‘These are shocking findings’

Kaymarie Hughes, Unison Borders branch secretary, said: “These findings are shocking. School staff should not have to face violence and aggression in their workplace.

“Scottish Borders Council must address this issue to ensure the safety and wellbeing of its staff.”

She added: “Unison has proposed a series of recommendations aimed at addressing workplace violence effectively, which could be actioned now.

“These include enhanced training and guidance for staff, improved ways staff can feed back, better risk assessments and ways to support staff who need to report incidents.

“We are also asking Scottish Borders Council to sign up to Unison’s Violence at Work charter, which commits employers to creating a safe and supportive work environment, free from violence and aggression.”

More than 55 per cent of respondents said they experienced violence multiple times a week, which Unison said emphasised the “chronic nature of the issue”.

The survey found that less than half reported incidents they experienced or witnessed.

Of those that did, the majority did not receive feedback from their employer, according to the Unison data.

The spokesperson said that it was important to note that the survey did not capture the experience of the entire school workforce.

But they added that the data painted a “concerning picture”.

An SBC spokesperson said: “The wellbeing and safety of all our staff is a priority for the council.

“We will be meeting with Unison to discuss the survey and we welcome any constructive steps we can take to ensure our staff are supported in the workplace.”