Here are the festive period closing and opening times for 2020/21.

Osprey Housing and Osprey Housing Moray offices will be closed on Thursday the 24th of December as of 14:00.

The office will re-open at 09:00 on Tuesday the 5th of January.

If you are a Osprey Housing tenant and you need to report a repairs emergency during the office closure please contact our Out of Hours Emergency number: 01224 548030.

If you are a Osprey Housing Moray tenant and you need to report a repairs emergency during the office closure please contact our  Out of Hours Emergency number: 01224 548030.

All non emergency repairs should be reported by e-mail to:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and will be dealt with on our return.

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Join us at Osprey Housing and Osprey Housing Moray in celebrating Scottish Housing Day 2020 by looking at our video.

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Please find below the latest Q and A information from NHS Grampian regarding the Aberdeen cluster. Hopefully this will provide you with further clarity.

What is a close contact of a case?

To be considered a close contact you would be any one of the following –

• A household contact – someone who lives in the same house but this would also include anyone who stayed overnight in the same house as a case without physical distancing. A household is not always a family this includes flatmates. A sexual contact who does not live in the same house would also be considered in this category.
• Have face to face contact
• Any contact within 1m for any length of time
• Any contact within 2m for more than 15 minutes 

Not all close contacts of COVID-19 cases develop symptoms but these individuals are at the highest risk transmitting infection therefore self-isolation will help to reduce the spread of COVID-19 within the community.

Why are all possible contacts not advised to self-isolate?

Only close contacts are asked to self-isolate. It is not possible to identify all contacts e.g. those on public transport at the same time this is why it is very important for us all to take heed of measures to protect ourselves and our community.

What happens if I have a positive test?

The Test & Protect team will speak with you and gather information on your potential contacts in the category above. They will then contact those identified by you and in some cases from any venues you have visited. Based on the information gathered anyone who is identified as a close contact will then be contacted and advised of this. The Test & Protect team will identify any contacts of work colleagues in all settings. 

What happens if I am identified as a close contact?

You will be told by Test & Protect to self-isolate at home for 14 days. You should not seek a test, either from the NHS system or the airport testing site. A test at this stage is of absolutely no value. If you had a negative test you would still have to isolate for 14 days. If during this 14-day period you develop symptoms, then you should arrange to have a test. 

What should I do if I have not yet been contacted by test and protect but believe I have been a close contact of a positive case?

If you haven’t been contacted by the Test and Protect Team you can be reassured that you have not been a close contact of a case.

I have been in contact with someone who has been in close contact with a positive case, what should I do?

You should carry on as normal.

What should I do if I find out on social media or other sources that I was in the same location as a positive case?

As above the Test and Protect team will contact those who are identified as a close contacts. If you have not been contacted but provided your details to the venue it is unlikely you would be regarded as a close contact and you can carry on your normal activities.

If I wear a mask/face covering in public will I be identified as a close contact?

Wearing a mask/face covering will not necessarily stop you being identified as a close contact.

We do ask that everyone complies with the national policy on face coverings in the community and the extended wearing of masks/face coverings in the hospital environment as there is evidence this may help prevent spread of infection from those who may be pre-symptomatic i.e. infected but not showing symptoms or asymptomatically infected.

I’ve previously had COVID-19 will I be asked to self-isolate if I am identified as a close contact of a positive case?

Yes, as the long-term response to infection is yet to be established including whether there is any lasting immunity or protection from a previous infection, it is assumed that there is no immunity to re-infection. Anyone who has tested previously positive and develops new symptoms consistent with COVID-19 should also follow the immediate self-isolation advice and arrange a repeat test.

Should I be tested if I am a close contact of a COVID-19 case?

Unless you have symptoms you should not request a test. If you are self-isolating and at any point in the 14 days develop symptoms you should request a test. A negative test at any point in the self-isolation period does not allow the individual to stop self-isolating. You must complete the 14 days as this is the incubation period of the virus before leaving self-isolation.

Do I need to self-isolate if a member of my household has been advised to self-isolate as a close contact?

No, there is no requirement for you to self-isolate unless anyone in your household becomes symptomatic or you yourself are advised to by a contact tracer.

I am moving to Aberdeen City, do these restrictions stop me from moving?

Currently essential travel to Aberdeen City is permitted for work purposes.

A household member works in one of the identified establishments, what should I do?

You can carry on as normal but be vigilant about symptoms. If your household member develops symptoms they should get tested. You do not need a test at this stage.

I am currently outwith Aberdeen City, can I return to my home in the City?

Yes, you may return to your home, but you must follow the up-to-date Aberdeen restrictions on travel.

I am currently in Aberdeen City visiting family or on holiday, do I need to immediately leave?

No, you do not need to cut your trip short, but you must follow all recommendations relating to Aberdeen restrictions and take extra care when you return home.

I live in Aberdeen City and I have planned a holiday, can I go?

No, please refer to the up-to-date Aberdeen restrictions on travel.

I care for a child, and one of us lives in Aberdeen City, can this continue?

Yes, you can continue to care for the child as this is not classed as leisure or recreation.

For more articles please visit our News and Events section.

Government announces furlough scheme changes. What you need to know

From 1 July, employers can bring furloughed employees back to work for any amount of time and any shift pattern, while still being able to claim CJRS grant for the hours not worked.

From 1 August 2020, the level of grant will be reduced each month. To be eligible for the grant employers must pay furloughed employees 80% of their wages, up to a cap of £2,500 per month for the time they are being furloughed.

If you stay on furlough until October, you won't see any changes in terms of how much you're paid or when, you'll still get a minimum of 80% of your normal wage.

What's changing is more a behind-the-scenes adjustment of what the state covers and what your employer has to cover. Here's a road map of how that'll work:

• June and July: The state will continue to pay 80% of salaries, plus national insurance and pension contributions as it does now. Employers are not required to pay anything.
• August: The state will pay 80% of wages, up to a cap of £2,500/mth. Employers will now have to pay national insurance and pension contributions.
• September: The state will pay 70% of wages, up to a cap of £2,190/mth. Employers will have to pay national insurance and pension contributions, and 10% of wages to make up 80% of the total, up to a cap of £2,500/mth.
• October: The state will pay 60% of wages, up to a cap of £1,875/mth. Employers will then need to pay national insurance and pension contributions, and 20% of wages to make up 80% of the total, up to a cap of £2,500/mth 

For more articles please visit our News and Events section.

In addition to existing support under the Stay in Scotland campaign, the Scottish Government commissioned JustRight Scotland, a legal center for justice and human rights, to develop a range of fact-sheets for EU citizens.

This guidance explains the rights of EU citizens in Scotland to vote, work and access healthcare, education, housing and benefits. These are now available in English, Polish, Romanian, Lithuanian, Spanish and Italian and can be accessed at https://justcitizens.scot/EU/.

In light of the devastating impacts of the current pandemic, the Scottish Government hopes that these resources will be useful for EU citizens in accessing further sources of support, and for anyone who wants to better understand the rights of EU citizens.

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Extra payment for carers to help through coronavirus Eligible carers to get an additional £230.10.

In recognition of the additional pressure that unpaid carers are under at this time, the Scottish Government will be making a Coronavirus Carer’s Allowance Supplement payment later this month.

This one-off payment is in addition to the regular six monthly Carer’s Allowance Supplement. As a result, eligible carers will get a payment of at least £460.20. This will be paid from Friday 26 June.

As with the current supplement, carers will not need to do anything to get this extra payment as it will be paid automatically to people who were living in Scotland and in receipt of Carer’s Allowance on 13 April 2020 eligibility date. Social Security Scotland will write to eligible carers in advance.

Cabinet Secretary for Social Security and Older People Shirley-Anne Somerville said:

"Carer’s Allowance Supplement was one of the first payments we introduced using our new social security powers. This was in recognition of the contribution that carers make to our society. They provide vital support to family, friends and neighbours."

"Coronavirus is putting even more demands on carers. It is hard emotionally – carers will inevitably be concerned about their own health, and that of the people they care for. However in many cases, it will also be difficult financially."

"The payment will benefit carers who are on low incomes and already have some of the most intense caring roles, providing at least 35 hours of unpaid care weekly to a disabled child or adult in receipt of higher level disability benefits. “This extra payment is one way of providing some additional help - and of acknowledging that we know that carers are doing even more right now. We thank them for that."

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The Best Start Grant School Age Payment is a grant of £250 to help with costs around the time your child is able to start school. It doesn’t matter if your child doesn’t or cannot actually start school for some reason. To qualify you must be on one of the following benefits: universal credit, income-based jobseeker’s allowance, income-related employment and support allowance, income support, housing benefit, pension credit, child tax credit or working tax credit. If you are responsible for a child whose date of birth is between 1 March 2015 and 29 February 2016 (inclusive) and certain other conditions apply, you can now claim the grant from Social Security Scotland. You do not have to be the child’s birth parent to qualify and many kinship carers are entitled to the grant. You can claim at any time from 1 June 2020 up to 28 February 2021.

To claim go to https://www.mygov.scot/benefits/best-start/

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NHS Information during lock down.

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Police Scotland are undertaking a survey to understand public confidence and experience of their approaches to policing the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

We invite your feedback to help us shape how we do things, respond to local issues and concerns, and where communities might need additional support.

https://consult.scotland.police.uk/surveys/your-police-2020-2021

For more articles please visit our News and Events section.

For more articles please visit our News and Events section.