Heather Hughes (West Lothian and Council) proposed a motion calling for independent research on family leave provision to be commissioned to strengthen our negotiations at SNCT for improvements in Part 2 Section 7 of the SNCT Handbook, which currently makes no mention of paid leave for teachers for undergoing fertility treatment or paid leave for teachers who have experienced miscarriage.

Des Morris (East Renfrewshire and Council) seconded the motion and spoke about the importance of independent research which strengthens our position and “turns assertions into facts”. This motion was carried.

Moving the motion Craig Duffy (Edinburgh) highlighted an inconsistent approach across authorities in the implementation of the SNCT provisions. He stated that many private companies were offering better terms than those being applied to teachers and hoped that progression of the terms of the motion would help reduce discrimination against female staff.

Seconding the motion as a first-time speaker, Graham Malcolm (Edinburgh) indicated that the UK’s maternity, paternity and family leave provision was the least generous in Europe and the worst amongst the world’s richest countries.

He stated that the provisions should be supportive and equitable, reducing the burden carried by individuals and improve their health and wellbeing. The motion was carried.

Jenny McGeehan (Glasgow) proposed a motion to campaign to change maternity leave provision from 13 weeks full pay and 26 statutory maternity pay to 6 weeks full pay, followed 33 weeks half pay and statutory maternity pay. Jenny spoke about the financial hardship that current provisions are causing members.

Farhat Ali (Glasgow) seconded this motion endorsing the need for the more financially advantageous provision.

Des Morris (East Renfrewshire) opposed this motion on the grounds that this would narrow improvements that could be negotiated at SNCT following the results of the independent research that was voted for as part of a previous motion. “It ties our hands. We all want to see improvements.”

This motion was moved by Tom Colquhoun (Edinburgh) and seconded by Alison Murphy (Edinburgh).

Tom Colquhoun informed the delegates that he had been unsure if he was able to attend the AGM because he was on a temporary contract. He spoke about the precarity of being on a temporary contract having no career security, exemplifying this by describing how difficult it was to get a mortgage and the associated stress that he experienced.

He spoke of the humiliation he felt when pupils enquired if he had been fired when they found out that he was leaving, coming to the natural end of his contract. He spoke about the lack of systemic data available on the number of teachers on temporary contracts and stated that there was a need to educate and support teachers who were being “bounced” from temporary post to temporary post within an authority.

He concluded by stating that there was a need for a national resource and a co-ordinated approach to support teachers on temporary contracts.

Alison Murphy, through her role as Edinburgh LA Secretary, informed the AGM that it was heartbreaking to hear of the staffroom experiences of those teachers on temporary contracts.

She highlighted the difficulties arising from differing interpretations of rights to permanency and the need for consistency, support and more accessible knowledge on the issue. She was of the view that the terms of the motion won’t fix the problems, but they will help. The motion was carried.

Mick Dolan (West Dunbartonshire and Council) moved this motion which calls for us to campaign with other trade unions to petition the UK Government to break the link between state pension age and normal pension.

In his speech, Mick outlined reasons why this is necessary, including the detriment that women experience as a result of this link. Des Morris (East Renfrewshire and Council) seconded the motion. The motion was overwhelmingly carried.

This motion was proposed by Aberdeen LA. Moving the motion, Amanda Murray outlined the terms of the motion and the classification of ASN within special schools and units, including those with communication difficulties and those with profound additional support needs.

She spoke of young people who are non-speaking, those with personal care issues and complex medical needs. She exemplified the latter, by referencing those that require an oxygen feed that needs to be checked every 30 minutes or those with epilepsy. She informed delegates that many of the young people are learning basic skills, for example, how to feed themselves, either with their hands or with a spoon.

She described the staff intensive activities that are carried out like toileting and administering medication. She mentioned that personal care activities and medication schedules dictate the learning patterns of the young people. She highlighted the difficulties associated with classifying young people’s needs as being either profound or communication-based and the implications of staffing levels and class sizes for each of those categories.

She informed the delegates that often the upper limits of class size maxima are used, and this leads to learners being let down and staff seeing their role as being an exhaustive struggle. She concluded by emphasising the need for the teaching role of ASN colleagues to be valued and recognised.
The motion was seconded by Douglas Haywood (Aberdeen City) formally.

Maggie Russell (Renfrewshire and Council) added to the discussion by reflecting on the situation in her own authority, indicating that class size maxima need to be reviewed due to the increase in the complexity of young people’s needs. The situation is also resulting in increased staff absence levels, as work-related stress becomes more prevalent.

Jennifer Harvey (Fife) added to Maggie’s contribution by requesting that the young people need to retain their dignity and, more often than not, learning is simply being “shoe horned” into their day. The motion was carried.

Andrew Fullwood (Glasgow and Council) moved this motion which calls for all ASN Schools and units to have a maximum class size of 6 which a maximum adult:pupil ration of 1:2. Andrew spoke in detail about the fact that large class sizes are contributing to learning environments which are not meeting the needs of children and young people. “Pupils needs are not being met. Our members are going off with stress and getting hurt.”

Catherine Brown (Glasgow and Council) seconded the motion and spoke about overcrowding and under-resourcing, “Meaningful change needs to be adequately resourced.”

There was a lot of support at AGM for this motion. Tom Britton (Edinburgh and Council) said, “There is a perfect storm. Skilled practitioners are struggling with an environment where young people are struggling to learn.” The motion was unanimously carried.

The motion was proposed by Dundee LA. David Gibson (Dundee and Council)moved the motion by stating that he couldn’t understand why work-related stress wouldn’t be included here. He indicated that staff often witness distressing behaviour amongst young people and were often victims of violence and aggression themselves.

Mike Callaghan (Angus and Council) seconded the motion by highlighting that the particular subsection within the SNCT agreement cited in the motion focuses on wellbeing, but often some are left to argue the merits of work-related stress being included in it. He stated that any recovery should be supported, and overdue change is needed.

Valerie Inkster (Shetland and Council) contributed to the discussion by stating that teachers work over and above their contractual hours, sacrificing their personal lives, however, workload is not always the cause. She stated that there is a lack of support in schools for both class teachers and managers experiencing work-related stress.

She told of how members often don’t put work-related stress as a reason for absence on a ‘fit note’ because of the impression that it gives to others. However, in her own experience, GPs have stated that work-related stress needs to be highlighted specifically amongst teachers as a common condition.

Irvine Tait (Shetland) stated that aggressive top-down management creates stress for members, referencing lack of collegiality, conflicting positions in Scottish education and the Fair Work framework.
Paula McEwan, Ex-President, described Inverclyde Council’s approach to the issue, consulting members to ascertain if they are getting the support that managers believe that they are providing. The motion was carried.

Shauna Richardson (Glasgow) moved a motion asking Council to investigate and report on the annual leave entitlement for central education staff with SNCT conditions, including Educational Psychologists and QIOs in order to work towards parity and equality for our members in these roles.

Andrew Fullwood (Glasgow and Council) formally seconded. This motion was carried.

Doug Haywood (Aberdeen) called for us to seek an SNCT agreement on actions to be taken by employers when the Met Office issues a Red or Amber weather warning in order to ensure that there is consistency of approaches throughout Scotland.

Amanda Murray (Aberdeen) seconded the motion and spoke from her own experience of working in an ASN setting during inclement weather. There were a lot of supporters who shared their experiences during Storm Eowyn, highlighting the varied responses throughout Scotland.

Des Morris (East Renfrewshire and Council) supported. “Lives have been saved by the closing of establishments.” This motion was overwhelmingly carried.

Ross Lyall (Midlothian) moved this motion which instructs Council to investigate and report on the special leave allowance to attend funerals across local authorities. Ross explained how the current “discretionary provision” can be problematic.

Mark Ireland (Midlothian) seconded saying, “People need the time to grieve properly.”

Nikhat Yusaf (Edinburgh) spoke of the need for employers to consider different faith communities. Other members gave moving personal experiences of the impact of employment practices regarding funerals which lack compassion. This motion was unanimously carried.