Issue - meetings

This will be recorded in the minute.

The Committee heard from Mr David Willis and Mr Kevin Masson, representing the GMB, in respect of the report at item 10.1 (Behaviour Report).

Mr Willis explained that he was the Convener of the GMB Trade Union.  He thanked the Committee for the opportunity to speak.  He asked that Members note from the report that GMB had welcomed all the commitments agreed in the action plan, however a key demand made by the GMB in response to the unacceptable behaviour that their Members were facing had not been met.  The GMB had called for a working group to be established to review the ASN provision within the city, and Mr Willis asked that the Committee give officers an instruction to undertake that review.  He explained that the GMB were seeing an increasing number of learners with additional support needs, and a limited number of places within specialist settings, meaning that more learners with complex additional support needs were placed in mainstream settings. 

He explained that the GMB were not against inclusion, but there was a need to ensure that the environment was suitable, and the resource sufficient for both the young people and the staff supporting them.  Staff needed to be suitably trained for the situations they faced, and Mr Willis explained that he did not believe that was currently the case.  He noted that he had been horrified when he first learned that bite guards were being issued to their members, and stated that PPE should always be a last resort, noting that it might reduce the risk, but it did not eliminate it completely.  He added that schools were now issuing Kevlar hoodies as staff had had their hair pulled out by the roots, and he was aware of one setting where the Kevlar sleeves had proved insufficient, and thick leather welding gauntlets were being issued instead.  Mr Willis stated that no employee should have to go to work with that level of fear for their personal safety. 

Mr Willis said that there were settings where classrooms were having to be evacuated on a daily basis due to dysregulated behaviour, and entire buildings emptied on a weekly basis.  He added that he understood that dysregulated behaviour could be a form of communication, but asked if the level of disruption would still be seen if the environment was more suitable and the child was being nourished.  He asked if the Council was ‘Getting it Right’ for that child, and indeed for every child.  Mr Willis advised that the GMB had been informed by Education officers that there was no expectation for any staff member to put their hands on a child, which was to be welcomed, and yet there was a dichotomy where members told the GMB that they had received training on how to restrain a child exhibiting dysregulated behaviour. 

Within the behaviour report, Mr Willis noted that the resilience of staff was called into question.  He added that he found this particularly galling, and believed that the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2