Concerned parents say vulnerable children will “slip the net” if North Lanarkshire Council goes ahead with plans to remove support staff from schools.
The local authority is carrying out a review and is proposing to cut 14.5 full time equivalent (FTE) posts from its Community, Learning and Development service.
Among those who could go is the Home School Partnership Officer (HSPO) at Braidhurst High in Motherwell.
Members of the school’s parent teachers and friends association (PTFA) have slammed the move.
PTFA Chair Gemma Boland, said: “These particular support roles have already been cut in the years, we cannot lose them altogether.
“I have a wee boy who is on the spectrum and is coming to this school in August, he will need this support. The Home School Partnership Officer deals with all the enhanced transition for these children.
They deal with a lot more in the school, they are a link between the schools and home for a lot of vulnerable children. They deal with bereavement, anxiety support for kids, as well as children like my son who will struggle to go from school into the big bad world of work. It’s a really important role. We need more of them, not for them to be taken away.
“So many of our vulnerable children and young adults will slip the net if we do not do something.
“Every single school had a dedicated one, then they reduced the numbers. We have one just now but her time is now split between Braidhurst and Fir Park. Now they are taking her away all together.
“We’ve heard that there will be a small team now who will be filtered to schools if and when they are needed.
“My 11-year-old son already struggles with mainstream school. These people who offer this type of support are so important to him, it’s crucial for him to have someone like that in his school environment.
“If he loses his confidence, he will lose his concentration and it will be such a struggle.”
North Lanarkshire Council are looking to cut over £1million from the Community Learning and Development (CLD) budget over two years. Cutting the 14.5 FTE posts would result in a saving of £883,000 in the next financial year, in addition to £163,000 made during 2024/25.
David Clark, who has been part of the PTFA for over a decade and is a co-opted member, has labelled the move by the council as “very short-sighted”.
He has contacted a number of councillors about the proposals.
“My two boys have left Braidhurst, it’s a good school,” said David. “My son John attended CAMHS and [the HSPO] helped him right through school, he now works with NL Leisure and is a supervisor.
“If he felt stressed or under pressure at school he could go to the hub at Braidhurst and there was always a support teacher there. That got him through high school.
“I don’t think he would have made that without the help and assistance of these people. I’ve spoken to councillors and it the crux of it is money.
“It’s short sighted. They say they’re going to have a targeted approach but how can they do that if they’re reducing numbers.
“There are children coming through who will be missed. We want to make other parents aware of this.
“Surely you have to think outside the box about ways of raising money. North Lanarkshire still doesn’t charge for car parks.
“North Lanarkshire Council has more staff earning over £100,000 than Glasgow [City Council] does.”
A spokesperson for North Lanarkshire Council, said, “As part of the council’s budget process in February this year, it was agreed to carry out a review of the Community Learning and Development service.
“This review has resulted in a redesign of the service, prioritising support for children and young people who are most at risk, adults and families and vulnerable members of the community.
“We will continue to work with young people through a broad range of youth work programmes targeting those most at risk.”
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