Offer better pay and condition to fill lollipop people roles, Council told
Lib Dem councillors in Sunderland are calling for the Council to offer better pay to help recruit new lollipop men and women in the city after posts have been left vacant for months - putting young people's safety at risk.
Councillors in Sunderland are demanding Sunderland Council does more to try and fill vacant school crossing patrol posts in the city.
It comes as school children have been left to contend with busy main roads for months without assistance because vacancies have remained unfilled.
The plea came from deputy leader of the Liberal Democrat group Councillor Martin Haswell during a meeting of the Council's Human Resources Committee on 24th November.
Opposition councillors want to see better advertising of posts, an improved pay offer for school crossing patrol vacancies and consideration of how the roles can be combined with other jobs to create roles that offer more hours - in the hope will attract more people to apply.
Commenting, Martin Haswell said:
"There have been no lollipop men or women in several locations around the city for months on end - including busy main roads like Front Road and Fordfield Road outside Highfield Academy in Ford Estate, or at the junction of the Broadway and Holborn Road near Broadway Junior School. It just isn't good enough.
"Parents are telling me that they don't feel safe crossing these roads and have asked repeatedly to have new lollipop people hired after previous staff retired or left their jobs without being replaced.
"The council have said they are struggling to recruit for the role but there is more they could be doing like more and better advertising, offering improved pay and conditions or thinking creatively about how the school crossing patrol jobs could be combined with other part time roles at the Council to make-up full time hours.
"Council bosses can't let these school crossing patrol vacancies go unfilled forever while young people's safety is at risk."