OVER 1,000 vulnerable children are not having their needs met by the Education Authority due to its refusal to meet the pay claim of striking social workers, a trade union has said.
NIPSA members employed as Education Welfare Officers began a 16 day strike last Tuesday. The social workers are paid more than £5,000 less than their counterparts in the health service. Their union says pay disparity is affecting staff recruitment and retention, leaving more vulnerable children in need educational support.
The dispute has been ongoing since 2019, with workers engaged in several days of strike action this year alone.
Strike action will take place at sites across the North, including the Whiterock Library in West Belfast.
Alan Law, Assistant Secretary, said: “Education Welfare Officers play a hugely important role in the education of children and young people. They are instrumental in ensuring that attendance levels improve and work with families to ensure that this happens. There are extensive waiting lists to access an Education Welfare Officer. As of 31 January 22, 925 children and young people are not having their needs met by the Education Authority.
“NIPSA regrets that the refusal by the Education Authority (EA) to address the pay demand is leading to increased waiting times.
“NIPSA members want to be providing for these vulnerable children and their families but staff continue to be forced into industrial action as all other attempts to resolve this dispute have failed.
“As a result, NIPSA members continue their industrial action tomorrow and will be participating in almost continuous strike action from March 8 until April 1.
“We remain ready to enter meaningful negotiations to resolve this dispute and call on all the Education Authority to do likewise.”
Whiterock NIPSA rep, Dolores Austin, said that the Education Welfare waiting list in now thought to be in excess of 1,000, including some 120 children in West Belfast alone.
"Most of the those children are not in school," she said.
"They're children mainly with mental health difficulties, anxiety, children that are on a child protection register – all of those children are sitting on the waiting list and not receiving the service, and obviously we're not going to be in for the next four weeks."
An EA spokesperson said: “Our Education Welfare Officer role is being reviewed to ensure that we meet the needs of our children and young people.
“The role provides an important service in promoting and supporting positive attendance at school and has been reviewed through engagement with families, schools and children and young people.
“We are committed to negotiations with NIPSA to find a resolution to the Education Welfare Officer pay dispute and constructive engagement is ongoing.
“We will continue to do everything possible to make sure that the needs of our children and young people who use the service are addressed throughout this period."
