Catering staff fear they are being left in the dark

School catering staff fear they are being left in the dark over plans to bring pupils back full-time in August.

Stephanie Smith, who works at Morgan Academy in Dundee as an assistant cook, is one of those who is hoping for more clarity over how school meals will be provided once pupils return to schools next month.

She spoke of how there is a feeling among catering staff that they had been “forgotten about” by the local and national authorities in their planning for pupils returning to school full-time, with plans still to be confirmed less than a month before the new term is set to begin.

Stephanie, who also acts as a rep for the GMB union, said: “It’s been very chaotic.

“We are not getting anything filtered back to us and when the government have been doing their meetings it’s always been with the teaching union and not GMB (who represents catering and cleaning staff).

“When they speak about getting the schools back, it’s focused on the teachers and the pupils, but we are part of it also as we have to be there to provide some sort of meal.

“People don’t know what they are going back to, whether they will get to go back to their own school and working with the same people or what the PPE situation will be like, so the mood is really low.”

In a statement, the Scottish Government thanked school catering staff for the work they have done since lockdown began and confirmed more guidance would be given soon.

A government spokeswoman said: “Arrangements for school meals in the new term will be made by councils and schools according to local needs and taking account of necessary public health measures.

“We expect local authorities to work with staff on this.”