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ULR Guide

The Roles of the ULR & the Lead ULR

A Union Learning Representative (ULR) is a CWU representative who helps our members get back into

learning. They will be appointed or elected by their branch as covered by the branch rules.

Where a branch has more than one ULR then there shall be a Lead ULR (sometimes referred to asa Learning Officer, Learning Organiser or Learning Coordinator)

The duties for a ULR shall include

Promoting lifelong learning to CWU members and the wider community Researching the learning needs of their membership and their employers Developing a database of local learning opportunities which are available to their members and

the wider community Signposting learning opportunities and Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG) services to

members Organising and attending a Learning Steering Committee comprising of representatives of the

Branch, ULR(s), Employers, Learning Provider etc as decided by the committee Working with their Branch to deliver learning opportunities in keeping with the rules, aims and

objectives of the CWU Developing learning centres or learning access points where sustainable Attending meetings or training to develop their own skills and others skills as ULRs Attending such courses, networking and dissemination events necessary to keep them informed

of relevant developments in the field of lifelong learning and build contacts to enable them toprovide wider learning opportunities for members and the wider community

Representing the Branch on learning issues both on internal CWU committees and externalcommittees/events as appropriate

Supporting the work of their Regional Learning Committee, the CWU Education and TrainingDepartment and the CWU as a whole

Negotiating with employers to provide lifelong learning opportunities and resources for theirmembers and themselves in line with national CWU guidance

Negotiating with education providers to provide lifelong learning opportunities and resources fortheir members in line with national CWU guidance

The duties of a Lead ULR will include all of the above as well as

Coordinating the work and training (in consultation with the Branch Secretary) of the BranchesULRs

Organising and attending a Branch ULR committee (as per Branch rules) Representing ULRs to the Branch Committee Being Lead Negotiator on learning issues for the Branch with employers, learning providers and

other appropriate bodies

ULRs In The CWU

As a Union Learning Rep you are a part of the democratic structure of the CWU. All members areallocated to a branch and can participate in making branch policy at branch meetings. The branchparticipates in a range of Regional Committees the Regional Learning Committee is one suchcommittee. Both branches and regions can submit motions to CWU Conference if carried theybecome national policy. In between Annual Conferences the National Executive and NationalOfficers are responsible for enacting policy. All CWU Reps are must carry out their role within CWUpolicy.

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Support for ULRs starts with your own Branch and fellow ULRs within the Branch. If you haveenough ULRs in your branch to have a branch ULR network and a lead ULR they will be able toassist in sharing information and developing a branch strategy for learning. The Branch Committeeand Branch Officers will give you support over release, facilities etc as well as practical advise overdealing with specific issues.

Regionally, you have the support of your Regional Learning Committee who will often haveexperienced similar issues in their work as ULRs. Your Regional Project Worker (RPW) can helpwith any lifelong learning issues as well as any employer learning issues which the Branch mayneed further help with.

The CWU Education & Training Department can be contacted via the CWU Headquarters and will beable to help you if your RPW is unavailable. It also keeps stock of learning resources and organisesthe ULR Conference as well as publishing the quarterly learning magazine, Communiqu.

ULR Rights

Appointment of ULRs

For ULR rights to apply a copy of the standardULR Appointment Pro Forma should be sent tomanagement upon appointment / election of a ULR. It is essential that both the Branch and theULR(s) concerned should keep a copy of the returned pro forma. A copy should also be sent tothe CWU Education & Training Dept. Once the notification has been sent then the ULR is entitled totheir rights however there is also a requirement under the law that the ULR should complete theirinitial training within 6 months from the notification. If the training is not undertaken then ULRrights would lapse unless the training has been delayed by the management, in which case atribunal could be pursued. Again it is useful that both the Branch and the ULR keep a copy of theCWU ULR certificate awarded at the end of the ULR course.

ULRs & the Law

With effect of the 27th April 2003, under the terms ofSection 43 of the Employment Act, employersmust allow members of independent recognised trade unions who are Union LearningRepresentatives to take time off during working hours for the purpose of:

Analysing learning or training needs Providing information or advice about learning or training matters Arranging learning or training Promoting the value of learning or training

In relation to qualifying members (i.e. employees at the workplace where the CWU is recognisedand who the CWU represents) learning reps must be allowed time off to:

Consult the employer about carrying on such activities for qualifying members Prepare for activities within these purposes

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Undergo training relevant to their function as a learning rep, including training tobecome a learning rep

The ULR is entitled to be paid either as if they had worked for the relevant period, or according tocomparative hourly earnings. There is no entitlement to pay for learning activities undertaken at atime when the employee would not ordinarily have been paid, but staff who work part-time will be

entitled to pay if full time staff are.

The amount of time off allowed is what is reasonable in all the circumstances taking into accountthe provisions of the ACAS Code of Practice (e.g. size of organisation, safety and security, need tomaintain a public service, etc,). Employers should consider providing accommodation for membersand learning reps to meet to discuss relevant training matters.

Applying for Release

Unless an agreement has been reached for full-time ULR release, then ad-hoc release should beapplied for using the appropriate employer Paid Special Leave form. Always keep a copy of theapplication (annotated with the date that you submitted it) and any confirmation received. Yourbranch will have a local agreement about how much notice is needed to ensure that duties arecovered so that employers should have no reason to refuse leave

What should ULRs do if release is refused?

In general terms, refusal of release needs to be dealt with in a structured and organised fashion i.e. account must be taken of the over-riding need for reasonable requests for release being made.

For example, asking your manager for release the day before the release is required cannot beconsidered as reasonable, as this would not allow sufficient time for arrangements to be made incovering your duties, whereas providing your manager with four weeks notice of the need forrelease from duty is entirely reasonable, as it allows sufficient time for any reasonable manager tomake such arrangements.

If reasonable notice has been provided to management and the refusal of release is unreasonablethen ULRs should follow the steps set out below.

Contact the Lead ULR / ULR Coordinator of your Branch - If your Branch has a Lead ULR / ULRCoordinator it is worth raising the refusal of release with them in the first instance, as this willprovide with the support and advice of someone who is possibly more experienced than you indealing with refusal of release.

Contact the Branch Secretary - The Branch Secretary will be in the position to provide you with

support, advice and guidance as to the route you need to follow in order to deal with the refusal ofrelease under the relevant agreement / procedures that apply in dealing with your employer.

Contact your Regional Project Worker - Your RPW will be able to provide you with support andadvice and guidance in dealing with the refusal of release. Our RPWs have a great deal ofexperience in dealing with the employers where the CWU represent and may well be able to assistyou in resolving the issue promptly.

Always get the reason for refusal of release confirmed - The purpose of this is to provide evidenceof the unreasonable nature of the refusal of release, as this will become an important factor if therefusal of release were to be escalated through the formal procedures. Ask the manager why youcannot be released and ask him / her to provide this in writing. This does not involve anythingdifficult, just a polite request to the manager concerned to provide you with a written response

setting out the reasons why you cannot be released from duty. If your manager is not prepared toprovide a written response setting out the reasons for the refusal of release, this can be remediedby simply writing to the manager setting out the reasons you have been given verbally for the

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Further Development as a ULR

There are a number of opportunities for ULRs to further develop their skills so they can improvethe guidance and support that they can offer members. You may want to consider whether youwant to move into taking further qualifications to allow you to provide Information, Advice andGuidance, ESOL, become a tutor or teaching assistant. Some of our ULRs are gaining

qualifications through local colleges and IAG partnerships because these organisations recognisethe work that ULRs do and the benefits they can provide.

Of course ULRs should also be encouraged to consider their own personal development whilst theyare doing the same for others. There are many courses that can help you develop as a ULR i.e.taking an ESOL course so you can then pass on that knowledge to others, taking an I.T. course sothey can support the I.T. systems with the learning centre/project. If you are interested in any ofthe courses described above, it is worth talking to your Lead ULR or Regional Project Worker.

Information for booking courses

CWU courses are advertised on the main CWU website and on the CWU Education website.

Application forms can be downloaded from the website or obtained from your branch. Please notethough, ALL applications for courses have to be approved by the Branch Secretary. If you haveany questions over courses you can contact Alvescot on 01993 843373

Release for ULR Training

Para 26 of the ACAS code states that ULRs should be given reasonable time off to develop theirskills and competencies through training. If you have applied to attend a training course which isrecognised by the CWU and have problems with release then contact your Branch and you RPW.

Learning & Organising

Successful unions have a well organised and active representative structure that leads to highlevels of membership recruitment and retention and strong development and support of committedand well motivated activists.

The CWU has recognised the real links between learning and organising and how it can bring onboard new activists as ULRs and enhance recruitment campaigns by engaging potential newmembers in learning provided by a trade union.

10 Reasons for linking Learning into Organising

As a ULR there are many ways that you can get involved with organising a stronger union. Hereare ten benefits that CWU Branches have discovered about being part of the learning agenda.

1. It motivates and enables people who have never been active before to get involved in theCWU and participate in the Branch.

2. It is a powerful recruitment tool which is highly effective in reaching our membership low-paid, frontline staff who often lack confidence, skills and qualification and generallymiss out on education and training at work.

3. It Improves retention and support amongst existing members by enthusing and activatingthem and making them feel valued and involved.

4. It changes the image of the union and promotes activism through transforming peoplesideas and expectations of unions from a them and us to a Im part of it and can dosomething about it approach

5. It is essential for equality and proportionality because it promotes and supportsparticipation in the CWU and its structures amongst minority grouping within the union

(women, ethnic minorities, disabled, LGBT, youth and retired members) as well as thosewho work part-time or shifts.

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6. It strengthens our negotiating and bargaining agenda with employers and can improveleverage on other employment issues, whilst increasing employee awareness of rights atwork.

7. It increases the CWUs effectiveness and efficiency by growing the number of activists,building skills and branch capacity, strengthening the branch committee and spreading theload.

8. It contributes to campaigns and helps build support for initiatives on critical issues such asprotecting jobs, equal pay and tackling racism, sexism and homophobia at work.

9. It harnesses and channels available external funding and resources for the people whomost stand to benefit from Lifelong Leaning and getting involved in the CWU and whowould otherwise miss out.

10. It boosts the confidence, skills and knowledge of our members so they are more willingand able to stand up for their rights at work.

This is all in addition to providing the individual learner with education and training opportunitiesand transferable skills which can lead to a more fulfilling work experience, better pay, improvedchances of job progression or employment opportunities, a widening or interests outside or workand further learning opportunities.

Organising for Learning Get Involved Today!

You can contact the CWU's Organising Department atjoinunion@cwu.org, or by calling the hotlinenumber 0800 731 7434.

Learning Centres

What is a Learning Centre?

A Learning Centre is a place where learners can come at a time that suits them in order to learn,at their own pace, in a quiet, comfortable and supportive environment. Such an environment is ofgreat importance, as it will facilitate a positive learning experience for the people using it. It can

be a in a fixed location or it could be mobile, it may be in the workplace, union premises or withinthe local community. It is important to be flexible as each learning centre should be responsive toits learners and no one model will fit every need.

A Learning Centre provides a chance for people to improve a range of skills or interests, such asbasic maths and English. It can also be a place where they can gain computer and I.T. skills, learna new language, develop leisure interests as well as providing an opportunity for people to achievequalifications.

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What are the benefits of a Learning Centre?

There are many benefits in having a Learning Centre some of these are listed below:

It provides a calm and supportive environment dedicated to learning, where learners canstudy in peace, without distractions.

It provides a secure place to keep valuable learning materials, such as CD ROMs, books,videos, equipment and educational software.

It acts as a focal point where support can be provided by a ULR, trainer or administrator,and where learners need not feel isolated.

Training outcomes and learner feedback can be more easily monitored.

Computer hardware is more likely to be standard, with training software (courseware)pre-loaded. Elsewhere in an organisation PCs may vary in specification and condition, andstaff may not have the necessary skills to install courseware.

It should be noted that Learning Centres might not be the best option in organisations wherelearners are geographically widely spread or isolated, as it may not be practical to expect them totravel to a central Learning Centre. It may also be too expensive and unsustainable to install aLearning Centre in a number of remote sites. In these circumstances other solutions, such asloaning out technology based learning or using laptops to create a mobile learning experience maybe an appropriate option.

Setting up a Learning Centre

It is necessary to carefully plan and co-ordinate how you go about setting up an effective LearningCentre. Whilst getting the Learning Centre up and running could theoretically be completed in afew weeks, in practice one should be more concerned with getting it right rather than achieving itin record time. Give yourself plenty of time and be realistic, bear in mind that on average it takesabout a year to get a learning centre running and delivering courses. To assist in this, it is worthbreaking the plan down into three phases:

Research Administration Marketing

Research

Research tasks may include:

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Visiting established Learning Centres to see how they operate Reading journals, papers or books on technology based training and open/distance

learning Consulting with your RPW, Unionlearn, other organisations such as those listed on the links

page and learning providers/suppliers of learning materials Attending conferences organised by CWU, Unionlearn and other appropriate organisations Establishing knowledge of the I.T. issues, such as the basic hardware specifications that

are required Reviewing the full range of learning providers including e-learning and distance learning

options. Completing a business case for setting up a Learning Centre it may be useful to prepare

an agreed model learning agreement as part of the business case Carrying out an employee survey questionnaire to establish the training needs that the

Learning Centre will need to meet this can be conducted by ULRs (There are copies ofdraft surveys on the CWU Education website as well as a learning postcard which isavailable for HQ)

Administration

Administrative tasks may include:

Deciding how learners will book sessions in the Learning Centre and how these will bemanaged

Training ULRs Comparing what different education providers can offer and negotiating with them to get

the best deal Considering what data on the usage of the Learning Centre will need to be collected, and

how this will be done Deciding how records will be kept and what information will be held Designing evaluation procedures to measure training outcomes Preparing a directory of the

materials available for use Considering appropriate resources

Evaluating and ordering materials and hardware, and arranging for their delivery andinstallation Ensuring that adequate technical support is available Deciding on the opening times of the Learning Centre, and whether materials are to be

loaned for use outside of the Learning Centre Choosing appropriate accommodation and furnishings

Marketing

Marketing tasks may include:

Designing and producing posters, leaflets and other publicity materials that explain whatthe Learning Centre is, what it is for and what it offers

Holding pre-launch publicity events, such as road-shows and open days, where potentiallearners can come and have a look. It may be useful to invite your RPW, Unionlearn andproviders to assist ULRs at such events.

Giving the Learning Centre a name, logo, etc it is useful to have a distinct name andimage for a Learning Centre (e.g. Open2All, First Class, and The Exchange) as this willassist in word of mouth publicity. You can also hold a competition to come up with aname for the learning centre

Organise a launch or a celebration of learning for the centre, you could have various bitesize courses or a local celebrity along. We are always happy to arrange that a senior figurein the union is on hand to open the centre.

Ensuring that the Learning Centre has visible senior level support from the partnersinvolved in it you may wish to consider a high profile launch

Setting up a learning Centre can appear to be a daunting challenge and can require a substantialcommitment, both in terms of time and effort, if it is to be a success. However there are

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resources and support available to help you, so do not despair, and do not be afraid to ask forhelp!

Making Learning Sustainable

Once the Learning Centre has been launched, ensuring that it remains successful is important. Itis normal to have a lively period following a high profile launch you may find that this tails offafter a while, so you will need to consider new marketing initiatives, and perhaps introduction ofnew materials.

It is here that successful monitoring comes in useful, both your own and making use of theinformation which your provider(s) collect. Monitoring can be statistical or hands on.

Hands on

Hands on is most effective where you have a local ULR. Prior to the course it is always useful tomeet with the tutor and build a rapport and ensure that the tutor feed any issues or absence backto the ULR as timely as possible so the ULR can take follow up action.

It can involve being at the first class to make sure everyone has turned up and that they aresettled in. It will then involve meeting with the tutor & provider about way through the courseto look at progressions for students at the end of the course. A couple of weeks prior to the end ofthe course going along to discuss follow-on options and probably on the last session to getfeedback or survey the learners on how they found the course content, sessions, times, tutor, etc.

Statistical

Statistical monitoring will look at numerical outcomes such as number of students who are, say:

Male/female

Part/Full time Shift Pattern Work Area Type of course Equality Info

This is not an exhaustive list but just gives an insight. These figures can be usefully used againstyour hands on information and information which you have gained by mapping the workplace.

For instance, by mapping your workplace you can identify the different learning needs of differentgroups of workers. It may reveal that your workplace has a 70/30% male to female ratio howeverthe majority taking courses are female. Or there may be less participation in learning from themainly male night shift who also have a higher proportion of workers with an ethnic minority

background. You may notice that no-one from the cleaning staff that has enrolled for learning.This information gives you an indication of different marketing approaches which could beconsidered.

Ensuring sustainability may also mean negotiating with your employer for wider access to yourlearning centre, such as Family and Friends and other union members. It is always beneficial topoint out the positive public relations exercise that this can be for the business. Again you need tobe aware of issues regarding guests on the employers premises so do consider the issues.

If you consider having children in the learning centre then ensure that they are accompanied by aparent or someone who is officially in loco parentis so you are covered legally.

Again this is an area where learning and organising fit in naturally together as mapping is a keypart of both roles and will show where your members are and give you the opportunity to recruitlearners and members at the same time.

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Being sustainable also means that you can access enough funding to keep the centre running,maintaining the standard of IT equipment and general up-keep. It is possible that you cannegotiate this with employers, providers or other bodies involved in lifelong learning. It may bethat your branch wish to make a contribution to running the centre. But you can also draw downfunding in the course of delivering learning opportunities to your members. It is possible to drawdown funding through IAG or Learndirect provision - although this will be dependant on both thenumbers of learners supported and the level of support offered.

The CWU also currently has access to Sustainability Funding from the ULF (England). If you areinterested in bidding for this funding you can access more details here and download an applicationform here.

Promoting Learning

Getting learners involved is the key part of a ULRs role. This will generally be achieved byorganising an event, a campaign, a course or a combination of the three. The 7 Steps is tried andtested method of planning any of the above.

The 7 Steps

1. Aims & Themes What is your event about?2. Making the Case Getting a Working Group3. Activities - So what are you going to do?4. Promotion How are you going to tell people about it?5. Activities So what are you going to do?6. Progress Following Through!7. Evaluate How did you do?

Step 1: Aims & Themes What is your event about?

The first thing is to decide what you want to get out of the event i.e. raise awareness of a learningcentre/opportunity, find out what people want to learn, introduce yourself/yourselves, recruitlearners/members, etc. This will help you decide on the type of event that you want to hold andwhat the best theme may be. It may be that you want to get more than one outcome but dontset yourself too high a target, it is better to achieve one aim than fail at several; you are theperson you will most upset!

Once youve decided on your aim or aims you can decide on a theme. A theme can be helpful as itwill give you a hook with which to catch peoples interest. The theme need not be too specific oryou can get yourself controlled by the theme and not your aim.

Step 2: Making the case Getting a Working Group

Once youve decided on your aim and theme you will need to think who you want involved with theevent. It could be management, a provider/providers, other organisations/unions, a guest speakeror a funding body etc. You will need to think how you are going to encourage them to participate.

Making a SMART case will help. SMART is a mnemonic for:

Specific Measurable Achievable Realistic Time-bound

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It helps you to set a plan down on paper and give others an idea or what you want to achieve. Italso gives you timescales so you can judge and prove your success.

If you have previous experience it is also useful to use this to back up your plan of action.

Also never forget to consider what support is available to you to help make the case, although you

may need to make a case to get their support too. This isnt as intimidating as it sounds as it issomething you do all the time in everyday life.

It may be useful at this stage to set up a planning group. Remember the more involvement youhave in the project the more the load can be spread and the more skills you can draw on but alsothe more you have to balance everyones views and aims.

Step 3: Activities So what are you going to do?

Think about choosing activities which relate to your theme, it will help tie the event together and make

your audience think you are more organised. Ensure that they are fun, engaging and accessible (notjust physically but easy to take part in every way, i.e. website design may attract an audience but if theyhave no pc skills it will be difficult for them to take part in any activity)

It is very useful to conduct a skills audit of your membership/workforce. You may be surprised tofind out what hidden talents there are out there. You could have musicians, people who are fluentin foreign languages, have building or DIY skills, know health and safety or first aid, haveinteresting hobbies etc. You may be able to draw on these skills to either work activities around oruse for promoting your event.

Step 4: Promotion How are you going to tell people about it?

Once youve decided on how the event is going to run you need to publicise it to your audience. One

way of looking at this is the AIDA process. AIDA stands for:

Awareness Interest Desire Action

Basically it considers how you move someone from knowing that something is happening to takingpart in it.

For example: Someone may become aware of your event by seeing a poster youve put up buttheir interest may be raised by a personal invite. Linking a celebrity to the event may increasetheir desire to attend then if they take action and come along to the event they might get a freegift or entry to a draw.

Step 5: Deliver Your plan of action

Probably the most important step out of the seven. How the event runs will determine how people enjoyit and what your outcomes are and the potential success of future events.

Preparing for the event is important. You have your theme and activities now think about all thethings that need to happen on the day. You will need to produce a programme, whether this is foryour own information, your committee/helpers or the attendees. Often the last group are the leastimportant when it comes to this action unless you have a lot of activities planned.

Things to think about when organising your programme may include: What time your event starts and finishes and if there are any breaks? What time your speakers/activity leaders are arriving? Who is responsible for what actions on the day and when? What time refreshments will be, when will they be delivered and where will they be stored?

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Where will things be stored when not in use? Who will act as a greeter for attendees etc? What equipment will you need and when will it arrive? Is the software compatible? What contingencies have you got for missing/late speakers/activity leaders or for

over/under runs?

This list isnt all inclusive and you can probably think of other things you might add in. The moreyou prepare for any eventuality then the less likely it is to happen and the more you can make itappear nothing has gone wrong if it does! At the start of the event make sure that all thoseinvolved in it are as happy and relaxed as possible. If they are then it is likely to be contagious tothe attendees. Remember to create a buzz whether that is by colourful displays, music, humour,toys, food, speakers etc. Good word of mouth is the most useful tool you have!

Step 6: Progress Following Through!

Progress can be considered in three ways:

1. Ensuring that you know progression routes from your activities at the event whether it is acourse that you are running in-house or a course or information to which you can directpeople.

2. Following up on questions or issues which arise from the event, i.e. someone may haveaccess or support issues for an external course or may have an interest in learningsomething you unrelated to the activities in the event.

3. What is the next opportunity or learning campaign that you want to promote?

Step 7: Evaluate How did you do?

Evaluation really considers what, where, when, why and how? The first questions you need to askyourself are:

Why you are evaluating the event?

For whom are you evaluating? Whats to be evaluated? How will you evaluate? What will you do with the data you produce? What is the timeframe for the evaluation?

Some of this will be easy to decide. If you have received funding for an event you may need tosupply details of the numbers attending etc. Some of it will be for your own information either forplanning a future event, scheduling courses or for evidence for your steering committee or forfuture funding. Statistical data will be helpful for funding and committees and for you for futureevents.

On the day feedback forms may be useful to get attendees to complete but remember to keep

then concise as you want people to go away with a good memory not have any success youveachieved be offset by a lot of paperwork.

Immediately after the event note down your impressions while they are still fresh in your head andthen put them away for at least a week. This will give you time to relax after the event so you canthen review your notes with a fresh mind. Things which may have seemed great or disastrous onthe day may seem different after the rush has passed. Once youve reviewed your impressionthen meet up with the rest of your group to have an evaluation meeting and keep an open mindabout what comes up in the meeting.

Remember that your timeframe may not always just be about the event. You may have set amore long term goal i.e. to get 20 people to complete their SfL literacy or numeracy tests orstarted on NVQs. In this case you will need to set your timeframe accordingly.

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Funding

Obviously funding is vital for maintaining the sustainability of your project. Providers draw downfunding from the LSC for each student that they teach. The level of funding is decided by theLSC/DIUS each year. Providers tend to work to a set figure per student hour regardless of thecourse or its location. It is here that there is the possibility of negotiation over the cost of courses

as well as being our best way to reduce costs for students.

Funding is available to reduce course fees but it is generally directly applicable to an individualbecause of their previous education or the location in which they live or work. As discussedpreviously, it is possible to draw down funding as you deliver learning opportunities to yourmembers, such as IAG and Learndirect. This is probably the best way to fund your project,however there might be other funding opportunities available.

There might be a temptation to make a bid for any funding that is available - this is not always thebest option. Any funding you draw down will have particular aims, objectives and targets whichyou will have to commit yourselves to if you accept the funding. If these objectives are not closelyrealted to what you want your project to deliver then accepting the funding might actually deflectyou from what you really want to achieve.

It is also important to remember that double funding (counting a set of outcomes more than once)is not permitted! For this reason ALL funding bids have to be signed off by CWU Headquarters.

It is wise to keep an ear open for any funding which may come available within your area.Building up good relations with your local LSC and learning provider(s) may help in this area.Unionlearn may also be making more regional funding available for localised projects. EuropeanSocial Funding maybe avialable for specific regions. This will generally be administered through theLSC or perhaps form part of larger projects - possibly administerd through Unionlearn. There arealso several trusts which may provide educational funding.

Remember if you have information on a source of funding speak to your RPW or the Education

and Training Dept so we can ensure that we are able to apply for the funding and to get help withpreparing and passing the bid through headquarters.

The CWU also currently has access to Sustainability Funding from the ULF (England). If you areinterested in bidding for this funding you can access more details here and download anapplication form here.

Record Keeping

There are many reasons why keeping records is important, whether it is because you have fundingtargets to meet, time-off to justify, members to contact or just to help your own memory.

There are two types of files which are particularly useful for ULRs, they are know by many namesbut for simplicity sake we shall refer to them as information and suspense files.

Information Files are self explanatory. They are files in which you store information. Whatinformation you want to store is up to you but it is probably useful to keep a file for each leanerwhere you may want to keep their contact details, when you saw them, what action you need totake for the individual, a copy of the Individual Learning Plan, a record of courses that the personhas taken, any learning issues the individual has etc. These need to be confidential and onlyavailable to ULRs and the education provider tasked with delivering the plan. It is also importantto remember that these are liable to data protection laws and that the learner has the right to seewhat is written in their file.

Another information file you may keep is on each course that you run. You may want to note

dates and attendees. Anything which made the course particularly successful or caused aproblem. It may seem strange and you will probably think that you will remember it but think

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ahead. What happens if you cant be there or you take on another union position, the notes youleave may help someone else fulfil your role.

Both of the previous files should be confidential to ULRs but you may also want to build upinformation files which are open to all. These may include provider information, courseinformation, IAG providers, funding bodies etc.

The second type of file you may consider keeping is called a suspense file. This can be very usefulin helping you to keep on top of things and planning you time management or release time.

Time management may sound like jargon but it can be very useful in justifying release time andin organising and prioritising work.

Records can be kept as either computer based or paper based but they should be kept rigorouslyand updated frequently to avoid daunting backlogs of paperwork.

Community Learning

Community Learning is a term that is used to describe learning that is not confined to a workplace

or learning providers premises. It considers how learning can move on from the traditional theunion model, i.e. a fixed learning centre with a college as the learning provider.

This could simply mean making learning more mobile by using laptops, looking for providers whowere more mobile themselves, linking up with community learning groups and groups from the

voluntary sectors, other unions and businesses in the local area or even housing associations.

We have already been involved in a number of community based projects such as South EastCommunity Learning and Come With Us & Learn.

Other methods could include contacting local sports centres and negotiating cheaper rates forgroup lessons, this could be rolled out for any other recreational learning where funding in nowvirtually non-existent, i.e. alternative medicine (reflexology, aromatherapy, stress relief, massageetc), gardening, car maintenance, plumbing, flower arranging, horse-riding, even languages, thelist is endless. It also looked at developing the skills and interests of our own members to providecourses or tasters on a range of hobbies and skills.

We do need to give consideration to who we are working with, that their aims match ours and that

there is no conflict of interests or funding. We need to ensure that whatever projects weundertake are underpinned byequal opportunitiesfor all. The main thing is that our members

http://www.cwueducation.org/sitepages.asp?step=4&contentID=1017&region=1http://www.cwueducation.org/sitepages.asp?step=4&contentID=1017&region=1http://www.cwueducation.org/uploads/documents/ULRResource/NorthallertonCS.pdfhttp://www.cwu.org/default.asp?step=2&id=45http://www.cwu.org/default.asp?step=2&id=45http://www.cwu.org/default.asp?step=2&id=45http://www.cwueducation.org/sitepages.asp?step=4&contentID=1017&region=1http://www.cwueducation.org/sitepages.asp?step=4&contentID=1017&region=1http://www.cwueducation.org/uploads/documents/ULRResource/NorthallertonCS.pdfhttp://www.cwu.org/default.asp?step=2&id=45

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needs should lead the learning agenda. There are other learning options out there if ULRs arecreative.