UNISON CAMPAIGN TO DEFEND THE ROLE OF SCHOOL SUPPORT STAFF

Transcription

1 Autumn 2013 School Newsletter Autumn 2013 UNISON CAMPAIGN TO DEFEND THE ROLE OF SCHOOL SUPPORT STAFF UNISON has become increasingly alarmed by what is happening to school support staff both locally and nationally. Redundancy, downgrading and a complete disregard for the professional roles school support staff undertake has resulted in schools locally and the government nationally attacking our jobs, status, pay, terms and conditions. National Attacks A recent report by the right wing think tank Reform claimed that Teaching Assistants have a negligible impact on pupil attainment, going as far as to say outcomes can be detrimental. While this is clearly nonsense, it is deeply worrying that on the 2/6/13 the Sunday Times (and subsequently other media outlets) reported the Treasury has been holding talks with the Department for Education about phasing out Teaching Assistants. Local Attacks Sheffield UNISON Branch is appalled by the amount of redundancies and/or downgrading that has occurred across a large number of schools in the city. Head teachers are using what is often a small budget deficit as an excuse to downgrade our members. Experienced, qualified staff are being phased out or replaced with staff working at much lower levels of pay with no hope of career progression. UNISON representatives know the vital role ALL School Support Staff play in raising educational standards. We cover classes in the absence of the teacher, supporting the most vulnerable and challenging pupils. In addition we work with children with special educational needs offering classroom support and/or specialist intervention. Our jobs are many and varied, often encompassing all of the above. Continues overleaf

2 UNISON Gets Organized! In response to these deeply disturbing developments, UNISON organized a well attended members meeting on the 18/09/13. As a result of the meeting a working party has been set up. This is the starting point for a high profile campaign to defend and promote the role and contribution of teaching assistants and their support staff colleagues, in providing children with quality education The working party aims to launch a very public campaign to raise awareness amongst parents, Councilors, MPs including the Deputy Prime Minister and influential organisations within the Council. UNISON members are fighting back! We do not accept that standards will be raised by downgrading and demotivating experienced staff. In order to be successful this campaign will need to be built, sustained and supported by Unison members over a lengthy period of time. Ways to get involved:- Do not leave this to someone else! 1) Mailing list:- It is not practical to write to individual members on a regular basis. Please contact the branch with your details. This is by far the best way to keep large numbers of members informed and up to date. When you contact branch ask for your details to be added to School s Working Party contact list. 2) Working Party:- Join the working party and become pro-active in the campaign. It will not involve a large time commitment but will enable you to put forward ideas and keep colleagues in your school informed. 3) Become a Steward / Worksite Contact:- UNISON needs a steward or contact in every school. New stewards receive training from the branch and are fully supported until they feel able to carry out their role. If you would like a worksite meeting with a view to becoming actively involved in the campaign or want to add your details to the mailing list please contact Lisa Smith at l.smith@sheffunison.org.uk.

3 MEET YOUR REPRESENTATIVES ROD PADLEY I am an elected Convenor for Education. I have worked in Sheffield City Council for over 36 years. I have 26 years experience in representing members in all areas of the Council. I have dedicated the last 14 years to representing members in Education. I am also the Branch Secretary for the City of Sheffield Branch. If you have any issues or queries, you can contact me on the above number or alternatively send me a direct at:- r.padley@sheffunison.org.uk LISA SMITH My name is Lisa Smith and I have worked as a Nursery Nurse in various schools in Sheffield for the past 25 years. It is a profession I am extremely proud of. Campaigning to improve terms & conditions as well as representing support staff who find themselves in vulnerable situation is a role I take very seriously. If you have any individual concerns, general queries or would like a workplace visit, please do not hesitate to contact one of your Education Convenors. You can reach me on the number above or alternatively by at:- l.smith@sheffunison.org.uk JANE KNIGHT Hi, I was elected by members to be a UNISON Convenor in March After many years experience of being a Steward in Education, I now represent members in Education. I qualified as a Nursery Nurse over 30 years ago & I have also worked as a Level 3 Teaching Assistant and Higher Level Teaching Assistant. I am here to represent & support UNISON members in Education through any difficulties they may be having, to make sure justice and fairness is applied & to staunchly defend & improve working terms & conditions of Support Staff. If you are experiencing any difficulties and need support, representation or just general advice, please contact me on the number above or alternatively by at:- j.knight@sheffunison.org.uk

4 THE ADMINISTRATION OF MEDICINES AGREEMENT IS 1 YEAR OLD! If you are volunteering to administer medicines or undertake any of the procedures detailed below, please approach your manager regarding appropriate payment. Level Duties Include: Administration of oral medication (either prescribed or as directed by a parent, including controlled drugs, Diazepam, Ritalin & Midazolam.) Dressing care & application of splints. Application of prescribed topical medication. Administration of ear/nose/eye drops. Assist the pupil in taking blood samples with glucometer and reading the outcome. Level Duties Include: Change bag & clean catheter tube. Change colostomy bags/stoma care. Gastronomy tube peg feeding. Gastronomy tube bolus feed. Draining exercises for cystic fibrosis. Gastronomy tube peg feeding with medication. Tracheotomy care in line with agreed protocol for the child. Receipt, checking, logging and safekeeping of medication. Please note you do not have to undertake all the duties detailed in order to access payment This affordable scheme can be accessed by school support staff in every community school. The scheme will only work if members do not continue to undertake these highly responsible roles for free. If you feel pressured into administering medicines and/or are not getting paid, please contact Lisa Smith and I will happily pursue this on your behalf. SICKNESS ABSENCE It is very likely that at some time during their working career, UNISON members will experience absence from work due to illness. The following trigger points may lead to the schools management taking up the matter at the informal stage of the Sickness Absence Procedure Trigger Points:- a) Any absence or pattern of absence that gives cause for concern. b) Short Term Absence (1 to 3 days) 3 times in a term and/or 4 times in the previous 12 months. c) Long Term Absence 6 weeks absence or where it is likely the absence will extend beyond this point. Please note that these triggers apply to ALL school employees regardless of the reasons for absence. A letter to staff from management requesting attendance at an informal absence meeting invariably leads to members feeling stressed and anxious. Your employer has a duty of care to take reasonable steps to ensure your health and wellbeing. Part of this duty of care includes meeting with you. Of course the absence and the impact on the school will be referred to. However the sickness absence meetings are NOT to question the illness. The primary aim of these meetings is to support employees by identifying problems that may be impacting on attendance. For example a member with arthritis may not be able to lift heavy items or manipulate small objects. Once that has been identified, the schools management are obliged to make reasonable adjustments and/or refer to Occupational Health for further advice. UNISON members are entitled to representation at these meetings. This undoubtedly reduces stress as our role is to offer advice, moral support and ensure procedure is followed. If you are invited to a meeting under the management of Sickness Absence Procedure please do not hesitate to contact Lisa Smith, Rod Padley and Jane Knight for advice or support.

5 What is the difference between the different levels of Teaching Assistants? Unfortunately, this is a question Head teachers and teachers ask all too infrequently. Teaching Assistants are not all the same. The levels of pay and responsibility clearly indicate the difference and Head-teachers cannot employ a Teaching Assistant level 1 and expect Teaching Assistant level 3 work. Please see below a table that gives examples of what should be expected of the different levels of Teaching Assistants. TA LEVEL INDICATIVE LEAVELS OF RESPONSIBILITY EXAMPLES OF ROLES TA 1 TA 2 Working under direction/instruction Supporting access to learning Working under instruction/guidance Enabling access to learning Welfare/personal care Small groups/1 to 1 General clerical and organisational support for teacher Delivery of pre determined learning/care/support programmes Implementing literacy/numeracy programmes Assisting with planning cycle Clerical/admin support for teacher/department TA 3 including Cover Supervisors (NB it is at the discretion of the headteacher whether a TA3 covers classes in the short term absence of a teacher) Working under guidance Delivering learning activities under the discretion of the teaching Involvement in whole planning cycle Implementing work programmes Evaluation and record keeping Cover supervisor Specialist SEN/subject/other support Covering classes in short term absence of the teacher, supervising work set by teacher, managing behaviour and setting expectations HLTA Planning and delivering lessons including teaching activity (called specified work ) whilst the class teacher has overall responsibility for progress Delivering PPA cover Teaching (specified work) when there is a need for short term cover Planning and delivering learning activities with small identified groups Line managing TAs or Supervisory Assistants Responsible for managing CPD for TAs Increasingly certain head-teachers are downgrading TAs in an effort to balance their budgets. Either that or they employ TAs on low levels and expect them to work well above their pay grade, a WIDESPREAD practice throughout schools. If UNISON members consistently work above their pay grade, there is no incentive for the schools management to upgrade staff. Staff who are paid at higher grades become vulnerable to redundancy due to colleagues doing the same job for a lower rate of pay. If you are concerned about this happening in your school familiarise yourself with your job description and WORK TO IT! In the long run, de-motivated, underpaid staff will not raise standards, the fault for which lies squarely with the schools management. Do not be guilt tripped into consistently working to a grade you are not paid for. If you are being asked to work significantly above and beyond your job description please do not hesitate to contact UNISON.

6 A STEWARD IN EVERY SCHOOL! Why are stewards important? Stewards are the backbone of UNISON. Without stewards there would be no one there to act as the link between members and the union and to organise and support people in the workplace. What does a UNISON steward do? Talk to, recruit and organise members around workplace issues Talk to members about workplace problems, advise them and keep them informed of latest developments Represent members in your workplace Be involved in how your branch and union is run. Will I have to negotiate with my employer? It helps if stewards go to meetings with employers - it's usually the best way to talk to them! But you won't be forced to do anything you don't want to do and we will offer you training and backup. Some stewards may be involved in local negotiations or in grievance or disciplinary cases - with training and support from the union. What if I'm worried I can't do everything? Different stewards get involved in different activities depending on experience, skills and time factors. UNISON is very much in favour of job sharing for stewards. This way you can spread the load, work together and support each other. You could also consider becoming a workplace contact and see how much you're willing and able to do. What rights do I get as a steward? In workplaces where UNISON is recognised by the employer stewards have rights to time off for training and to carry out their work. This includes: Meetings with members and management Preparation and research Keeping members informed Do I get any training? All new stewards are encouraged to go on an induction course and on a course for handling grievances and disciplinary matters. You'll receive regular information on training courses covering a wide range of workplace issues. Who can I go to for support and advice? Your first point of contact would be either Rod Padley or Lisa Smith your local Education Convenors. How many stewards are needed? UNISON aims to have at least one steward in each workplace and department. More are needed in larger departments and where members work shifts. RECRUIT A FRIEND OR COLLEAGUE For every member recruited by either stewards or members there will be a payment of 10 which will be paid after the recruited member remains in membership for 13 weeks. To receive the 10 per member reward the branch will need to be able to evidence the new member has been in membership of UNISON for 13 weeks. This will be evidenced through Membership records. Effective date of commencement of the recruitment scheme is the 1 st June This scheme will run for one year and will be the subject of review at the end of that period. If you do recruit a friend/colleague, can you please write your name on the top of the application form of the new member, for example recruited by (your name). MEMBERSHIP CAN COST AS LITTLE AS 1.30 PER MONTH, PLEASE SEE APPLICATION OVERLEAF FOR SUBSCRIPTION COSTS. Please send completed application forms to the below address:- UNISON FREEPOST SF872 ARUNDEL GATE COURT 175 ARUNDEL GATE SHEFFIELD S1 1AY Finally as the school Christmas frenzy approaches (!) Rod, Jane & I would like to take this opportunity to wish you an enjoyable, restful Christmas and Happy New Year. Best Wishes, Lisa Smith Jane Knight Rod Padley How do I become a steward? Contact the branch office on and ask to speak to Rod, Lisa or Jane about becoming a steward in your workplace. Stewards are elected each year by the group of members they represent.