ASCL Hotline Leader Rachel Bertenshaw provides an overview of our dedicated Hotline service available to members all year around.

We’re here for you

ASCL provides a telephone helpline to support members with their employment. Staffed by a highly experienced team of former senior leaders, it is available from 9am to 5pm on weekdays and for urgent calls at weekends and bank holidays. 

The majority of calls taken by the Hotline are about members’ own conditions of service and matters that could be putting their employment at risk, including: 

• capability and disciplinary 
• restructuring, with the risk of redundancy 
• adverse conditions of service 
• serious ill health, both physical and mental 
• allegations of misconduct and/or police investigations 

On taking a call from a member, one of our Hotline Officers will assess if the support of our Regional or Field Officers is required, and, if so, the appropriate officer will then contact the member to offer guidance and representation, together with possible access to the ASCL Legal Team if necessary. 

We are also able to assist with education-related issues that members deal with as a result of their own employment. In most instances, our Hotline Team can provide the information needed, however, we also have a team of ASCL Specialists who can offer guidance on many aspects of education, including: 

• inspections and accountability 
• curriculum and assessment 
• funding 
• pay, conditions and employment 
• post-16 
• lbusiness leadership 
• independent schools 
• pensions 
• primary 
• leadership and governance 
• data 
• inclusion 
• safeguarding 
• health and safety 

This list is not exhaustive, and we are always available on the other end of the phone ready to listen and help you where we can, no matter what your enquiry. Perhaps you don’t know who to talk to about a situation at your school or college, or perhaps you just need to talk over an issue with someone who has been in a leadership position like you; either way, we are here. Our Hotline service is completely confidential, and we would never pass on any information that you share with us without your prior permission. 

Members often contact us with queries about management of staff, and although we are happy to discuss these issues with you, we are not indemnified to offer a HR service, and you should seek advice on this from your own external HR provider. The same will be true of legal issues affecting schools and colleges – our Legal Team is only able to offer advice to members about their own personal employment. 

If you move on to a new position, we can help you by looking through your new contract. Our Contract Checking Service is provided by our Legal Team and is accessed via our Hotline. We would strongly advise you to take advantage of this: our in-house solicitors will draw your attention to anything in your contract that you should be particularly aware of or that you might want to query. 

In most instances, members contact us via telephone to discuss an issue, however, we do also receive a number of emails, especially if members have a particularly detailed query. If you need to get in touch with us by email, send a message to hotline@ascl.org.uk and please remember to include a contact number for yourself (preferably your mobile number), so we can call you back. Please also note, we usually request that you do not have your phone on speakerphone as our advice is both personal and confidential.

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Key figures for the Autumn term 2018

Our Hotline dealt with 2,203 enquiries from members.

That’s 30-40 calls each school day on average.

The main topics of the enquiries related to conditions of service and disciplinary/capability issues.

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Contacting the Hotline

ASCL members who are concerned about leadership issues should call 0116 299 1122 or email hotline@ascl.org.uk

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Whatever the issue, we're here to help

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Rachel Bertenshaw is ASCL Hotline Leader

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