NEC Report | Vice President Welfare Author: Shelly Asquith, Vice President Welfare

Date produced: 26/08/2015

Meeting date: 10/09/2015

Meeting of: National Executive Council

Action: Approve

Summary: This paper outlines the Welfare Campaign priorities for 2015-16 and the work proposed to achieve them. I believe it is reductive to measure the success and impact of a campaign using quantitative estimates and so these sections are limited. I would instead like to have a conversation with any member union interested about what a successful campaign or project looks like in your particular institution. This report also contains a report of the key events and engagement I have carried out. Sorry it is long – the next one won’t be quite so.

Publication For circulation to Student’s Unions and the wider movement

Section 1 | Priorities for 2015-16

Projects Progress

Students not Suspects In delivery

Renter Activism Planning

Advisors not Advertisers Planning

Saving the Welfare State Planning

Section 2 | Project work plan

1 Project Title Students not Suspects

Project Objective (s) To resist the growing surveillance culture in education.

This will take form in several campaign strands focusing particularly (but not exclusively) on the Prevent duty and other impacts of the Counter Terrorism and Security Act, repression and the impacts of racist and violent policing and students’ right to observe their religious beliefs. The objective of this work is to engage students and member Unions

in the above issues and raise awareness, and to encourage action in tackling them. This will be achieved through providing resources, delivering workshops and collaborating with other campaign organizations. The aim is for: - More students and officers to know their civil rights when dealing with the state in instances of stop and search, protest and ‘counter terrorism’ initiatives. - Students’ Unions to refuse compliance with Prevent and for college and university staff to be following their lead.

- More students have access to prayer space on campuses and the notion of religious freedom is better acknowledged and championed in the movement.

- Students and officers to be aware of the racist impacts of Government policy and to be involved in campaigns against CTSA and other legislation. - A greater level of collaboration between Students’ Unions and trade unions, such as UCU, and civil rights organisations.

- Persistent pressure applied through democratic structures on campuses and direct action in the streets results in cops off campus, Prevent being overhauled and racist and fascist groups to whither into non-existence.

Draft promo image

Officer stakeholders Malia Bouattia (Black Students’ Officer), Piers Telemacque (Vice President Society and Citizenship)

Budget line Welfare & Society and Citizenship Campaigns

Proposed budget £3,000

Main Outputs/Activities Timeline

1. Students Not Suspects London

14/10/2015 Suspects workshop event delivered in partnership with Defend the Right to Protest, University and Colleges Union (UCU) and the Federation of Student Islamic Societies (FOSIS)

Ask me for a draft agenda.

SNS: Birmingham 15/10/2015

SNS: Manchester 21/10/2015

SNS: Swansea 16/10/2015

SNS: Glasgow 23/10/2015

SNS: Welfare Zone Conference 27/10/15 Workshop

Production of materials 10/10/15 Printing T-shirts, badges and a How-To guide to implementing Cops Off Campus

Online resources 10/08/15 How to Prevent Prevent guidance on NUS Connect

Right to Pray Mapping Tool October 2015 Online tool used to map which institutions have (adequate) prayer facility, to launch results in interfaith week November 2015

Student Faith event February 2016

Islamophobia Awareness Month Launch Event

November 2015 Event in collaboration with FOSIS to kick-off IAM activity.

Joint briefings on religious observance and assessments

20/09/15 Published on NUS Connect

Outcomes / Impact

400+ attendees at the workshop tour

100+ SU Officers pledge non-compliance with Prevent

Right to Pray trends online during interfaith week and student-led campaign improves prayer space on campuses

Unions passing Cops Off Campus policy and institutions enforcing it leads to fewer instances of stop-and-search and repression of protest

100+ attend Islamophobia Awareness Month launch event

2 Project Title Renter Activism

Project Objective (s) Students and unions taking action on the housing crisis, raising awareness of tenants’ rights and the effectiveness of collective action, and contributing to a change in sector policy. The aim is for: - Rent controls to be put squarely on the agenda, particularly in the lead-up to the Scottish Parliament, Welsh Assembly and London Mayoral elections. - More students to know their rights as tenants and how to organise for more rights via the Ready to Rent [Strike!] training – delivered by NUS in person or accessed online. - National pressure to be applied to Government over the racist landlord checks a.k.a ‘Right to Rent’, and at institutional level to provide guarantorships. - SUs have greater understanding of how to challenge private providers; from planning application to rent-setting stages.

- Greater links built between the student movement and housing campaign organisations locally and nationally. - Exploitative landlords and letting agents exposed through social media campaigns and direct action.

Ready to Rent training logo

Officer stakeholders Mostafa Rajaai (International Students’ Officer)

Budget line Welfare Campaign

Proposed budget £2,000

Outputs/Activities Timeline

Housing Conference 10/10/15 Focused on collaborative action to tackle the housing crisis. Co-hosted by NUS Welfare Campaign and Unite Community, Generation Rent, the Peoples’ Assembly, Disabled People Against the Cuts and others.

Training delivery July 2015 Students’ Unions 2015

Training delivery August 2015 Lead and Change: Welfare and Community

Research September 2015 Research adaptions to be made to R2R training to tailor to FE Unions.

Re-launch November 2015 Re-launch R2R training with FE component to be delivered for both FE & HE throughout NUS Locals events

Wales March for Homes 17/10/2015 Supporting the demonstration and speaking at the rally

5x Renter Activism days January 2016 5 regional events focusing on student tenant activism delivered locally to bring students, SUs and housing activists together to plan campaigns and mobilise for local and national activity.

March for Homes: various locations End of January 2016 Building from the 2015 mobilisation, and the Wales one in October – demonstrations for rent controls concurrently in various locations.

Updated Ready to Rent resources launched November 2015

Survey results launch December 2015

Accommodation Costs Survey report launched

Outcomes / Impact

Lots(!) of students receive Ready to Rent training

15,000 mobilised for the March(es) for Homes

More institutions introduce guarantor schemes

SUs will be equipped to support their students who are subject to the Right to Rent checks and Govt will postpone or scrap the launch of the Right to Rent checks nationwide. 3 Project Title Advisors not Advertisers

Project Objective (s) Across institutions, there is a severe funding gap in meeting the levels of support students’ require. More students are seeking access to advice and health services, which do not exist, are being cut back or have long waiting lists. Colleges and universities have had budgets cut but are also investing huge amounts in marketing strategies and advertising campaigns: not in supporting students once they get through the door. The aim of this project is: - To achieve greater investment in student support including mental health, disability and advice services across the sector.

- To frame the arguments for support (and the current lack of it) in the context of the marketization of education; its impact on students’ wellbeing and college/universities funding allocations.

- For more Unions (and students) to be taking up student welfare services as a priority in campaign work; using a range of methods to raise awareness and lobby for support.

- To lobby nationally on the cuts to the Financial Contingency and Discretionary Funds - To expose the ‘worst offenders’ of institutions whose advertising budgets far outweigh spending on student support.

Budget line Welfare Campaign

Proposed budget £1,000

Outputs/Activities Timeline

Attending sector meetings Year-round

FOI tool launched November Tool to collate budgeting information from colleges and universities

Article/Blog goes live November Presenting the issue and arguments

FOI research launched February Results from research launched to name and shame and apply pressure

Action February Students taking action over welfare services (e.g. #EndWeek5Blues and Occupy Goldsmiths)

University Mental Health Day – Student Summit

03/03/2016

Outcomes / Impact

Data is collated from at least 20 institutions (with good number of FE)

Campaign actions take place on campuses highlighting cuts to/privatization of/lack of welfare services

Sustainable links are built between NUS and the sector, and SUs and local trade unions (e.g. Unison)

Pressure forces institutions to increase their spend on services

4 Project Title Saving the Welfare State

Project Objective (s) Students’ funding and other basic means are disappearing along with the in-work and out-of-work benefits they may rely on if part time, or upon leaving education. The privatization of certain sections of the NHS, along with the introduction of fees, also poses a threat to students’ lives. The situation is especially worse for disabled and international students. The aims:

- To galvanise huge levels of support for, and understanding of, the welfare state and the need for sustainable, well funded safety nets in society. - For NUS to work more closely and effectively with organisations already working on these issues, e.g. Disabled People Against the Cuts, 999 Call for the NHS. - To encourage a culture of community activism in the student movement, where SUs naturally work with local activist groups and vice versa. - To frame the cuts to student grants and other financial support in the broader context of cuts to the welfare state. - To improve and increase the provision of NHS bursary payments to healthcare students and oppose any move towards a loan system. - To lobby nationally for students’ access to certain benefits: e.g. carers’ allowance for students who care, and summer support for those in need.

Officer stakeholders Maddy Kirkman (Disabled Students’ Officer)

Budget line Welfare Campaign

Proposed budget £2,500

Outputs/Activities Timeline

Lobbying Govt

Aug 2015 Letter sent to Government from NUS, Unison, RCN, RCM resisting prospect of loans and for more generous bursaries.

Pledge Zones Conference – end of October Encourage Unions to ‘pledge to take action’ over cuts to disabled peoples’ benefits (including DSA) on the International Day of Disabled People (3rd December)

International Day of Disabled People Action over the Welfare Bill (as mandated by NEC) – demonstration outside DWP with DPAC, Boycott Workfare and other organisations; including local mobilisations to highlight cuts affecting disabled people

Guide published End of September 2015 Guide published for SUs on forming community alliances with local anti-cuts organisations

Save Our NHS outreach September 2015 Meeting with student ‘Save Our NHS’ societies to find out plans and how NUS can support their work and encourage more to form.

Local Lobby 18/09/2015 Lobbying MPs over cuts to grants

Tory Conference 04/10/2015 Demonstration outside Tory Party Conference in Manchester, calling for an end to austerity.

Free Education 04/11/2015 National mobilisation for free education and grants.

“Friends with Benefits” February 2016 Meetings with sector organisations and relevant decision-makers to discuss, and lobby for, students’ access to benefits.

Surveying

Nov 2015- December 2015 Surveys carried out at participating SUs with health students

Roundtable January 2016 Roundtable discussions with relevant representatives (see above)

Campaigns material is distributed February 2016 Evidence collated, written up and ready for use in lobbying and campaigning activities on health students bursaries.

Outcomes / Impact

An increase to the DoH bursaries provided for healthcare students.

Strong relationships formed with other campaign groups working on anti-austerity.

More Unions working with local organisations on NHS, DSA and other causes.

15,000+ mobilized for Tory Party and Free Education actions

30 unions pledge to take action on IDDP

The Government fails to win a majority on the cut to maintenance grants

Strong case is made for the introduction of student applications for certain state benefits

Section 3 | Key events, meetings, Students’ Union and media engagement

Event, Meeting, SU or Media

Date Outcomes / Impact

What was the key outcome or impact of this engagement

City and Islington College SU

24/06/2015 Met with the SU executive team to find out about their work, priorities and how NUS can better engage with them.

University and College Union (UCU)

14/07/2015 Met with an official from UCU to discuss their approach to opposing the Prevent duty and how NUS can co-ordinate this area of work with them.

Lead and Change: Further Education

01/07/2015 Supporting Shakira to run the FE SU training

Students’ Unions 2015 07/07/2015 – 08/07/2015

Engaging with SU officers and helping deliver a workshop.

NUS Postgrad Committee 10/07/2015 Attended Postgrad committee meeting to hear from reps on their priorities and give an update of the Welfare Campaign

Imperial SU 20/07/2015 Imperial are not a CM of NUS (but hopefully they could be one day!)

APPG Students 13/07/2015 All Party Parliamentary Group reception

NHSF 21/072015 Meeting with the National Hindu Students’ Forum to hear their priorities and how NUS can support their work

Lead and Change: Higher Education

23/07/2015 Supporting Sorana at the training for Education Officers

Lead and Change: Welfare and Community

27 – 30/07/2015 Delivery of training to 100 Welfare/Community SU officers. Absolutely loved it.

FOSIS 03/08/2015 Meeting with the Vice President Student Affairs to discuss FOSIS priorities for the year and how NUS can support their work.

Lead and Change: Student Opportunities

04 – 06/08/2015 Supported the training for Activities Officers

Abortion Rights 07/08/2015 Helped to deliver AR student training to women’s officers and activists

Queen Mary SU 10/08/2015 Meeting with QMSU officers to discuss a specific welfare issue and offer support

Welfare Campaign Committee

14/08/2015 Final meeting of the Welfare committee 2014/15

Unipol induction 17/08/2015 Meeting with Unipol CEO to better understand the organization

The Gathering 22/08/2015 Attended NUS Scotland’s annual event for officers

Living Rent Campaign 23/08/2015 Meeting activists from LRC to discuss their aims for the year and scope to work together

Strathclyde Students’ Association

24/08/2015 Met with some of the officer team to discuss housing, student support and Prevent. Booked Strathy as our final stop on the Students Not Suspects Tour.

Housing Conference 24/08/2015 Meeting to organise joint housing conference with Unite, DPAC et al

Unipol Conference 26 – 27/08/2015 Delivered sessions at Unipol’s annual housing training for SU officers.

Manchester SU 28/08/2015 Visit to Manchester SU to discuss upcoming plans for the TUC-backed demonstration on October 4th.

MHWB 02/09/2015 Attended the Mental Health and Wellbeing in Higher Education national committee meeting.

National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts Summer Training

05/09/2015 - 06/09/2015

Training event for officers and activists.

Guardian 16/08/2015 Soaring student rents push college accommodation to brink of crisis

Guardian 04/08/15 Students lives put at risk by negligent landlords

The Mancunian 17/08/2015 Student accommodation reaches breaking point as half of students struggle with rent

Huffington Post 08/07/2015 A Typical Tory Transaction: Tax Cuts for the Rich, Grants Cut for the Poorest Students

The Guardian 21/07/2015 7 Ways to Fight to Maintenance Grant Cuts

Independent 14/07/2015 Seven out of 10 grandparents give financial help to students

Guardian 16/08/2015 Unless universities introduce rent controls, we will have rent strikes

Channel 4 News 21/07/2015 Cuts to student maintenance grants

BBC London Radio 04/08/2015 Electrical safety risks in student homes

LBC 16/07/2015 Increase in students’ accessing welfare support

Section 4 | Declaration of gifts, hospitality and interests

Declaration Further comment

Progress magazine* I seem to have been signed up to a free subscription of Progress, which is either a hangover from my predecessor, standard practise, or perhaps a sick joke by Beth Redmond? I don’t think this will become a conflict of interest any time soon. *Progress is a centrist (Blairite) pressure group within the Labour Party

Birthday gifts It’s my birthday two days after NEC so I am expecting to get some gifts from everyone there - so I thought I should declare those in advance. Thanks everyone! :D