CHILDREN and staff working at a secure unit are being put at risk after their employer changed their shifts, a trade union claims.

Night staff working at the Kibble Education and Care centre say they have no handover time or a chance to speak to the children they are supposed to be looking after due to the amendments to their shift patterns.

The unit in Paisley houses young offenders and kids with behavioural problems or who don't have a safe place to live.

Many of the residents to be locked in their rooms at night for their own safety. 

Staff have blasted centre management for changing shift patterns, reducing their shift time from 11 hours to 10.

It means there is no time for night staff to receive a face-to-face handover from day shift workers, or get up to speed on any issues service users may have had.

They say their safety, and that of the children in their care, is being put at risk.

One employee told the Evening Times: “Some of these kids have to be locked up for their own benefit. The starting times used to be 9.15pm til 8.15am, but the new rota starts at 10pm. Most of the young people go to bed at 9.30, or 9.50pm so it means we have no contact with the kids.

“We’ve said it’s imperative that if you are working with young people you need to have a relationship with them and talk to them, have a bit of ace to face interaction. They like to know who is on shift and it often helps to calm them down if they know someone is there that they can trust.

“This way we are having no contact with them at all.”

Workers who are members of trade union unison have now voted to take action short of a strike, and started the work to rule yesterday.

They will continue the action for the foreseeable future and say management have failed to negotiate anything.

Graham Bell, Chief Executive of Kibble said: “It is disappointing that Unison are going ahead with this action.

“We have been in extensive dialogue over several months in a bid to avert any industrial action.

“However we have already made contingencies so that the safety and wellbeing of the young people in our care is unaffected.”