Taking care of you and your best interests is at the heart of everything we do. Richard Tanton provides an overview of what has been another busy year for his team, advising and representing leaders through challenging times.  

We're here for you

There will be many reasons why you’ve chosen ASCL as your trade union. Undoubtedly, what members say to us is that the quality of our support and representation to leaders on an individual basis ranks high on that decision to become an ASCL member. Member support is the backbone of our service to ASCL members. We’re here for you when you need us and when you’re seeking support – a unique, bespoke service providing you with objective, professional advice and representation. 

How we’ve helped you 

Over the last academic year, there were 6,501 contacts to our Hotline. Of those, 1,840 resulted in a referral for further support. That’s an overall referral rate of 28.3% and 1,243 went into casework for our regional and field staff. These are significant and worrying figures, but they also illustrate the importance for members to be able to have that daily contact with the frontline service of their professional trade union. 

Our Hotline Team’s ability to sustain the highest quality of advice through the most intensely demanding days and weeks of a school year should not be under-estimated. The team continues to provide professional advice and support to our members every day of the year. 

As General Secretary Geoff Barton often says in his messages: “We’re here for you when you need us”, so please continue to contact us (www.ascl.org.uk/hotline). You can be assured of a confidential, professional conversation with our hotline officers. 

One of the main reasons for members calling the Hotline last academic year was about their employment, with 2,943 contacts about members’ individual professional circumstances. 

Individual pension queries constituted one of the most frequent issues with 258 referrals requiring specialist input from ASCL Pension Specialist Jacques Szemalikowski. 

ROFOs 

All our regional officers and field officers (ROFOs) have many years of school or college leadership experience. They’re also highly experienced in managing a wide variety of challenging employment issues, whether that be investigations, allegations, hearings, grievances or restructure, to name but a few. 

Once you call our Hotline, the officer on duty may conclude that your case needs to be referred on to one of our ROFOs and you will be able to quickly access their professional expertise, insight and representation. ASCL’s Legal and Member Support Policy is available at www.ascl.org.uk/LegalandMemberSupportPolicy and makes clear the parameters of our support and, importantly, how this support works in practice. 

Legal support 

Over the last year, we’ve become ever more adaptable in using technology to support and represent our members in a myriad of contexts. However, it remains the case that much of our work requires specific legal input. 

Whatever the context of your workplace or, indeed, the nature of your concern, you can be assured of the confidentiality and objective, professional advice that our Legal Team provides. 

Our solicitors continue to guide and represent members through internal employment processes, employment tribunal proceedings and on professional disciplinary referrals before the teaching regulatory bodies, whether they be in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. 

Employer engagement 

Our Employer Engagement Team continues to lead the delivery of ASCL’s collective bargaining work, negotiating improved terms and conditions on behalf of groups of members and by working directly with employers alongside other trade unions. 

The team is an example of one of the many ways that ASCL’s various components work in synchronicity, taking position statements agreed by Council (www.ascl.org.uk/positionstatements) and working with employers to see them realised, as well as working with the Policy Team to gather information from joint negotiating committees (JNCs) to inform ASCL’s views. 

Become a Local Representative 

We’ve also had a high level of interest from members interested in becoming ASCL Local Representatives. Local Representatives are ASCL members who are usually serving school or college leaders who volunteer to represent members either in a geographic location/locality or a trust. 

We provide full training and accreditation to all our Local Representatives. Find out more at www.ascl.org.uk/localrepresentatives 

Have your contract checked for free 

One of the cornerstones of your employment is your contract of employment. We offer a free contract checking service to ASCL members, which can be accessed through our Hotline. To find out more, watch this video from our Legal Team www.ascl.org.uk/contractchecking 

We’re here 

Without doubt it has been a very busy and demanding start to the academic year for ASCL members, wherever they work and whether that be on a professional or personal basis. So far this term, calls to Hotline continue to be at a high volume. It’s difficult to predict what lies ahead, but with a new secretary of state for education, a plethora of current issues demanding your attention and any number of issues that might become prescient in the coming months, we’re here for you, every day of the year. 

Whether to confirm your understanding concerning a specific issue, to explain a situation in your school, college or trust or to discuss a personal employment concern, please be assured that ASCL’s Member Support Team is here to listen, advise, support and represent your best interests.

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DO YOU NEED OUR SUPPORT? 

If you need any help or advice, call the ASCL Hotline on 0116 299 1122 or email hotline@ascl.org.uk As one ASCL member said: “I couldn’t be happier with the support I received from ASCL from the initial call to Hotline right up to receiving the outcome of the case.” And as another member commented: “My overriding sense of the service provided by ASCL is one of gratitude, huge admiration and very high regard. Thank you.” 

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ASCL HOTLINE 

KEY FIGURES 2021/22 

The Hotline dealt with 6,501 enquiries from members. 

That is 30–40 calls a day on average. 

Covid-related questions and queries, plus those relating to your employment, were the main topics for calls from members. 

A total of 1,840 members were supported for ongoing individual professional issues. 

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BREAKDOWN OF CALLS TO HOTLINE BY JOB ROLE 

• 2,565 calls from heads 
• 1,597 calls from assistant heads 
• 1,394 from deputy heads 
• 440 from business leaders 
• 412 from executive heads 
• 93 from other roles

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Richard Tanton 
ASCL Director of Member Support 
@ASCL_UK  

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