Schools: Buildings

(asked on 4th September 2023) - View Source

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many caseworkers her Department has employed in total in terms of (a) headcount and (b) full-time equivalent staffing to support school impacted by reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) as of 4 September 2023.


Answered by
David Johnston Portrait
David Johnston
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
This question was answered on 18th September 2023

This Government has taken more proactive action on RAAC than any other in the UK. The Department has assigned a dedicated caseworker to each school and college where the presence of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) has been confirmed. Caseworkers work with the responsible body to assess the site’s particular needs and implement individually designed remediation plans. This could include using other on-site buildings, local spaces, securing the affected area and, in some cases, erecting temporary buildings. There are 80 caseworkers in place and trained supported by Project Directors and their teams across the country. In addition, they are supported by 10 Regional Directors.

Departments have been asked to report on the current picture of suspected and confirmed RAAC in their estates as soon as possible. The Government published lists of education settings confirmed as having RAAC on Wednesday 6 September and committed to providing further updates. The list is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reinforced-autoclaved-aerated-concrete-raac-management-information.

The priority is supporting responsible bodies to remove any immediate risks and to minimise any disruption to education provision. Mitigation measures will vary site by site and are determined on a case-by-case basis to reflect local factors. Exact timescales for mitigations and remediation will depend on the circumstances in each school, where the RAAC-affected areas are, and the specific site.

Regarding matters of fire safety, it is the responsibility of those who run schools – academy trusts, local authorities and voluntary-aided school bodies – to manage the safety and maintenance of their estates. Notwithstanding the Department’s commitment to supporting these responsible bodies to respond to the presence of confirmed RAAC on their estates, they remain responsible for these arrangements, and for ensuring the continued safety of building users.

The Department will always put the safety and wellbeing of children and staff in education settings at the heart of its policy decisions. The Government has taken proactive action to identify and mitigate RAAC in education settings. We are leading the way in identifying RAAC in education buildings to ensure that students and staff stay safe.

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