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ITEM EX7

EXECUTIVE – 6 FEBRUARY 2002

1. In February 2001, the County Council voted to include additional sums totalling £494,000 in the Council’s medium term financial plan from 2002/03 onwards, to help fund the establishment of a new pay and career structure for Learning Support Assistants in Local Education Authority (LEA) settings.
2. In June 2001, the former Education Committee approved the details of a new pay and career package for Learning Support Assistants, and a new three-grade career structure for Early Years Support Workers, as the basis for consultation with schools and other interested parties.

Consultation

3. The consultation with schools and other interested partners took place in Autumn 2001. The comments received in response to the consultations are summarised in Annex 1. The consultation paper is reproduced in Annex 2.
4. As far as Learning Support Assistants are concerned, over 90% of those who responded to the consultations have expressed clear support for the County Council’s proposals, provided that the additional cost is fully funded by the LEA. The draft education budget for 2002/03 includes a sum of £529,000 to meet the full costs involved. This is in addition to the sums voted by Council in February 2001 (see paragraph 1 above).
5. With regard to Early Years Support Workers, more than 80% of the nursery, primary and special schools who responded to the consultations are in favour of the proposal for a new three-grade career structure. Some schools have said they would like to see a similar career structure established for other groups of non-teaching staff in schools.
6. If implemented, both the above proposals will help to:

• establish a more effective career structure for Nursery Nurses and Learning Support Assistants with some incentives built in for training and progression;

• help to address the issue of low pay for Nursery Nurses, Learning Support Assistants and other ancillary staff in schools and to enhance the overall climate for improvement.

7. The proposals require no additional funding over and above that agreed in the Medium Term Financial Plan referred to above.
8. Subject to the Executive agreeing the principles of the pay restructuring, the proposals will be implemented by the Acting Chief Education Officer in accordance with the Officer Employment Procedure set out in the Constitution.

RECOMMENDATION

9. In the light of the responses to the recent consultations, the Executive is RECOMMENDED to confirm the proposals to restructure the remuneration of learning support assistants and other low-paid ancillary staff and early years support workers in schools and other LEA settings as described in the report.

January 2001

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