SEND staff strike over system 'on its knees'

Staff who support children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are striking over what one parent has called "a broken system" which has left families "traumatised".

The second in a series of planned strikes by Wirral Council's SEND team, over pay and workload, took place outside the local authority's offices in Birkenhead.

National Education Union (NEU) regional officer, Bora Oktas, who joined the picket line, said staff members currently had "more than 100 cases each they are trying to cover".

The council said it had "accelerated the pace of making wide-ranging improvements", including a restructure of its SEND services and an extra £4m in funding.

The spokesperson said the restructure would result in the SEND team's caseloads being halved, adding: "We fully recognise that for too long, children and young people with SEND, and their parents and carers, had a poor experience of getting support from the council."

Mr Oktas, however, criticised the restructure, saying it had led to staff having their pay downgraded.

He urged the council management to "come to the table" to resolve concerns.

"If it’s not dealt [with] now, in the long run it's going to get even worse," said Mr Oktas.

A council spokesperson defended the restructure, claiming it "created opportunities for staff to apply for more senior positions" and offered additional pay protection "for those whose pay scale was to be downgraded".

The spokesperson said the council had "fully engaged with unions" throughout the negotiation process, saying the dispute with the NEU was over the length of those pay protections.

An improvement notice was issued by the government to the council earlier this year, stating it had made poor progress following a critical inspection of council SEND services in 2021.

Ahead of the strikes, Sue Peacock - who runs an organisation supporting parents with SEND issues across England - told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “They have made no improvements, after two years with an idiot’s guide on how to improve things.”

She added: "Traumatised, gaslit, lied to - dealing with parents and carers, and hearing their stories, is incredibly emotionally hard."

Wirral NEU president, and teacher, Ferdushi Mohshin said she had joined the picket line in solidarity with her colleagues.

She said losing the support of SEND staff would be "absolutely devastating".

"They need to be listened to, services are on their knees."

Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas to [email protected] and via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.