Get Support
General Issues and Common Queries
For advice on general issues, please contact ucu.secretary@lse.ac.uk Alternatively, visit the National UCU Support Centre to find answers to many frequently asked questions relating to membership, employment or the legal scheme.
Casework
We provide casework support to UCU members working at LSE to help resolve employment-related issues. If you are a member of the branch, you can submit a request to speak to a caseworker about the issue you are facing. Our caseworkers can help with a range of issues, typically including accompanying you to meetings with Human Resources or a Pro-Vice Chancellor, representing you in disciplnary proceedings, or providing advice on asserting your rights at work.
How to request support
To request casework support, please fill out the pro forma at the link below and submit to ucu.secretary@lse.ac.uk. Do not contact an individual branch officer with a casework request, or you may not receive a response. There are certain restrictions on who can request support and what support we are able to provide. Please read on to learn more before submitting a request.
NOTE! The Branch regularly experiences challenges in meeting an extremely high casework demand, and we are currently operating without a Branch Secretary. Casework is currently being managed by our casework managers approximately three days per week. We aim to process requests for support within five working days, but there could be occasions where it takes longer. Once processed, it may take additional time to identify and confirm an available caseworker. Please remember that officers and caseworkers are volunteers who are doing the best they can to support other members. If you are in need of urgent support, please write “[URGENT CASEWORK – CANNOT WAIT]” in the subject of your email, and we will aim to respond faster. Urgent here means that you have an emergency in which there is no possibility to delay the need for support — for example, if you are likely to lose your job and have been expressly denied the opportunity to postpone a meeting. Please note that we do not offer casework support to non-members!
If you have been called to an imminent meeting and wish for a caseworker to accompany you, please request that the meeting be postponed until your union is able to arrange for someone to accompany you and confirm the response before flagging your email to UCU as urgent. The School is normally accommodating of reasonable requests to delay confirmation or reschedule meetings.
LSE UCU caseworkers are hard-working volunteers who do their very best to ensure that branch members are treated fairly at work. We support dozens of cases every year, ranging from issues of redundancy and redeployment, to discrimination and disciplinary proceedings. Whether you are academic or professional services staff, our casework team can help.
There are some important limitations to note regarding what help we can provide:
- It is not always possible to meet urgent requests for representation at a scheduled meeting. However, you should have the right to request a postponement of the meeting until a caseworker is available to accompany you. You are encouraged to ask for the meeting to be postponed/rescheduled as early as possible.
- Casework support will only be provided to UCU members of more than 90 days standing (unless you are also within your first 90 days of employment at LSE). The union is based on solidarity. We do not support non-members under any circumstances and generally cannot help new members within their first 3 months of joining. In very exceptional circumstances, requests for support from new members may be assessed on a case-by-case basis, but only at the total discretion and availablity of our caseworkers and without access to the UCU legal scheme.
- Individual branch officers are not responsible for managing casework requests or providing casework in all instances. You need to write to the Secretary inbox and wait to be allocated a caseworker. If you contact an individual branch officer, they are under no obligation or expectation to respond to you. Your unit rep can be a helpful ‘first port of call’ for advice on whether an issue warrants casework support if you are unsure.
- Support, including initial advice and guidance, are not normally provided for a member whose workplace issue originated prior to joining UCU. You are still welcome to explain your case and the reason why you are requesting support, and casework managers try to be very flexible in determining whether the issue was pre-existing. However, we do try to help all members to find any information they may need, and we aim to support all members when resources permit.
- We are not legal advisors. Caseworkers and Branch Officers are not legally qualified and cannot provide legal advice. Your caseworker can help you to identify and assert your rights at work. A caseworker may agree to refer your case to the regional office for consideration for the legal support scheme. The decision on whether to provide legal services through this scheme is not made at branch level.
- Your caseworker will support you and, in some cases, represent you, but they cannot do everything for you. Caseworkers are there to advise and listen. They can provide guidance and direct you to appropriate resources. They may represent you in certain cases, such as disciplinary or appeals hearing, but generally you must advocate for yourself. Your caseworker is there to help you feel empowered to do so and ensure you are treated fairly.
Education Support Partnership
The Education Support Partnership is a charity that offers holistic support services to all staff in further and higher education and their families, including counselling, coaching, financial assistance, money management advice and signposting. These services can be accessed online on the Education Support Partnership website or through the 24/7 telephone support line on 08000 562 561 (freephone).