Welfare Officer

UNISON Branch Welfare Officer Training is organised by UNISON’s national Learning & Organising Services Department in conjunction with UNISON’s Welfare charity ‘There for You’ and has two stages:

Stage 1: A short introductory online module (1 hour) plus the online GDPR module
Stage 2: Online Branch Welfare Officer Training Course

New Branch Welfare Officers should undertake Stage 1 training which can be accessed as follows:

Branch Welfare Officer e-note

This e-note introduces the Branch Welfare Officer role and can be accessed online whenever is convenient.

Click on the button below “Getting more involved in UNISON”, then scroll down to ‘Branch Welfare Officers’ to access the e-note. N.B. You will be prompted to create a login if you do not already have one.

Getting more Involved in UNISON

Please also read the ‘Branch Welfare Officer Guidelines’ document, available via the following link:

Completing the above will help you get started in the role and provide you with some important details on what to do and what not to do!

GDPR e-note

In any UNISON role it is important that you know how to comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). As such, please complete the e-note ‘Data Protection and the GDPR’. This short, online learning module covers the requirements of GDPR and other data protection issues that UNISON branch officers need to be aware of. To access this click on the button below

Data Protection and the GDPR e-note

Stage 2: Online Branch Welfare Officer Training Course

This is a national course designed to provide you with full training for your Branch Welfare Officer role. The course will be delivered by UNISON There for You colleagues.

This online course consists of two half-day sessions spread over two weeks.  You will need to attend both sessions of the same course.

The course will be offered six times in 2024, on the following dates:

Course 1:      16 & 23 April 2024 – click below to apply

Branch Welfare Officer Training | UNISON College

Course 4:      15 & 22 October 2024

Course 5:      16 & 23 October 2024

Course 6:      17 & 24 October 2024

N.B. You must complete the e-notes detailed in Stage 1 above before attending the Online Branch Welfare Officer Training Course

Course registration:

The course application and registration process will be managed by UNISON’s national Learning & Organising Services Team and course places will be released and advertised during spring and autumn 2024.

If the training dates currently offered are unsuitable for you, please contact Jo Barker-Taylor at j.barker-taylor@unison.co.uk providing your name, membership number and a contact email address.  Your details will then be passed to Learning & Organising Services colleagues at Head Office who will put your name on a waiting list and contact you when future courses are available.

If you have any queries please contact Jo Barker-Taylor as above

Help and advice

If you are unsure about anything you are faced with in your Branch Welfare Officer role please contact staff at UNISON’s Welfare charity ‘There for You’ on 020 7121 5620 or email thereforyou@unison.co.uk

Useful Links

Branch Welfare Officer Guidelines

UNISON ‘There for You’ web pages:

There for You (UNISON Welfare)