January 2021
Contact us at Ealingunison@ealing.gov.uk
LG_02_NJC Circular on CV/CEV- 8th January
Latest Unison advice for Members in Schools- 8th January
Advice for UNISON members working in special schools and colleges
January-model-letter-for-members-2
Black History Month Virtual Event- 23rd October
No going back to normal- Sign the Unison letter and join the campaign
Joint Union Checklist for September- 8th September 2020
Joint Union Checklist for Medically Vulnerable and High Risk Groups- September 2020
UNISON response to Govt Plans to fully re-open schools in September- 3rd July 2020
Government Guidance for full opening of Schools in September 2020
Join Unison in Schools Facebook Page
Covid-19 Response Fund- Financial assistance for members- 19th June
Govt U-Turn on free summer school meals- 17th June
Learning for Unison Members and Activists
NJC Circ Coronavirus and return to work test trace and hospital admission 12Jun2020
Unison free online CPD, Courses, Resources for members
Unison has also created a 1_June_template_letter_for_members for staff to send to your employer should you still feel that your concerns have not been addressed and that it is not safe to attend work.
You can also find a joint union checklist for primary, secondary and special schools (see below) to evaluate whether your school risk assessment covers the main health and safety requirements.
Unison continues to consult with all schools- including special and secondary- to ensure that members health and safety is protected and that you are safe at work.
Ealing Unison Branch officers were be in attendance at the Council and Trade Union Joint Committee on 29th September 2020 and will be pushing councilors including the Council Leader on their response to covid-19 and how best to support schools in Ealing during this time.
If you do wish to get in touch with us for support, advice or representation please email judged@ealing.gov.uk or ealingunison@ealing.gov.uk
Guidance and template letter for vulnerable employees- 28th May
Email to members in Schools- 20th May 2020
Ealing Unison letter to Heads- Risk Assessments- 20th May 2020
Coronavirus Primary Workplace checklist PDF -18th May
Joint union planning guide for secondary schools
Joint union planning guide for special schools
Model-letter-for-school-members to send to Head Teachers
Outcome of Unison National Schools Committee Meeting- 14th May
Find out how Unison’s Charity- There For You- can help
Joint TUC Statement from Education Unions’- 13th May 2020
Unison Short Statement- 11th May
Colleagues, tomorrow we will be working with the other TUC education unions to agree a joint position on returning to schools in response to tonight’s additional guidance from the Department for Education (England) on schools opening. Until then we would advise members not to engage with planning for a return to school on June 1st. Look out for the statement tomorrow
Unison Response to PM’s Statement of 10th May
Unison Local Govt Update- 5th May
Unison Posters and Social Media Graphics
EGFL Gatekeeping Newsletter- 29th April
PPE Not Promises- Unison Advice and Petition- 29th April
NJC Pay Offer and Union Response- 28th April
TUESDAY 28th April – Is Workers Memorial Day. Please take some time to watch this video made by Camden UNISON. We would ask all workers to take some time at 11am tomorrow to join with UNISON and all Trade Unionists across the world to think of all those front line workers who have lost there lives not only during this crisis but while doing their job.
Unison National Covid-19 Schools Page
Joint Union Statement on Re-opening of Schools- 16th April
Govt Guidance on Social Distancing in Education Settings-7th April
Govt Guidance on PPE- 12th April 2020
3 April – Covid-19 FAQs school support staff – England and Wales
Unison letter to Education Secretary- 31st March
Key messages to schools 27 March 2020 SCGELP (002)
STAFFING GUIDANCE FOR SCHOOLS REVISED 25 March 2020 (002)
Ealing Unison letter to Heads- School Provision– 24th March 2020
Final LGA Workforce guidance on school closure – Covid-19 (1)
Visit the News page more information
Ealing Schools Volunteer Database
Volunteer Database – For Schools
Ealing are seeking to establish a database of volunteers from within the current workforce in Ealing Schools who are willing to be deployed to other schools in Ealing should the need arise.
https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/2LPXSGV
Staff should not volunteer unless they can be released by their own school and remember that the scheme is voluntary. Any staff that are already self-isolating or not working due to age or a pre-existing medical condition are not to complete the questionnaire.
Once Ealing LA start to get replies they will be able to download them into a spreadsheet and send this to Heads who request it along with a password to open the spreadsheet.
Of course we will be negotiating with Schools and the Council to ensure that those volunteer staff who work during periods of school closure to ensure that staff are appropriately compensated in this eventuality.
Schools in UK to close to most Pupils from Friday 20th March. Provision
The Government have announced that UK Schools will be closed from Friday 20th March 2020 until further notice.
The Government have said that children of key workers such as NHS staff, Police and delivery drivers will continue to be educated.
The Government also released guidance yesterday evening on:
Continuing to provide free school meals to all pupils who qualify
All maintained Schools in the Borough of Ealing will be open from Monday 23rd March to provide educational provisions for keyworker and vulnerable children only. Unison is clear that schools an the Local Authority should:
- Continue full pay for all staff and guarantee full pay for contractors (catering, cleaning etc) and agency staff during this emergency period;
- Suspend all sickness absence procedures and ensure no detriment to staff;
- Conduct health and safety risk assessments, provide protective equipment and ensure the school is fully stocked with all necessary cleaning products;
- Postpone redundancies, restructures, TUPE transfers and non urgent disciplinary hearings (etc) during this period, to free up resources and to reduce the number of people going into schools;
- Work with unions and employers locally and nationally to help get schools and pupils and staff through the crisis, with both sides recognising the need for flexibility;
- Arrange rotas and schedules to reduce the number of staff required on site while still providing safe care for children who need to attend. With vastly reduced pupil numbers, there is no need for all staff to work on site each day. Home working (where the role permits) for staff not scheduled to be on site will also better achieve the recommended social distancing of staff and pupils in school.
- Adopt the approach of asking for volunteers first on issues of redeployment and additional hours;
- Ensure staff are fully paid for working through the Easter holidays.
The Government is clear that Schools and families need to follow these key principles:
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If it is at all possible for children to be at home, then they should be.
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If a child needs specialist support, is vulnerable or has a parent who is a critical worker, then educational provision will be available for them.
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Parents should not rely for childcare upon those who are advised to be in the stringent social distancing category such as grandparents, friends, or family members with underlying conditions.
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Parents should also do everything they can to ensure children are not mixing socially in a way which can continue to spread the virus. They should observe the same social distancing principles as adults.
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Residential special schools, boarding schools and special settings continue to care for children wherever possible.
Ealing LA are finalising their scheme to ensure FSM pupils who are not attending school can continue to have lunch provided for them during this difficult time.
Schools are liaising with their on-site catering services and catering providers to make sure plans are in place to provide free school meals to eligible pupils attending school on site.
Asked whether schools that have already closed to pupils will be forced to re-open to key worker children, the PM says the government will work to ensure that – where necessary – schools will provide facilities for those pupils.
Read the BBC news article on School Closures here
Government answer promised after school shutdown confusion
“Not every school [will be] providing the service for key workers and the vulnerable,” he adds.
However, he says that on Monday 23 March vulnerable children and the children of key-worker parents should turn up to their current school as normal.
Ealing Unison and sister Trade Unions will be in close communication and consultation with the Local Authority over the coming days to clarify the Council’s response to these announcements and work out how these measures will be implemented. We will update members as soon as possible via this website and email.