Pupil support assistants un Glasgow schools have voted overwhelmingly to accept revised proposals from the employer on the supervision and administration of medication.
The proposal follows 17 weeks of industrial action, during which assistants withdrew all volunteering to administer medication, and four days of strike action, and means that pupil support assistants on their current grade will now only have to supervise pupils who can self-administer asthma inhalers and prescribed medicine.
Assistants who choose to supervise pupils with an increased level of need will receive an additional payment of £534.
This now gives members the choice over whether or not to take on this additional level of responsibility rather than simply be forced into doing it.
The employer’s first proposal was that all pupil support assistantss would carry out the full range of administration of medication and healthcare tasks for no additional money.
A new post will also be created that will incorporate providing support to pupils with more complex medical conditions, which will see UNISON members receive an increase of £2,500.
The tasks will also not include any procedures that health professionals are trained to do.
The employer has also given a commitment to provide specialist training and to update its policies and procedures on the supervision and administration of medication.
UNISON Glasgow branch education convenor Carol Ball said: “The success of the dispute was due to the absolute resolve and determination of our pupil support assistants.
“All the action was solidly supported with high attendance at rallies, lobbies and UNISON meetings. We recruited over 250 new members and UNISON now has a density of 89% within that workgroup.
“We now have 60 new contacts and two new stewards and the majority of members feel supported by UNISON and pleased with the outcome they have achieved.”
