Summary of LSA meeting 26.3.

2012
Safeguarding ( Delia )
LSAs and teaching staff are all in a vulnerable position when working with children . It is important that we all realise this and as far as possible safeguard ourselves. It is important that LSAs work as far as possible in a visible place door open if possible with other children or adults across a table Delia has taken advice on how or if we should let staff know about the behaviours of certain children. We will be informing staff about repeated offenders. LSAs will be made aware about children whose behaviour, home situations etc have changed. This information is very confidential and must not be repeated outside the school environment. General advice If you feel a situation is getting out of hand be mindful We are most vulnerable with a child when we or they are: cross/frustrated/upset unless specifically trained. Keep your distance, stay calm, move from the situation refer to the teacher If in doubt about your working space please ask the class teacher for other suggestions Absences ( Delia) Once you have come back from an absence you need to fill in the Return to Work form, pass it on to your line manager ( Bruna) and if there have been more than 3 absences you need a meeting with the line manager to answer the questions on the back of the form such as Is the job causing stress and therefore absences? What can the school do to help? We have the right as a school to check why you have been absent. We do not receive any money when an LSA is off sick. As you know we have to cover absences internally which has an impact on colleagues and children. Every month Mary has to send an absence report to the LEA and without a completed form you may not be paid for the sickness.. Phone between 7.30 and 8.00 am so that Bruna can arrange adequate cover. Single Status ( Delia) Single Status has finally been agreed by the LEA . All staff will receive a letter from Joan Summerbell with their current Grade and their new Grade. A new contract will be send out in the next couple of months.If you agree to it please sign and return it .Some LSAs will have already received an increase last year and some will receive it this April. These people will only be paid back for 1 year. The others will receive back pay to April 2010. You will receive your back pay on the 9th of July so it will probably appear in your August pay Please ask Joan if you have any further question after Easter. Bruna will discuss your hours during Performance Reviews. Bruna will also discuss the breaks. e.g. if you work from 9.00-12.00 and want a 15 minute break you need to add on 15 minutes at the beginning or end of your working session in which you actually work.

Reality of the Job situation ( Delia)

This year we will be losing 6 funded statements (Year 6) and 5 statements ( Year 5). This will significantly reduce the funding for SEN. In the past LSAs were appointed to support a particular pupil and if the pupil left the LSA left. This is no longer the case. If an LSA is working in the school for 2 years her contract dos not automatically end. We have some new statements coming through in the next couple of months and Delia will do everything she can to keep all members of staff. We will certainly move LSAs around next year. We would like all LSAs to consider the following and /or discuss this with Bruna or Delia. Are you planning on reducing your working hours? Do you have any thoughts about changes in regards to your job? A maternity cover in the nursery has arisen from September (3 days a week am & pm) PERFORMANCE REVIEWS 2012 for LSAs ( Bruna) This year Performance Reviews will start on 17th April. Please check your time slot. A copy of dates and times is in each staffroom. Please complete a form and bring it along to the meeting which will be held in my office. To help you think about new targets for your own professional development please use the skills audit. INSET DAY 11th June 2012 9.00-12.00 ( Bruna) Derek Kelly from the Brentwood Catholic Childrens Society will be coming in to our school to lead the training. Derek will talk to us about the RAINBOW programme which has been written to guide children and young people through lifes storms. Derek will provide an insight into the grief process and ways of guiding children with emotional support through times of divorce, death and parental separation using the RAINBOW approach. Children are often silent in their grief and have a difficult time expressing their feelings of hurt. RAINBOWS encourage children to move towards forgiving those whom they feel have caused their pain. No doubt that this will be an emotional session for all of us but I hope it will provide us with new tools and ideas to support our children and maybe ourselves. If you are interested in attending the afternoon session to gain a better understanding and knowledge of the 12 week RAINBOWS course please contact Bruna as soon as possible.