Support for education support staff during covid-19 outbreak

That this House recognises that the invisible workforce of over half a million school support staff, including teaching and classroom assistants, SEND support workers, caterers, cleaners and caretakers have been crucial to keeping schools running throughout the pandemic; notes that they have provided invaluable pastoral and educational support to the most vulnerable children in the face of unprecedented challenges and at great risk to their own safety; Unison, who represent over 350,000 educational support staff, note that these staff are more likely to be Black women, agency workers and on low pay; and calls for the provision of adequate PPE, priority access to vaccination and financial support from the government to ensure that no worker – including agency workers – has to self-isolate or take time off sick on less than their full salary, effectively putting public health at risk by forcing workers to choose between their own health and putting food on the table.