Category Archives: What’s On

FREE UNISON COURSES

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Try our free workshops and explore the skills you have, how to make the most of them and how to develop new ones.

Forthcoming courses for September and October. The courses are all online using Zoom or MS Teams platforms and free to UNISON members.  To book your place, contact the relevant person of the course you are interested in with your name, membership number (if you have it to hand) and your email address.

​Dyslexia Understood:  20th September at 1.00pm – 2.00pm

Gain an understanding of dyslexia and look at workplace barriers for those with dyslexia.

Contact Rose Bent on r.bent@unison.co.uk to book your place

Your Skills Your Future: 21st September at 10.30am – 11.30am
Identify your existing, transferable, and potential skills for the purpose of personal or professional development.

Contact Rose Bent on r.bent@unison.co.uk to book your place

Caring for Adults (Open University): 22nd September at 9.30am – 1.00pm

​Suitable for those working in the care sector or those with caring responsibilities – a look at good communication, palliative and end-of-life care plus positive risk-taking.

​Contact Y&HMemberLearning@unison.co.uk to book your place

Interview Skills:  23rd September at 1.30pm – 2.45pm

Recognise different types of interviews you may encounter. Understand what employers look for in an interview and deconstructing interview questions.

Contact Rose Bent on r.bent@unison.co.uk to book your place

Hope Not Hate – Unconscious Bias:  24th September, choice of 10.00am – 11.30am or 1.30pm – 3.00pm 
This workshop’s purpose is for participants to explore how various structural biases and social power dynamics act in maintaining inequality and analyse the effect these have in the workplace.  
Visit  https://yorks.unison.org.uk/events/ to complete the form and register your interest

Confidence Building: 27th September at 1.30pm – 2.30pm

Exploration of what confidence looks like and ideas and tips for addressing your own confidence.
Contact Rose Bent on r.bent@unison.co.uk to book your place

Strategies for Stress: Looking after Your Wellbeing: 30th September at 1.00pm – 2.00pm 

Identify sources of stress and hindrances to your wellbeing.  Consider a range of strategies for keeping stress at bay and stress reduction tips.
Contact Rose Bent on r.bent@unison.co.uk to book your place

Managing Your Financial Well-Being Webinar with Lighthouse Financial: 4th October at 10.30am – 11.30am 

A look at financial well-being and how to work towards it and the impact of financial worries on our general wellbeing.

Contact Clarice Head on clarice.head@quilter.com to book your place

Pre-Retirement workshops

I am pleased to advise you that we still have spaces on the following Pre-Retirement On-Line Workshops.  These workshops are for UNISON members who plan to retire within the next 18 months.

The dates for this training are:

  • Pre-Retirement Workshop for Local Government Pension Scheme Members – 1 October 2021
  • Pre-Retirement Workshop for Local Government Pension Scheme Members – 3 October 2021

The online workshops are run by True Bearing Chartered who will make you aware of your choices and aid you in your decision making around retirement.

The workshops will be run via Teams and will take place from 13.00pm – 15.40pm.

By the end of the workshop you will be able to:

• Create your own route path from the world of work to the world of retirement

• Identify changes in both pensions and financial regulations which will affect your retirement decisions

• Identify the long term issues affecting your retirement

• Identify personal and lifestyle actions which will help to improve your retirement

• Start the process of planning for a successful retirement

To be eligible you need to have plans to retire within the next 12-18 months.

To apply please complete the online form at: Pre-Retirement Workshop for Local Government Pension Scheme Members | UNISON Yorkshire & Humberside

CV and Application forms:  4th October at 10.30am – 11.45am

Gain confidence to build, update and tailor your CV. Also understand what employers are looking for when screening CVs from job applicants.

Contact Rose Bent on r.bent@unison.co.uk to book your place

Poems for Change – 7 October 2021( 10 am – 1 pm)

A national online “Poems for Change” course for members on National Poetry Day – 7 October 2021 (10 am – 1 pm).

The workshop is free to members and the session will be delivered by Hydrocracker – who ran the previous popular workshop – via Zoom.

For more information:  Poems for Change poetry workshop

Get Online:  7, 14, 21 October at 6.00pm – 8.00pm (three Thursday evenings)

This course will ease you into the world of online communication. Learn how to access and use online meeting tools such as Zoom and Teams plus explore the fundamentals of some learning platforms.

Contact Rose Bent on r.bent@unison.co.uk to book your place

Assertiveness (bitesize): 11th October at 6.00pm – 7.00pm 

An opportunity to explore times and places you would like to be more assertive and to build the strategies to do so.
Contact Rose Bent on r.bent@unison.co.uk to book your place

Introduction to Mindfulness: 12th October at 1.00pm – 2.00pm

Understand what mindfulness is and the benefits of practising it regularly including some short mindfulness exercises.
Contact Rose Bent on r.bent@unison.co.uk to book your place

Dementia (Open University): 14 October at 9.30am – 1.00pm

​Define dementia with types and causes and how dementia affects the way a person behaves and functions.
Contact Y&HMemberLearning@unison.co.uk to book your place

Autism Understood: 14th October at 1.00pm – 2.00pm

Gain an understanding of autism and look at workplace barriers for those who are autistic.

Contact Rose Bent on r.bent@unison.co.uk to book your place

Introduction to Mindfulness: 19th October at 12.30pm – 1.30pm

Understand what mindfulness is and the benefits of practising it regularly including some short mindfulness exercises.

Contact Rose Bent on r.bent@unison.co.uk to book your place

21st Century Job search and the Hidden Jobs Market:  21st October at 1.30pm – 2.45pm

Understand how employers tend to promote their vacancies. Receive hints and tips on how to plan your job search.

Contact Rose Bent on r.bent@unison.co.uk to book your place

ONLINE and DISTANCE LEARNING

#Checktember

We’re joining National Numeracy for #Checktember! Boosting number skills is a great way to feel prepared to progress your career, so we’re encouraging everyone to try the #NationalNumeracyChallenge. Give it a go Click here

Skills Academy

Access to over 600 free online courses, full list here  Courses are CPD and ROSPA accredited. Find out more and register here:  https://learning.unison.org.uk/skills-academy/

Distance Learning

Accredited Level 2 fully funded courses in partnership with local colleges.  Due to changes in funding in some parts of the region these will be Bradford College (West Yorkshire area), The RNN Group (South Yorkshire area) and Leicester College (all other areas in the region).  To find out more and how to apply, contact Rose on r.bent@unison.co.uk

For further details of courses available please visit  Member learning Autumn 2021 programme

ATTACHMENT THEORY IN THE EARLY YEARS

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29 June 2021, 9.30am-1.00pm

This is a brand new UNISON and The Open University workshop delivered by trained OU tutors and is aimed at people working in early years settings or those with an interest in attachment theory for young children.

Places are limited so this session is being offered strictly on a first come first served basis.

If successful in securing a place, members wishing to attend would need to agree time off work (flexi or annual leave) with their line manager.

The workshop will cover:

  • Attachment classifications and how they are assessed
  • The features of caregiving that influence attachment, and the significance of attachment for lifespan development
  • Why the attachment system is an adapted and adaptive mechanism

At the end of the session attendees will receive a certificate of completion from The Open University.

This workshop will be delivered using Microsoft Teams software.

To apply, please complete the web form via the link below:

https://learning.unison.org.uk/events/attachment-in-the-early-years/

SHEFFIELD STAND UP TO RACISM

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Dear friends

Whilst Anti-racist campaigners everywhere welcome Chauvin guilty verdict we need to step up the campaign for action to charge police officers in Britain 

Campaigners for justice say the fact that similar charges have never been brought against police officers here in Britain is due to institutional racism and action is needed to eradicate it.

In response Sheffield will be joining the week of action across Britain to commemorate George Floyd’s death one year on, and the spirit of the #BlacklivesMatter movement with three events

Saturday 22 May 12 noon Town Hall: join #SayTheirNames protests – raising the names of those who have died in police custody and the disproportionate deaths during the Covid-19 crisis amongst black front line workers and communities.

https://www.facebook.com/events/310928563923616/?ref=newsfeed

Saturday 22 May, 5pm: One year on from George Floyd’s murder #BlackLivesMatter – We demand change online rally, register on eventbrite here.

Tuesday 25 May: on the anniversary of George Floyd’s #TakeTheKnee in solidarity with the BLM movement in the US and to oppose police racism here #UKisnotinnocent. SUTR wants to encourage every workplace, every college campus, every community in towns and cities across Britain to do something on that day to demand #JusticeForGeorgeFloyd and to say – whatever Boris Johnson and Co want to argue – the #UKisnotinnocent

 https://www.facebook.com/events/774387036609226/?ref=newsfeed

Sheffield Stand Up to Racism

FREE ONLINE SHORT COURSES

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Below are one day short courses offered free of charge by Northern College.

To apply visit https://www.northern.ac.uk/courses/short-courses/ and select “apply for a course online” and complete the online booking form.  More information about each of these courses can be found on online.

Date

Course Name

23 Nov

Covid Awareness for Work

3 Dec

Covid Awareness for Work

4 Dec

Introduction to Cloud Computing

5 Dec

Keeping kids safe online

17 Dec

Covid Awareness for Work

When applying, please remember to select the box saying you are a UNISON Member.

UNISON CROYDE BAY 2021: AVAILABILITY AND PRICE

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It seems with lockdown many of you are planning and booking your stay for 2021, so here is the 2021 availability fully bookable and at the same prices as regular 2020 rates.

Sold out virtually every night when open this year, so book early to make sure you don’t miss out on your holiday to Croyde!

There is a full no quibble COVID refund policy for any holidays that we cancel and that refund is usually processed within 3 days. We are able to offer a refund on holidays that are cancelled due to local lockdown mandates meaning you cannot leave your home or if you are forced to self isolate due to government instructions, if evidence is provided.

 

 

 

AUTISM AWARENESS ONLINE WORKSHOP – 4 DECEMBER 2020

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This online workshop will be delivered by an Open University lecturer and is open to UNISON members and activists.

The general content of the day is as follows:

–          Historical background to autism

–          Characteristics of autism

–          Areas of difficulty

–          Typical behaviours

–          Some strategies for dealing with people with autism

The course is not intended to be about how to manage someone with autism in a setting, but is more of a general introduction with some guidance given.

The dates/times for this training are:

Wednesday 4 December 2020 between 9.30 am and 1.00 pm with a break mid way

This online course is only open to UNISON members.  If any members would like to attend this workshop, please log your interest by completing an online form at:- https://yorks.unison.org.uk/events/autism-awareness-online/

ONLINE COURSES FOR MEMBERS

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Northern College – working differently during COVID-19

Digital short courses running in September.

Start Date End Date Course Name
3 Sept 4 Sept Digital foundations
9 Sept 10 Sept Web Design with WordPress
15 Sept 16 Sept Intro to App Creation
24 Sept 25 Sept Further database

The courses are all delivered remotely and tutor led, running time 9.30 am – 4 pm with hour lunch breaks and lots of ‘away from the screen’ time doing blended learning.

To apply visit Short Courses and select “apply for a course online” and complete the online booking form.

When applying, please remember to select the box saying you are a UNISON Member.

If you have any questions about the course please contact Nicky Straughan at Northern College on Tel: 01226 776000  E-mail: nstraughan@northern.ac.uk, Web: www.northern.ac.uk

Staff Skills Academy

UNISON has formed a partnership with the Staff Skills Academy to give members access to over 550 free online courses, from time priority management to how to manage virtual teams to remote workers’ security. 

All the courses are CPD certified, allowing members to show proof of their learning to their employers.

To request a Staff Skills Academy account, members will need to email learningandorganising@unison.co.uk, quoting “Skills Academy” in the email subject line.

For a list of the courses available view our website at:

 UNISON partners with Staff Skills Academy to give members free online learning

INVITATION TO UNISON SHEFFIELD HALLAM UNIVERSITY BRANCH AGMs

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It’s nearly time for our Annual General Meetings (AGMs) 

UNISON AGM at Collegiate Campus Tuesday 3 March

12–1pm AGM Business

1-2pm  Networking lunch

Both events will be held in HC.0.17 Heart of Campus

 

UNISON AGM at City Campus Wednesday 4 March

12–1pm AGM Business

1-2pm  Networking lunch

Both events will be held in Owen Room 1029

What is the AGM?

It’s your chance to have a say in how the UNISON Sheffield Hallam University Branch is run and how your membership fees are spent. It’s important to attend, as the Branch can only make decisions if we meet a minimum required attendance.

What happens at the AGM?

At the AGM you will

  • find out what UNISON is doing for you at Sheffield Hallam
  • help elect your branch officers
  • learn about how your membership fees are spent
  • chat to stewards and officers
  • ask questions, make suggestions and have your say on the running of the branch

You also get a free lunch, free promotional items and free entry into a raffle to win John Lewis gift cards.  This year we have increased the value of the gift cards to £30, £20, £15 as well as the number of gift cards at the City AGM to six – it’s win win for members!!

Networking Lunch follows on from the AGM Business.  Lunch is open to members who attend the AGM.

Submit a Motion

If you would like to submit a motion to be placed on the agenda, please email me the details by Friday 8 February. The agenda for the meeting and the officers’ reports will be placed on the UNISON SharePoint site a week prior to the meeting.

Please confirm your attendance to unisonadministrator@shu.ac.uk with one of the following options:

  • I will be attending the AGM Business only at Collegiate Campus on Tuesday 3 March 
  • I will be attending both the AGM Business and Networking lunch at the Collegiate Campus on Tuesday 3 March
  • I will be attending the AGM Business only at City Campus on Wednesday 4 March
  • I will be attending both the AGM Business and the Networking lunch at the City Campus on Wednesday 4 March

 

 

If you have any special dietary requirements please let us know and we will try to accommodate them.

SUTR 2020 TRADE UNION CONFERENCE

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Saturday 8 February 12-4:30pm

Building on the success of the last couple of years’ trade union conferences, the event will bring together trade unionists from across different industries and sectors to discuss and organise how we can raise anti racism in our unions and workplaces.

From the threat of a far right street movement breaking through, to the anti racist movement’s defeat of fascist ‘Tommy Robinson’ in Britain, to the rise in racist populism and intensification of a ‘hostile environment’ we are seeing in the form of Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage – there are both victories for the anti racist movement to discuss, as well as major challenges now facing the anti racist movement.

The result of the general election and the reality of a Johnson led Tory government has made clear that anti racism is going to continue to be an important issue that should be at the heart of our unions.

Speakers include:

Margaret Greer Unison national race equality officer

Wilf Sullivan TUC race equality officer

Daniel Kebede NEU NEC

Riccardo La Torre FBU Eastern regional secretary

Registration 11.45am

Opening plenary 12.30pm: CHALLENGING RACISM IN THE WORKPLACE

Workshops 2pm – 3.15pm

  1. BUILDING ANTI RACIST EDUCATION
  2. FIGHTING THE ‘HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT’ IN THE NHS
  3. SOLIDARITY WITH REFUGEES
  4. ROOTING ALL FORMS OF RACISM OUT OF THE WORKPLACE
  5. LOVE MUSIC HATE RACISM: CULTURE AND THE ANTI RACIST MOVEMENT

Closing plenary 3.30 – 4.30pm: MOBILISING FOR MASS DEMOS ON 21 MARCH (UN ANTI RACISM DAY) #WorldAgainstRacism #M21

If you are interested in attending this event please email Lucinda Wakefield at l.m.wakefield@shu.ac.uk