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Employees responsible for transporting children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to school have reported frequent assaults by pupils during travel. Emma, who works as a transport assistant for Leeds City Council, shared that she was bitten three times by the same eight-year-old child, sustaining a permanent scar on her breast from the attacks.
She expressed frustration at the situation, stating, “It’s not what we signed up to do. We signed up to provide a service, we didn’t sign up to be used as punch bags.” Despite the severity of her injuries, which required hospital treatment and a tetanus shot, Emma emphasized the need for greater support and self-defence training from the council. She also called for immediate travel bans on pupils who assault staff members.
Emma described the ongoing challenges faced by those in her role, highlighting the physical and emotional toll of the job. “Some of the kids will just lean over and pull your hair or punch you around the face,” she explained, adding, “I’ve spoken to many assistants who have been attacked or come home covered in bruises.” Although the boy who repeatedly bit her was eventually barred from using the service, Emma noted that this action only came after a six-week delay.
The Unite union pointed out significant shortcomings, including a lack of appropriate equipment like restraints, insufficient first aid training, and the absence of thorough risk assessments. Julia Inman, a union representative with 16 years of experience in passenger transport, described a rise in violent incidents. She remarked, “They’re getting bitten, people have had lumps taken out of their arms and have had to have plastic surgery,” and added, “Staff are spat at on a daily basis, hit and punched and that’s not just the assistants, it’s the drivers too.” Inman attributed the problem largely to budget cuts, stating, “It’s all down to cost cutting and we can’t afford to have that as we provide a vital service.”
Leeds City Council acknowledged the concerns raised by staff and unions. A spokesperson confirmed that all employees receive training with refresher courses every three years and stated, “We remain committed to supporting young people with special educational needs and disabilities in accessing education.” The authority also indicated ongoing efforts to work collaboratively with trade unions and internal teams to enhance safety measures on school transport services
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