SCHOOL staff supporting children with special educational needs in Essex may go on strike if their demands for higher pay to match the complexity of their roles are not met, the union representing them has said reports the Local Democracy Reporter.

Specialist workers at three schools run by the Lift Schools multi-academy trust – Columbus School & College in Chelmsford, Pioneer in Basildon and Lift Clacton – are asking to be paid a special education needs (SEN) allowance, says UNISON.

The union has now launched a petition to show the strength of feeling. The union has not ruled out taking strike action if negotiations are unsuccessful.

Teaching assistants, pastoral support workers, and other support staff note that SEN teachers already receive an allowance of up to £5,500 due to the additional skills and responsibilities associated with SEN teaching.

UNISON adds that support staff often take on the bulk of behaviour management, as well as having responsibility for personal – and sometimes medical – care. Without them, teachers would be unable to do their jobs.

Workers say they’ve tried to ask Lift managers to consider paying the allowance, but have so far been ignored.

UNISON say that after months of cancelled meetings, managers finally discussed the issue with staff on October 8, promising to respond to the request for a special allowance by October 17. The union says that since then, there has been no further progress.

Staff hope that the launch of their petition will encourage Lift bosses to engage with their employees and initiate the process.

UNISON Eastern area organiser Bea Bartilucci said: “SEN support staff face the same additional challenges as SEN teachers, but don’t get the recognition or pay to match it.

“Instead of talking to employees, Lift managers have left them on hold.

“Workers feel disrespected, and many are burnt out, with increasing numbers forced to look elsewhere for work. Lift needs to act on the quality of children’s education and care will suffer.

“Parents, carers, teachers and students value support staff. It’s high time Lift did the same.”

A spokesperson for Lift Schools said that the academy trust had a constructive meeting with UNISON in October and has an open and positive relationship with them, which they are hopeful will continue.

A spokesperson said: “We value the work of all of our staff and recognise the commitment and dedication they show day in day out in our schools and to the children they work with. We particularly recognise the significant role our teaching assistants and pastoral staff play in supporting the complex needs of our young people within our special schools.

“Like the majority of academy trusts, we pay our staff in line with national pay and conditions, and we are subject to national pay negotiations. We respect the union’s position to request additional pay for their members and have been in discussions for a number of months.”

The row comes four months after the headteacher of Columbus School & College was sacked following a damning Ofsted report that found children were “vulnerable to harmful sexual behaviours”.

Safeguarding concerns were raised at Columbus School and College in Chelmsford, resulting in inspectors visiting in May this year, which highlighted concerns about how children were being prepared for adulthood.

Ofsted inspectors said a “significant number” of staff do not have the knowledge to recognise potential harm.

Ofsted have rated different aspects of the school as “inadequate” and “requires improvement”, despite the school previously being rated as “good” last year.

The school in Oliver Way, Chelmsford, has 289 pupils, all of whom have special education needs or disabilities.