfrewshire Council
• Glasgow City Council
• NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde 
• NHS Highland 
• NHS Lanarkshire
• Local Government Digital Office 

You can change the background that appears behind you when you are in a video meeting or call, you can either blur your background or completely replace it with an image. Choose from a range of Argyll and Bute backgrounds.

You can also change your profile picture or change your Teams software settings by clicking your profile picture at the top of the app. You can change your picture, status, themes, app settings, notifications, or language, and access keyboard shortcuts.  Read more about changing your app settings.

And you can change the theme of your Teams app.

Did you know you can create a quick poll in Teams? It’s easy and quick to post surveys or questions and get instant responses from your team members. This can be useful if you’re looking for quick decisions and speedy responses to suggestions. As people in your group take the poll, you’ll see real time results in your group conversation.

• Go to the channel or chat where you would like to include a poll.
• At the bottom of your Teams window, select Forms.
• Note: If you don’t see the Forms icon, click Messaging extensions  and then select Forms.
• Add your options. 
• If you want to allow multiple answers, click or tap the toggle next to ‘multiple answers’.
• Select whether you want to Share results automatically after voting and/or Keep responses anonymous.
• Select Save/Preview your poll, and then click Edit. 
• If you want to make changes, or click  Send if you’re ready to post it.

In Teams, you can add whiteboards to meetings – they are a great way to brainstorm, share ideas and sketches with team members. Think of them as your digital flipcharts.

• In your Teams meeting, go to the control bar at the top of your screen.
• Click the share icon, this will open a window below. 
• Then click on Whiteboard at the bottom of the screen.

Microsoft Teams allows you to quickly view analytics data about teams that you are a member or an owner of. This info can provide insights into the activity patterns on your teams.

• Analytics data includes the number of active users, guests, and the total number of messages sent in each team for a given period.
• You can view analytics across all your teams, within individual teams, and in specific channels.
• Show, hide or pin a team or channel in Teams.
• You’ve got some viewing options for teams and channels. 

When a new Team request is submitted via the web form on MyCouncilWorks, an automated e-mail notification will be set to the 3rd tier manager in question. This e-mail will appear as shown below:

Click the link and the following page will display in your web browser:

You can use the scroll bar to review all information entered in the initial request. Once reviewed, you can now select either ‘Approve’ or ‘Reject’. Clicking either button will present you with a screen including a comments field. Enter any comments as necessary and click ‘Confirm’.

Next steps

The next steps of the process are of course determined by the action taken during the approval stage.

If a request needs to be rejected, for example, you are aware that a request received is a duplicate of a previously submitted request, an e-mail notification is sent to the requester advising of the reason for the rejection. Please note, any comments added when rejecting the request will be displayed in this e-mail notification.

On the other hand, if the request is approved, it will then be passed to ICT who will review the request, notify Governance and/or ICT Compliance for further review if necessary, assign an appropriate name to the new Team and arrange for the new Team to be set up.

• You can record meetings in Teams with the recording available as soon as the meeting ends.  It is important you know what is required when Recording Meetings  i.e. letting people know, where they are stored and when to destroy. 
• Guidance on how to record a meeting.
• Find out how to  schedule Online Meetings that involve inviting Customers/Clients  or where Customers/Clients are going to be discussed.
• Find out  how to schedule meetings involving Customers/Clients shared calendars safely or where Customers/Clients are going to be discussed.

• Please follow appropriate information and records management practices when you download and store transcripts. You should ideally only keep one copy in a location accessible to those who require access.
• Only keep transcripts for as long as you need them. Once you produce minutes or have extracted the details you need, please store transcripts within a formal record-keeping area. E.g. SharePoint, shared Network Drives
• If your team / service uses live transcription regularly, you should consider preparing detailed guidance to outline where transcripts should be stored, what type of meetings transcription can / can’t be used for, and how long they should be kept for.
• Please be aware that if a transcript includes personal data, this could be subject to a data subject access request. Transcripts are also subject to FOI requests. More information is available on the hub.

This functionality is no longer available. You can add a contact to your ‘speed dial’ list for quick access, or if they are a frequently used number, they will appear in your ‘history’ list and you can phone them by clicking on the ‘call’ button next to their name.