College staff feel unsafe as students bring in machetes, hammers and metal bars, says union

Young people are bringing weapons – such as machetes, hammers, metal bars and in one case a gun – into colleges across the country and making staff feel unsafe at work, a union report suggests.

Nearly a quarter of college support staff say weapon-related crime is a problem where they work – and the majority of this group say the issue has got worse, according to a Unison survey.

Budget cuts, rising knife crime and the closure of youth centres have put support staff – such as canteen workers, learning support assistants and librarians – in harm’s way, the union argues.

A survey of 800 support staff in colleges across the UK has revealed a number of serious incidents involving weapons – including pupil-on-pupil assaults, gang attacks and violence against staff.

In one incident, two support workers had to act as human shields between gang members armed with hammers and a 17-year-old student who they had chased through a college.

In another case, armed police were called to a college after a student brought in a gun.

The majority of support staff (90 per cent) said they had received no training on dealing with pupils who bring weapons in – while more than half said they were unaware of a policy for such incidents.

Meanwhile, one in five support staff members admitted that they did not feel safe at work and some admitted that they had considered quitting the profession as they felt in danger.

College staff need to be given training in handling weapon-related incidents after both students and staff have been left injured by a weapon brought into college, Unison has said.

In one case, a student died from fatal chest wounds after being stabbed just outside college.

Jon Richards, head of education at Unison, said: “Budget cuts, rising knife crime and the closure of youth centres means college support staff are having to put themselves in harm’s way to ensure the safety of other students.

“It’s no accident that as spending on youth services has dropped, teenage crime levels have rocketed.

“A joined-up response from police, youth support services and colleges is the only way to turn youngsters away from crime – it shouldn’t fall to college support staff to pick up the pieces.”

Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “There is clearly a problem in wider society with a small number of young people carrying offensive weapons, and this presents challenges to schools, colleges, and their staff.

“Schools and college leaders will be doing everything possible to protect the safety and wellbeing of their staff and students, and we are sure will be very willing to discuss any thoughts for further support.

“What they do need, however, is a concerted and coordinated effort beyond the school gates to ensure there are sufficient local services and police numbers to tackle this problem.”

A Government spokesperson said: “We expect all colleges to provide a safe environment for their students and staff.

“Any form of crime or violence in a college is completely unacceptable. We have strengthened powers so teachers can take action if they suspect a student has brought a prohibited item, including knives and drugs, into school or college.

“In addition, we are currently considering the results of a consultation we undertook on security guidance and will publish new guidance on this later in the year.

"It will include advice about the importance of developing local partnerships and how working in this way will help schools and colleges access appropriate training.”