17 December 2018

Meddwl.org Website

‘Living with a mental health condition or illness can be a very isolating and challenging experience. ‘Meddwl’ is the Welsh word for both ‘mind’ and ‘thought’ and meddwl.org is a website providing a space to learn about different mental health conditions and to find support and information on where to obtain further assistance – all through the medium of Welsh’.

It’s an invaluable website which offers support and guidance and provides a space to share experiences.

For further information contact:

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. / 01970 639950

13 December 2018

Policy Forum for Wales Meeting

On Friday, December 13th, UCAC General Secretary Dilwyn Roberts-Young, spoke at a meeting organised by the Policy Forum for Wales which considered the ‘next steps’ for the teaching profession in Wales.

His presentation focussed on the need to give full consideration to the health and well-being of teachers and in getting to grips with the workload which is proving so detrimental to the profession.

He referred to research by Westminster, the charity Education Partnership and from UCAC itself which showed that teachers and leaders were working hours beyond that allowed legally by the WorkingTime Regulation.

He noted the report by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) on promoting health and well-being which saw the employee as the ‘most valuable asset’ and that a ‘holistic approach’ was needed to ensure ‘a happy, healthy and motivated workforce’.

We are in a period of great change in education and change can cause a great deal of stress amongst the workforce. This is a time where we need to ensure respect and trust and in order for this to happen it is worth highlighting the principles outlined by the Health and Safety Executive(HSE):

talk to one another; listen to one another's concerns; raise concerns and solve problems together; seek and share views and information; discuss issues in good time; consider what everyone has to say; make decisions together.

The document Teaching: A Valued Profession states the need to:

• develop the confidence and gain the trust of the public;
• tackle workload;
• ensure confident leadership.

No doubt the report will lead to discussion and debate, but we are in a period where we need to see a real change in a culture which is at time overwhelming in terms of workload and accountability. The devolution of pay and conditions of service is an opportunity to take a fresh look at teaching – only in doing so can we attract new teachers into the profession.

For further information contact:

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. / 01970 639950

5 December 2018

Threat to Welsh language ‘immersion’ service in Gwynedd

UCAC education union has expressed its opposition to proposals made by Gwynedd Council to make cuts to the service that allows new-arrivals to the area to be ‘immersed’ in the language so that they can join their peers in mainstream bilingual education.

Gwynedd Council is currently consulting with staff of the Language Centres that provide the service about restructuring.

Ioan Rhys Jones, UCAC’s North Wales Field Officer said “The Council hasn’t provided an option to protect this service which is often regarded as a jewel in Gwynedd’s educational crown.

“All of the options would have a negative impact on the quality of the instruction provided and/or the numbers of pupils who could benefit from this valuable service.

“Due to the intensity of the course, and the high expectations on teachers and pupils alike, experts are of the opinion that a ratio of 1 teacher to 6 pupils is essential. That is the model currently in place – however, none of the proposals allow for that to continue. In fact, most of the proposals would mean a doubling of the number of pupils per teacher.

“We fear that the proposals would make it far harder to reach the same standards within the same timescales. That in turn could mean that pupils faced difficulties integrating into mainstream bilingual education – and into the wider bilingual community.

“UCAC is shocked that Gwynedd Council doesn’t appear to be willing to ensure the continuity of the service at its current level, and that it has not been able to identify funds to ensure its sustainability.

“What hope is there of reaching the Welsh Government’s target of a million Welsh speakers by 2050 when we can’t even ensure that we integrate new arrivals to the area into mainstream bilingual education in the very strongholds of the language in Gwynedd?”

ENDS

Notes

• UCAC is Wales’s own education union. It represents teachers, headteachers and lecturers in all education sectors across Wales.

For further information please contact:

Rebecca Williams: 07787 572180 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

5 December 2018

On Thursday, November 29th, UCAC General Secretary Dilwyn Roberts-Young, attended a meeting with the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) in their Cardiff offices.

It was an opportunity, with representatives of other unions, to gain an overview of the challenges facing all areas of Wales. It was agreed that the representatives of the employers and representatives of employees need to establish a pattern of meetings along with clear communications between unions and the WLGA.

Such a relationship will provide an opportunity for consistent messages to be sent to Welsh Government on the priorities in terms of funding in order to ensure that any monies reach the areas which are of concern for our members.

Teachers and school leaders are the most important resources in education and it is crucial that the emphasis is on job security and ensuring that pay and conditions of service are not undermined. Pressure needs to be put on Welsh Government to release sufficient funding to ensure the success of a number of developments over the coming years.

UCAC welcomes the intention to ensure a more structured relationship between the WLGA and the unions – in accordance with our requests over an extended period. We also wish Steve Thomas, Chief Executive of the WLGA, well on his retirement at the end of the year.

For further information contact:

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. / 01970 639950

12 November 2018

A Meeting with Flint County Council Officials

On Monday, November 19th, Dilwyn Roberts-Young, UCAC General Secretary met with the Chief Executive,Colin Everett and the Director of Life Long Learning, Claire Homard at Flintshire County Council offices. 

The meeting was an opportunity to share concerns about education funding and the implications for salaries, conditions of service and job security for teachers working in Flintshire. The meeting was the latest in a series which have taken place with a number of authorities and which will continue to take place at a challenging time for the profession and the education system as a whole.

The meeting was timely as the authority launched a campaign the following day in which it called for fair funding for local government and for Flintshire County Council. Details of the campaign can be found at: www.flintshire.gov.uk/OurFlintshire19-20

Flintshire County Council is asking Welsh Government ‘to #BacktheAsk for £5.6m more funding for Flintshire’. According to the statement by the Chief Executive the authority needs a positive response from Welsh Government in order to ‘protect local services and keep Council Tax rises down.’

For further information contact:

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. / 01970 639950