The Council has a huge portfolio of buildings, all of which incur maintenance and heating costs.
The Our Modern Workspace project aims to look at how we use offices on a town by town basis and take into account the needs of employees and members of the public, as well as any opportunities for working more closely with partners.
Progress is well underway in preparing offices for the mix of home/office working employees have told us they want. As you can appreciate this is a huge complex task with office spaces in multiple locations across Argyll and Bute. Over the past few years, the project team has been busy gathering information and planning for our new hybrid approach to working, and have completed hub offices at Willowview and Municipal Building in Oban, Argyll House in Dunoon and Jamieson Street in Islay, Union Street and Victoria Street in Rothesay, and we are currently working on Helensburgh and Lomond Civic Centre in Helensburgh and Kilmory in Lochgilphead.
It may seem as though it’s gone very quiet in other locations, but rest assured, a lot of prep work is going on behind the scenes to get everything ready.
To help keep you up to date on progress to date and next steps, we will continue to share the latest news with you. You can also access the following by clicking the links below:
| Hub Offices | Contact | Access Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Kilmory, Lochgilphead | David Logan | Access Guide – Kilmory |
| Civic Centre, Helensburgh | Ross McLaughlin | |
| Municipal Buildings, Oban | Iain MacKinnon | Access Guide – Municipal Buildings |
| Breadalbane Street, Tobermory | Andrew Penny | Available shortly |
| GWITC, Helensburgh | Gerry Wilson | IT staff only |
| Jamieson Street, Bowmore | Gemma Cameron | Access guide – Jamieson Street |
| Soroba Road complex, Oban | Pamela Hoey | HSCP staff only |
| Kintyre House, Campbeltown | Fergus Walker | Access guide – Kintyre House |
| Argyll House (Hub Offices), Dunoon | Christine Boyle | Access Guide – Argyll House |
| Victoria Street, Rothesay | Samantha Gillies | Access guide – Victoria Street |
| Union Street, Rothesay | Victoria O’Reilly | Access guide – Union Street |
| Willowview, Oban | Louise Lawson | Access guide – Willowview |
Read our FAQs to get the answers to many of your questions about accessing buildings:
You can download the internal door sign template for any team changes:
Keep up to date with the latest news and development with our progress updates –
Argyll House – before and after pictures
Jamieson Street – flex desks, breakout kitchen and team zones
Willowview – meeting room, flex desks and team zones
Flex Desks at Kilmory and HLCC
Testimonials
12 / 10/22 – “I was over at Argyll House yesterday and have to say the set-up is very good, and everyone I spoke to seemed quite happy with the arrangements. If our office in Helensburgh was more like Argyll House I would definitely be more inclined to go into the office because it has a better mix of space with privacy as well as meeting and collaboration spaces – there was plenty space for the likes of me dropping in and also for meeting space to brainstorm which we did over a particularly tricky report we’re working on.
You should be pleased with how it has gone/what you’ve achieved so far.”
17/06/22 – “Apologies it has taken me so long to send this e mail but “thank you very much for all the furniture from the Education Office and Kath for your help getting it here it is great and has really improved our office space. Thanks again.”
17 / 06/ 22 – Having the opportunity to work between home and Willowview offices has been great. It has given me back that sense of separating work and home life. On the days when I am in the office I feel my day has more structured, as I take the time to walk home and have lunch. Building in time for a walk and a proper screen break is something I am not good at doing when I work from home.
16/11/22 – “I love the flexibility that hybrid working gives me, and the opportunity to access allocated flex desks and meeting rooms in different towns/offices makes travelling and meeting up with colleagues so much easier.”
25/01/23 – “The central education team used the Argyll House Collaboration Space (old finance office) yesterday and I just wanted to say that it’s a fantastic space – well done! J”
09/03/23 – “Perfect, thanks so much for organising this for us so quickly it should hopefully reduce some of the pressure points for interviews!”
Argyll House – “It’s great being back in the office, the moves were well co-ordinated and went well. Contractors were on hand to help move and we have a building sub group to look at any issues that arise”
31/03/23 – “The move went well, we had a few teething problems but the OMW team responded quickly with any issues we had. I think the office move update meetings that were scheduled by OMW were really useful for updates and for everyone in the new office to be able to share any concerns/issues.”
31/03/23 – “The project team are always open to discuss ideas and suggestions on how best to re-organise the offices. No issue is seen as irrelevant or too small to not get right.”
As part of the OMW project, we have created a number of flexible spaces across the Council estate that are available for staff to access. These spaces include Conference Rooms, Collaboration Spaces, Meeting Rooms, Interview Rooms, Break-Out Spaces and Touchdown or Flex Desks.
The rooms available can be viewed, and reserved through the Council’s online booking system, at Stopford – Room Booking System (argyll-bute.gov.uk). Guidance on how to use the system can be found on the hub at Booking System | The Hub (argyll-bute.gov.uk).
Once you have received confirmation of your booking, you should check any access requirements with the Site and Premises Manager (insert link to table).
Staff are requested NOT to leave any equipment, supplies or documents in the Touchdown office, and must ensure that the space is left clean and clear for the next booking.
Staff must NOT remove any equipment, furniture or signage from the offices they are visiting, to ensure it is ready and available for the next booking.
At each flex desk, and in larger meeting rooms, there will be a monitor, dynadock (if required), and keyboard provided –staff are only required to bring their laptop.
Photocopying/Scanning facilities are available through multi-function devices. Staff should use their code to log in, as they would normally. Should staff require a new code/assistance with their code, they should contact the IT Helpdesk #ITServiceDesk@argyll-bute.gov.uk
On entering any Council building, staff must ensure they sign in at the digital reception or to the sign in/out book that is provided at the entrance. Staff should ensure this is completed on both entry and exit of the building.
When leaving the Touchdown space, staff should ensure that all windows have been closed, lights have been switched off, that the area is clean and tidy and that they have signed themselves out on the sign in/out form.
Fire Escape Route and Muster Locations will be indicated on the wall of the office you are visiting. Additionally, escape routes can be accessed by following this sign
Should you experience any building issues when using the Touchdown Area, please contact the Property Helpdesk at property@argyll-bute.gov.uk
Should you experience any IT issues when using the Touchdown Area, please contact that IT Helpdesk at ITServiceDesk@argyll-bute.gov.uk
Should you have any comments or queries in relation to the Touchdown Area, please contact the OMW Project Team at ourmodernworkspace@argyll-bute.gov.uk
In the meantime, our thanks to everyone who has cleared out equipment files and digitised as much as possible. We need you to continue to do that, so we don’t take any items to the new spaces that you no longer need.
Help and guidance for clearing offices – guidance on disposing of records and other items appropriately, and how to get confidential waste sacks
When disposing of items, please be mindful on what and how you are disposing of. You can find guidance on information/data management on the Hub. Additional guidance on equipment and resource disposal will also be available on the Hub.
If you would like to share your feedback on how working from home or your new hub has been for you – positive and negative experiences – or have any queries or questions, please get in touch at ourmodernworkspace@argyll-bute.gov.uk
News
Our Modern Workplace Project Update – March 2024
The Our Modern Workspace Project was introduced in 2021, and since then, huge changes have taken place – not only where we work, but also in the way we work. Our new Flexible Working Policy allows us to work in a way that benefits employees, and allows us to provide
Union Street Rothesay – Works Complete
Following the new Customer Service Point in Rothesay, which opened in November 2023, works to the Union Street office were completed, with staff moves taking place from the end of February 2024. The offices have undergone a full refurbishment to create the epitome of what OMW is seeking to achieve,
New Rothesay Customer Service Point opens
After a huge amount of effort from all the teams involved, our new Customer Services Point in Victoria Street in Rothesay is now open to the public. The offices, previously the former Royal Bank of Scotland underwent significant renovation. Work includes: A complete re-wire and new widows A new kitchen
Latest news from Our Modern Workspace – October 2023
Work is progressing in developing our offices for hybrid-working. Find out more in our latest update. Our Modern Workplace Update Oct 23
Latest news from Our Modern Workspace
Progress to date We’re making significant progress as we continue to prepare offices for the mix of home/office working you have told us you want. There is a lot of hard work taking place to prepare office buildings. In this latest update, we share some before and after pictures of
Latest news from Our Modern Workspace – June 2022
Returning to offices As we move forward with hybrid working, we are starting to hold more face-to-face meetings. They are a great way to catch up with teammates you may not have seen for over two years. Some of you may have never met each other! Seeing colleagues in person
Latest news from Our Modern Workspace
May 2022 Progress is well underway to prepare offices for the mix of home/office working employees have told us they want. As you can appreciate this is a huge complex task with office spaces in multiple locations across Argyll and Bute. Over the last year, the project team has been
Frequently asked questions
Why is the council developing new ways of working? Covid-safe restrictions, and budget decisions that will see the council eventually use fewer buildings, mean changes for how we all share office space together. We are developing flexible working arrangements that combine what’s best about home and office working. When can