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 support from a caseworker, please fill out the pro forma at the link below and submit to ucu.secretary@lse.ac.uk. 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 is currently experiencing challenges in meeting extremely high casework demand. Our Branch Secretary normally manages casework but is taking parental leave, and several caseworkers are also currently on leave or otherwise unavailable. Casework is currently being managed by our Branch Administrator, who normally works only on Mondays, and a member of the Branch Committee who provides support approximately two 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.
As a reminder, 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 before flagging your email as urgent. The School is normally accommodating of reasonable requests to delay confirmation or reschedule meetings while appropriate arrangements are made.
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 normally be provided only 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; as such, we cannot help non-members under any circumstances and generally cannot help new members within their first three months of joining. However, requests for support from members of less than 90 days standing will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. The casework manager may allocate support to a new member, subject to capacity. In such cases, it is expected that the member will still have no recourse to the national legal support scheme.
- 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 (necessarily) legally qualified and cannot provide legal advice. Your caseworker can help you to identify and assert your rights at work, but this is distinct from providing, e.g., interpretation of the law. A caseworker may agree to refer your case to the regional office with a referral the legal support scheme. The decision to provide services through this scheme is ultimately at the discretion of the regional office; it is not a decision taken at branch level.
- Your caseworker will support you and, in some cases, represent you, but they cannot do everything for you. Caseworkers are here to help and to listen. They can provide advice and guidance and direct you to appropriate resources. They may represent you in certain cases, such as disciplinary or appeals hearings. In general, you will mainly advocate for yourself, and your caseworker will be there to make sure that you feel empowered to do so and that you are treated fairly along the way.
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).