Tackling abuse and assault in the workplace: Support staff

What steps to take when assaulted in the workplace and how to collectively organise around the issue.

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Document England Wales Northern Ireland Behaviour Health and safety Rights at work Support staff

Support Staff

The NEU firmly believes that support staff are vital in the smooth running of schools and their role directly impacts the learning environment and students’ wellbeing.

During these difficult times in education due to a lack of funding and the recruitment and retention crisis, support staff are systematically facing behaviour challenges from students and are regularly being subjected to verbal abuse, threats and physical violence.

Employers should always involve support staff in the processes of preventing abuse and violence in the workplace, namely by ensuring their contribution to risk assessments and consulting them on the procedure that follows such incidents, for example, analysing how the employer responded and what can be done differently in the future.

Organising in the workplace

An example from one of our members on steps taken in her secondary school to successfully collectivise the issue of violence against support staff: 

Workplace meetings and collecting evidence

“Once members felt confident, we got them to report every incident via email, no matter how minor or severe they perceived it to be. We encouraged members to talk about their personal experiences at workplace meetings. We would also repeatedly take those cases to management, knowing full well nothing would be done. During this time, members were talking to each other more, encouraging each other to report incidents, and consequently we saw an increase in membership.”

Survey, evidence and timing

“We know behaviour issues tend to spike in October and February. We planned to run a ‘violence in the workplace’ survey for February. At this stage, we had more than 120 incidents collected and the results were overwhelming. Management had to start putting meaningful systems, responses and training in place.”

The outcome

  • The SLT checked immediately with the members affected and conducted a robust, fact-finding mission around incidents.
  • More SLT presence at break times.
  • More solidarity between members.

Cabot Learning Federation Branch (CFL) Model

  • If the majority of staff are NEU members, have regular workplace meetings with behaviour on the agenda.
  • Discuss the behaviour issue holistically i.e. lack of SEND provision, pastoral support, etc.
  • If majority of staff are not NEU members, have joint union meetings and work on these issues.
  • Encourage members to report all injuries/assaults to reps regardless of how minor.
  • Reps need to collate data and conduct an informal all-member survey.
  • A signed letter with clear requests on how to address the issue to be sent to Headteacher.
  • Health and Safety issues are to be raised at the Federation Joint Committee (FJC) using the collated data.
  • Conduct an indicative ballot if requests made by members are not met.
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