Help and Support

The (national) UCU website has a range of resources and advice.

If you have a problem at work and would like personal support and advice, please contact the UMUCU office (ucu@manchester.ac.uk), giving brief details of the situation, which part of the University you work in and your preferred method for contact. It is not necessary to alert your managers to the fact you are seeking advice.

We will give some initial advice and/or aim to find a personal caseworker to support you, accompany you to meetings and provide union representation, if necessary. It is important to note that our local caseworkers do this as voluntary work to support their fellow trade union members. They can provide support and advice, and accompany you to meetings, but they cannot run your case for you or act as your secretary. The local caseworkers can get advice from regional officials, and it is at the regional level that any decisions about legal support will be made. Generally speaking, local procedures are better than the legal minimum provided by employment law, so it is better to make use of the University’s provisions first.

While we will endeavour to provide support to all UCU members who ask for it, the time of our volunteer caseworkers is not unlimited and there may be some delay if we have heavy demand. We will also have to prioritise long-standing members over those who have only just joined if resources are constrained.

Additionally, you can get support from Education Support

We are the only UK charity dedicated to improving the wellbeing and mental health of education staff in schools, colleges and universities.