ECS members wanted for new Soulbury Professionals Working Group

Prospect members in the Education and Children’s Services group covered by the Soulbury Agreement are being asked to volunteer for a new Soulbury Professionals Working Group.

Prospect’s ECS Group continues to meet, consult and negotiate with the Local Government Association (LGA) alongside our colleagues in the National Education Union and Association of Educational Psychologists for education professionals covered by the Soulbury agreement.

Recent meetings have covered pressing for additional annual leave negotiated with other local government workers to be extended in one authority and ensuring that SPA points are applied correctly in another.

We also use the opportunity to press the Local Government Association, and through them local authorities, on the importance of retaining this agreement for this dedicated group of education professionals.

Over the coming weeks and months, we will be looking to push for 2021 pay negotiations and we have been pushing for a review of the great work that Soulbury professionals have been providing to their communities and elected officers during the Covid pandemic and consideration of what enduring impact this may have on workloads or working arrangements.

We want to improve the links between the full-time officers and members we cover, and a major part of this will be the setting up of a Soulbury Professionals Working Group.

The Group is open to members working under Soulbury and willing to participate in supporting our work for them and their colleagues.

It will be an informal group, sponsored by the Group Executive Council (GEC) and the intention is to meet via video conference and engage through email with support from National Secretary Steve Thomas and other full-time staff.

We are asking Soulbury members to volunteer to support this work.

The purpose of this group will include –

• Providing support for formal pay negotiations with the LGA, for example in reviewing recruitment/retention issues, this may include attending occasional meetings,
• Monitoring implementation of SPA points, intervening where necessary and seeking improvements where appropriate,
• Sharing examples of the work being undertaken by Soulbury professionals particularly in maintaining statutory obligations, dealing with new challenges to promote the profession including to wider stakeholders.

Please get in touch with your full-time officer, or National Secretary Steve Thomas direct [email protected] or phone 01455 555200 to discuss supporting this work.