Settlement Agreement Advice_Unfair Dismissal Case?

I will try to keep this as short and relevant as possible.

I have been employed by a small, but highly profitable company for the past 3 years and 4 months. Since the birth of my son 2½ years ago, my employer has made progressive steps to diminish my role and terminate my employment.

In an informal, “off the record” chat with the HR Manager in January 2017, I was advised that there was not enough work for me in my role and I was strongly recommended to seek other job opportunities. Most likely to save the company the expense of having to make me redundant! Just under two months later, I was officially told that my position was being made redundant and that I could either accept redundancy, or have my working week reduced from five days to four. I accepted the part-time offer instead of redundancy.

Over the coming months, aspects of my role and responsibilities, tasks that are written in my job description, were outsourced to external contractors.

In the final month before Christmas 2017, I was subjected to an unfair “Capability Review” and a separately raised disciplinary meeting for lateness which resulted in a formal verbal warning. Did I mention that I think the company have been trying to get rid of me?! The capability review was “paused” by the HR manager, as my line manager had eventually described my performance as “perfect”. My time keeping had never been a cause for concern once, not a single incident of lateness following my verbal warning at the end of 2017.

Last week I was invited to an “informal chat without prejudice” (in response to my question of whether I would need to be accompanied by a colleague) with the same HR manager as described earlier and the deputy director. I was politely told that they felt a solution could not be concluded for my “unreliability” relating to days taken off as unpaid dependent leave, to care for my sick child with no other immediate childcare opportunities available to me. They presented a pre-printed/arranged Settlement Agreement and asked me if I would mutually agree to leave the company (a “gentlemen’s agreement” apparently?). It was explained that acceptance of the settlement would void all of my grievances with the company and I would not be able to later take my case to a “no win, no fee” solicitor. I was placed on gardening leave with immediate effect for the remainder of my notice period (1 month) and suggested to “enjoy the sunshine”?!

If you have read this far, then thank you for having taken the time to do so! I appreciate that there maybe differing opinions on this and that it is perhaps difficult to offer a solid, definitive solution. However, anyone who is able to offer some experience, suggestion or advice, I would be most grateful.

Thank you