Hello and welcome to the ACSU network’s webpage!
 

ACSU (Advisors and Caseworkers in Students’ Unions) is a volunteer-run professional network open to all advisors, caseworkers and advice service managers working in Students’ Unions, Guilds and Associations. We bring together staff from across the United Kingdom to facilitate the sharing of information and learning, build a sense of community within our profession, and to connect practitioners with relevant support organisations, policy-makers and sector bodies. We collaborate with organisations including Advice UK and the National Union of Students to support and give voice to those working within our field.

Who we are

National Co-ordinators:

• Jawanza Ipyana (jripyana@uclan.ac.uk)
• Kim Buffery (kim.buffery@northumbria.ac.uk)

Regional Co-ordinators:

• East of England: Currently Vacant
• London and South-East England: Matthew Hurst (matthew.hurst@roehampton.ac.uk) and Danielle Swanson (d.swanson@ucl.ac.uk)
• Midlands: Currently Vacant
• North-West England: Vicki Greenwood (v.greenwood1@lancaster.ac.uk)
• Scotland: Charlotte Macdonald (charlotte.macdonald@eusa.ed.ac.uk)
• South-West England: Chloe Lockett (clockett@bournemouth.ac.uk) and Clare Lowe (c.lowe@reading.ac.uk) 
• Wales: Currently Vacant
• Yorkshire and North-East England: Currently Vacant

Thematic Group Leads:

• Advice Service Managers: Jawanza Ipyana (jripyana@uclan.ac.uk)
• Housing Advisors: Nic Coomber (nicholas.coomber@london.ac.uk)
• Students on Professional Programmes: Kim Buffery (kim.buffery@northumbria.ac.uk)
• Lone Workers: Currently Vacant

Our structure

Regional Groups: The ACSU network takes a bottom-up approach and regional groups form the core of our network. Volunteer Regional Coordinators bring together staff in their geographical areas, creating channels of communication and facilitating networking opportunities. The regions act autonomously and adapt their approach to provide what they deem best for the staff in their area.

 

Thematic Groups: Regional activity is complemented by thematic groups which support staff who share particular specialisms, modes of working or professional interests. These groups are coordinated by volunteers who maintain communications channels with group members and organise any relevant activities. At present we have three such groups:

• Advice service managers
• Lone workers
• Staff working with students on professional programmes

National Committee: The volunteers involved in coordinating regions and thematic interests meet regularly to discuss practitioners’ experiences and observations, to agree plans for any national communications and activities, and to enable peer-to-peer support amongst those acting as volunteers. They also send regular updates to relevant stakeholders regarding the network’s activity and any issues or trends that have been identified. 

 

Where to find us

If you work for an organisation that is a member of NUS or Advice UK, you might also want to join the conversations on this NUS Facebook Workplace group and this Advice UK LinkedIn group for SU advice staff.

 

Volunteering with ACSU

Please contact our national committee coordinators if you would like to volunteer with us; we will be very happy to hear from you!