Branch Officer Training

Branch Officer posts are key to the efficient running of our local organisation in UNISON. Every Branch officer no matter what their post needs to understand and gain skills in common areas of union work and equally they must learn and practice skills pertinent to their specific officer role.

This course has been designed over three separate study blocks to combine specialist sessions with generic sessions which will allow the participant who completes all three study blocks and some individual project work an opportunity to achieve a Diploma level qualification.

The course is designed primarily for newly elected officials or those relatively new in post but who have not taken UNISON training thus far. There are some places too for Branch officers who have been in post for longer that 5 years and may wish to undergo refresher training. Each participant who completes the course will also be able to register as an ERA certified steward or re- register.

Common areas of study will include

• Managing the Branch
• Mentoring and Leadership
• Organising, Campaigning, Representation and Bargaining - the officer role across the branch
• Certification as competent to accompany members at a disciplinary and grievance hearing in order to comply with Employment Relations Act 1999

The specialist areas of study will be different for each officer - along the following lines

• Chairs - the rules of debate, motions and amendments, making meetings more user friendly, using education methodologies to increase participation
• Treasurers - basic book keeping, branch budgets, year end accounts, It developments, the treasurers 'convention'
• Secretaries - Aims and objects of the union, The UNISON calendar and its deadlines, Management of time, Management of Resources, Leading the Bargaining team
• Communications Officers - distribution methods, creating and producing newsletters, dealing with the media, using new media - text, web sites,  social networks campaigning in UNISON
• Education and Life Long Learning Coordinators, - available courses, available providers, UNISON's own programme, the TUC and the WEA - organising local courses - supporting new reps in the branch - coordination of learning reps and learning at work programmes
• Equality and Self Organised Group Officers - The legal backdrop; UNISON policies of fair representation and proportionality, Self organisation in UNISON - Coordination of Equality reps and equality impact assessments
• Health and Safety Officers - Hazards and Safety Committees, Bargaining around Health and Safety issues; Coordination of local Health and Safety Reps and workplace inspections 

Dates and Locations of the study blocks in 2011/12

• For Secretaries, Chairs and Treasurers - May 9-13, 2011 - October 3-7, 2011;  January 23-27 (24-28 Jan for Treasurers only) 2012 in Manchester
• For Education/LLL Coordinators and Communication Officers Equality/SOG* officers and Health and Safety Officers- May 16-20 2011; October 17-21 2011; January 16-20 2012 in Preston

The cycle of modules starts again with week one in 2012/13 as follows

• In Manchester - for Secretaries, Chairs, Membership Officers (RMS) and Treasurers - Week 1 - 30 April-4 May Week 2 15-19 October, 2012 and Week 3 in January 2013 dates to follow
• In Preston - for Education/LLL Coordinators, Communication Officers, Equality/SOG* officers and Health and Safety Officers - Week 1, 14-18 May; Week 2, 22-16 October, 2012 and Week three in January 2013 dates to follow

*SOG - self organised group

Click here to download an application form – ask your branch education coordinator to authorise your application and return the completed form to Arena Point

Or

Click here to express an interest now, in one of the modules, on line.