Education
UNISON currently runs many education courses for their members to attend. UNISON course are open to all UNISON members whether you are an activist or not. Most of them carry official recognition and are respected by employers.
Some courses will also count to Continuous Professional Development (CPD) work that is required by the HPC. You are entitled to time off from your duties without a reduction in pay and will have your mileage or travel expenses covered.
What Are The Courses Like?
Unison courses are run in a friendly and supportive atmosphere. Everybody’s views and experiences are valued and listened to. Most of the time you will be working with other people in small groups. You won’t be lectured or ‘put on the spot’.
What If I Have Responsibilities At Home?
Unison branches provide a care allowance for children and dependants if they need to be looked after while you are attending courses if you have incurred an additional cost. Details are available from Jackie Robinson the Interim Branch Education Coordinator (click to email her).
Paid Time Off
You have a legal right to reasonable paid time off (see below) for training in your union industrial relations duties. You should give at least a few weeks notice and - if asked to - provide management with information about the content of the course. So, at the same time as sending off your application form to UNISON, ask management for time off using your local procedure. Don’t delay by waiting until your course place is confirmed. If you get resistance, ask for UNISON help through your branch.
Expenses
Payment of travel and subsistence costs should be claimed from your branch. You should check with your Branch Education Coordinator or Branch Secretary to find out how to make a claim.
Course Times
Courses usually commence at 9.30am and finish at 4.30pm. Occasionally, if a course is only run in one or two places in the Region e.g. London, it will start at 10.00am.
Course details will be provided to you when you are offered a place on a course. For the benefit of everyone you should try to attend all course sessions on time.
Where Do The Courses Run?
We try to run courses where we feel everyone has the opportunity to attend. Here’s a list of towns with the venues we use:-
- Basildon – Basildon & Thurrock College, Nethermayne Campus
- Bury St Edmunds – Unison Office, Lower Baxter Street
- Cambridge – Professional Development Centre, Foster Road, Trumpington
- Chelmsford – County Hall
- Colchester – Colchester Institute, Sheepen Road
- Hertford – Unison Meeting Room, County Hall, Leahoe
- Huntingdon – Regional College, California Road
- Ipswich – Novotel, Grey Friars Road
- London – NUT, Euston Road or U.C.U, 27 Britannia Street (Kings Cross)
- London – Unison Head Office, Mabledon Place (listed as London UHQ)
- Luton – Barnfield College, Rotherham Avenue
- Norwich – St Andrews House, St Andrews Street
How To Apply
Once you have selected a course you wish to attend, you need to fill out the application form which can be printed by clicking here. If you wish to attend more than one course you can photocopy the form and use it as many times as necessary.
Your completed form must then be sent to Jackie Robinson, Branch Education Officer at the address below.
Jackie Robinson - UNISON Branch
Welwyn Garden City Ambulance Station
Ascots Lane
Welwyn Garden City
Hertfordshire
AL7 4HL
Confirmation
Each course has a closing date for applications which is 4 weeks before the start date. After the course closing date you will be contacted and advised whether or not you have a place. We will also tell you about the details of the course: venue, start times and any other relevant information.
Confirmation will be sent out 4* weeks before the course starts. If you have not heard from us by 2 weeks before the course starts, please contact us on 01245 608905 / s.carrington@unison.co.uk
* Some of the courses in this programme will be run jointly with the Greater London Region, so you may find that the joining instructions will come from their office. Please note that they generally don’t send the joining instructions until 2 weeks before the start date, so please make sure you have your time off arranged well in advance. The courses where joining instructions will be issued by the Greater London region are marked with an * in the programme.
Course Fees Payable by Branches
There is no cost to you. Unless otherwise stated, the current cost to the branch for a member attending a course is £15 per day for courses run in Cambridge, London and Luton (this fee includes lunch) and £10 per day for courses run in all other venues (no lunch provided because there are places nearby to buy lunch – you can claim subsistence from your branch for this).
Cancellations
If for any reason you find that you cannot attend the course for which you have applied it is essential that you contact the Activist Education Unit as soon as possible. You will also need to contact your Branch Education Coordinator or Branch Secretary, who may be able to find a substitute delegate.
If you fail to attend the course and you fail to notify the Activist Education Unit on 01245 608905 prior to the start of the course, the relevant course fee will be charged to the branch plus an extra charge of £45 for failure to attend without notice.
Enquiries
For further information please email or call Mike Pelling Branch Education Coordinator using the following details:
email: jrobinson@eeas-unison.com
www.unisoneastern.org.uk/education (Regional website)
www.unison-opencollege.org.uk (national website)
www.unison.org.uk/laos (National activist training website)
Certificates of attendance.
Everyone who successfully completes a course organised through the UNISON Eastern Region Education Unit will receive a UNISON certificate. Additionally, for some courses you can also get credits under the Open College Network (see below).
Accreditation.
Accreditation is the opportunity to gain educational credits under the Open College Network (OCN) equivalent to NVQs and GCSEs on trade union courses. You will be able to get credits for most but not all of the courses in the programme.
UNISON’s policy on accreditation is that it is up to individuals to decide whether or not they want to be assessed for credits. You shouldn’t be disadvantaged if you decide not to but clearly many members will welcome the chance to get recognition for the work they do on a union course. Assessment is based on what you do on the course. There is no exam. Assessment will be done by you, others on the course and the course tutor. Credits from several courses will qualify you to go into further or higher education.
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