Member

I was pleased to add my name to Amendment 191A in the name of the noble Lord, Lord Mohammed of Tinsley. This is an issue that we debated at length in the Employment Rights Bill, but I am hopeful that the Minister might look at it more favourably at this point. It also deals with complaints against teachers and their rights to accompaniment. During the passage of the Employment Rights Bill, Ministers recognised that accompaniment in formal proceedings is intended to provide calm, professional support and help processes work better in practice. Given the context in which staff work, that is obviously extremely important in schools. I hope that the Minister will recognise the importance of this issue for teachers and school staff, particularly those who choose not to be a member of a trade union. I hope that she will set out how the Government intend to ensure that existing frameworks and guidance reflect the need for fair and supportive disciplinary processes across school staff. Our school staff and teachers deserve to be treated with the same fairness, dignity and compassion as they show their pupils and colleagues every day. I beg to move.