An alarming report by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) shows that teacher vacancies in England have increased by 93% since before the Covid-19 pandemic.  The findings also indicate staff turnover is still rising.  Vacancies in schools in England are up 37% compared with 2021/22. 

Oldham’s Liberal Democrat Leader councillor Howard Sykes said, “We have a huge problem with recruiting and retaining teachers.  The pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis have put people off the profession.  Now we see schools increasingly forced to use non-specialist teachers or teaching assistance to fill a gap where a qualified teacher should be.” 

The impact of teaching decline is shown in a new report by the Centre for Social Justice.  Over 140,000 children were “severely absent” from school last summer. “Severe absence” is defined as spending more time out of school than in school. 

Councillor Sykes said, “We are dealing with the ‘Pandemic Generation’.  An entire generation of children are at risk of failing education because of the impact of the pandemic and the tin-eared Conservative government who are refusing to see the problem.”

In some areas, one third of children are consistently absent from school, meaning that their attendance is below 90%. Among the worst affected local authorities, one in 30 children miss more than half of their schooling.”

The total absence rate in summer 2022 was 8%, with 5.1% of missed lessons marked as authorised absences and 2.9% marked as unauthorised. The overall absence rate in the term before the pandemic was 4.7%.

Oldham’s Liberal Democrat Leader councillor Howard Sykes MBE has called for a higher minimum wage for care workers in Oldham to help tackle chronic staff shortages in social care. 

Councillor Sykes said, “Too many people in Oldham are left stranded in hospital beds because there aren’t enough carers to look after them at home or in a care facility.  This care backlog is contributing to record-breaking waiting times in A& E and dangerous Ambulance delays.  The fact that there are 442 care vacancies across Oldham shows that we need to urgently address pay for our carers.  The council needs to call for a proper carers minimum wage in Oldham and start leading by example.”

Across the country, care vacancies currently stand at 165,000 – an increase of 55,000 on last year according to ‘Skills for Care’ workforce data. 

Under Liberal Democrat proposals, social care workers would be paid at least £2 per hour more than the current minimum wage, bringing their pay to at least £12.42 from this April.   

Speaking on Oldham Council’s budget plans in March, councillor Sykes said, “We urge Oldham to get behind our plan for a carers minimum wage of £12.42 because it would be transformative for the caring professions that we all know are under-valued and under-incentivised.  

If the government and councils are serious about addressing the crisis in social care, then the first step is to be able to recruit and retain carers.  Without proper pay, real carer progression and top-quality training and support, we will continue to see a mass exodus from caring professions.”

“These are highly skilled, mentally and physically demanding jobs that are only going to become more and more integral to our society in the coming years.  Care workers deserve pay that reflects this.”

Skills for Care – workforce data
Skills for Care – Workforce Data

Care vacancies by local authority
Social Care Worker Vacancies – Local Breakdown – Google Sheets

Liberal Democrat Crompton Councillor Louie Hamblett who Chairs the Autism way forward board at Oldham Council has recently written to Transport for Greater Manchester and Mayor Andy Burnham regarding ongoing saga that residents of Oldham and Greater Manchester who have Autism with or without a Learning Disability is not currently accepted by their criteria application forms.

Councillor Hamblett said “With Autism Acceptance week coming up at the end of March it is really important that all the work around supporting people with Autism to get to work and to places they need to be should happen to give them every equal opportunity as everyone else”

The current criteria for passes are very rigidly set and leans heavily towards those who have physical impairments or have been refused a driving license not those with learning difficulties and Autism or Autism without a learning difficulty.

Cllr Hamblett who is also the only fully diagnosed Autistic councillor on Oldham Council and has other learning difficulties also added: “People with learning difficulties and sensory needs already get a raw deal in life as it is and I know how it is to be treated as second class, if we want to improve things for people into getting to work, the cost of living and using public transport to helping reduce our carbon footprint then this would be a massive way to help residents in GM and Oldham. This is about members who bring up the same issue day in day out. We just want Burnham to give people with autism and learning disabilities get a fair deal in Greater Manchester and every assistance possible so they too can get from A to B. I look forward to hearing back from both Transport for Greater Manchester and Mayor Burnham on this in issue.”

TfGM currently do not have autism as a criteria to their Learning Disability form and it would also require local authorities to sign for each applicant also.

Autism Acceptance week starts March 27^th and Ends April 2^nd.

Shocking figures revealed by the Liberal Democrats show that more than 60 pubs, restaurants and cafes are at risk of closure across Oldham borough following cuts to business support announced by the government.  

Leader of Oldham Liberal Democrats councillor Howard Sykes MBE said, “The Conservative government promised to ‘level up’ Oldham.  But now we see they’re just trying to level us.”

“It’s not enough for the Conservatives that they have wrecked the economy and forced thousands to choose between heating and eating.  Now they are pulling the rug out from beneath the pubs, cafes and restaurants.  These are businesses that are struggling because of decisions made by Conservative politicians.” 

The Liberal Democrat analysis of Business Support cuts predicts that more than 2,100 hospitality businesses could close across the North West.

Councillor Sykes said, “The Conservatives say they back small businesses.  But the reality is one in four small businesses in our country are considering closing or downsizing.  The Conservatives are killing our high street.”

Data here – taken from NOMIS, an ONS Service tracking  labour market statistics
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1rgmvTDyBGc672yN9aUiOQWyeFoabzl5SBWIlDoUvIe0/edit#gid=0

According to a survey conducted by ‘Asphalt Industry Alliance’ (AIA), the nation’s roads are in the worst state ever.  A staggering £14 billion is now needed to clear the road maintenance backlog.

Liberal Democrat councillor for Shaw and Leader of the Opposition in Oldham, councillor Howard Sykes MBE said, “Highways teams would need triple the funding they currently get, just to stop our roads deteriorating further.  The Government has chosen to neglect our roads so they can raid budgets for savings.  Now £14 billion is needed to fix their neglect.”

Oldham Liberal Democrats proposed more cash for crumbling Oldham roads and pavements when they set out their alternative budget proposals (March 02).  The extra cash for roads was voted down by both Labour and Conservatives on Oldham Council. 

Councillor Sykes said, “A Liberal Democrat administration would be laser focused on getting the basics right.  That’s what people in Oldham want to see.  We put road repairs at the heart of our budget plans.  We would take a year-round approach to maintenance, ending the March ‘month of madness’ that residents have had to put up with under Labour.”

Asphalt Industry Alliance survey

alarm.pdf (localgov.co.uk)

Liberal Democrat Alternative Budget 2023/24

Liberal Democrat Alternative Budget 2023/24 tonight meeting of Oldham Council – Howard Sykes (mycouncillor.org.uk)