Angela Duerden

I am a highly skilled professional with extensive experience in trade union organising, equity, diversity, and inclusion.

I worked as a social worker for 28 years, latterly as a senior social worker and Best Interests Assessor. For the last years of my career, I was a workplace Representative for Unite the union, and latterly a Senior Rep. I am currently Unite the unions Executive Council member for women, a position in which I represent the views of half a million women members. I am also a member of the TUC National Council and the TUC National Women's committee. I travel regularly throughout the UK and often attend national events and training requiring a week away from home.

Within Unite I hold the following positions:

EC member for Women

Member of National Women's committee

Vice chair of regional women's committee.

Member of Regional committee

Member of Local Authority Regional Industrial Sector Committee and National Industrial Sector Committee.

Chair of Unite National Labour Liaison Committee.

Within the community I am an active member of the following groups:

Northeast Against Racism.

Disabled People Against the Cuts.

Leeds Pride.

Yorkshire Feminist Collective.

In my role at Redcar and Cleveland Council I was an active member of the councils Equalities, Diversity and Inclusion group where I introduced and implemented campaigns, such as Period Dignity, spoke on Intersectional working at conferences, and prepared, delivered and monitored training for other social work teams and health and social care workers, on the Social Model of Disability.

As a Practice Educator I completed and passed the course of study to teach and assess social work students, prepared and engaged in formal and informal supervision sessions with students to discuss and plan their progress, provided verbal and written feedback throughout the placement used the guidance and feedback from other professionals when evaluating whether students had met the requirements of the course .

I can recognise and address the needs of a wide range of people, including those living with a physical impairment, complex health needs, a mental health or learning disability diagnosis, substance misuse and alcohol dependency and other challenges that require a multi-disciplinary approach. I will liaise with other agencies to maximise users access to appropriate resources. I will raise awareness of key issues involved in working with people from diverse ethnic, cultural and socio-economic backgrounds and working in an intersectional way. I use a Strengths-Based Approach, this emphasizes identifying and building upon an individual's strengths, resources, and capabilities rather than focusing solely on deficits or problems. As a social work professional I had a legal duty to share information to support individual care. Sharing information among social care professionals has several benefits. By sharing relevant information, professionals can gain a comprehensive understanding of an individual's needs, enabling them to provide more effective and holistic care. Timely sharing of information allows for early identification of issues or risks, leading to prompt intervention and prevention of escalation. Information sharing fosters collaboration among different agencies and professionals, promoting a coordinated approach to support individuals and families, and sharing data helps assess risks accurately, ensuring appropriate safeguarding measures are in place.

Information sharing among social care professionals can be challenging. Sometimes, there's ambiguity about what information can be shared, when, and with whom. Clear guidelines are essential to avoid confusion. Different agencies may have varying protocols and systems for information sharing. Coordinating across agencies can be complex. Ensuring data security and preventing unauthorized access is critical. Obtaining consent from individuals to share their information can be challenging, especially in cases involving vulnerable people or children. Fear of stigma or discrimination may discourage individuals from sharing certain details, impacting the quality of care.

I am always mindful that while sharing information is crucial, it must always be done in compliance with legal requirements, it must be done ethically and must respect privacy and confidentiality. Throughout years of practice, I have developed the skills and knowledge to effectively share information or interpret shared data.

When working in a team, my priority is on the team's success and making sure everyone achieves the objectives. I do that best by listening to what the team leader requires and doing my part to the best of my ability. When I'm delegated responsibility or assume a leadership role, I embrace it and help others around me fulfil their potential.

Since taking early retirement from social work in 2024 I have focused on my union duties, and I have found that I have several transferable skills that are necessary to carry out both roles effectively.

Social workers need a variety of skills, including active listening, empathy, critical thinking, and self-care. These skills help social workers build relationships with clients, understand their needs, and create plans to help them.

As a union representatives and Executive Council member I need strong communication skills, the ability to negotiate and persuade, a deep understanding of employment law, excellent organizational skills, problem-solving abilities, and the capacity to lead and motivate others to effectively advocate for their members.

Active listening and communication skills:

As a social worker I would Identify with someone's situation on an emotional and intellectual level, this would help me to build strong relationships with clients. I would always be fully engaged with what someone is saying, nodding, taking notes, and asking questions and paraphrasing what the speaker said to confirm understanding.

As union Representative I listen carefully to members' concerns to understand their perspectives so that I can effectively represent their interests. Whilst the best outcome for members remains my focus, I build rapport with colleagues, management, and other stakeholders to foster positive working relationships. I use clear and concise verbal and written communication to explain complex issues to members, engage with management, and present arguments effectively.

Leadership Skills:

As a social worker I used a collective leadership approach. This enabled me to clarify my role and purpose, manage my professional boundaries and in so doing, work more effectively in partnership with others.

As a union Representative part of my role is to inspire and motivate members to participate in union activities, building consensus, and providing direction.

Knowledge:

As a social worker I needed knowledge in areas like law and ethics, including understanding relevant laws and ethical guidelines governing social work practice to ensure client confidentiality and appropriate interventions; human development and behaviour, social, economic, and cultural institutions, including an understanding of social inequalities, poverty, discrimination, and how these factors impact individuals and communities.

As a trade union representative, I have a thorough understanding of relevant employment law including rights related to pay, working hours, discrimination, disciplinary procedures, and redundancy as well as collective bargaining agreements, workplace procedures, member rights, grievance handling procedures, and basic understanding of economics and industrial relations to effectively represent members in their workplace.

As a social worker I required strong organizational skills to effectively manage a caseload of clients, including the ability to prioritize tasks, schedule appointments, maintain detailed case files, track progress, and plan interventions, all while juggling multiple complex situations simultaneously; this ensured that I could efficiently allocate my time and resources to best support clients.

As a union representative I can need strong organizational skills to effectively manage caseloads, track individual member grievances, complaints, and concerns, ensuring proper documentation and follow-up actions, maintain accurate and detailed records of member interactions, grievances, meeting minutes, and important documents to ensure accountability and reference points, plan and facilitate meetings with members, management, and other union officials, preparing agendas, distributing relevant materials, and facilitating productive discussions, coordinate campaigns, and efficiently gather information to represent members' interests, using spreadsheets and databases to track member information, campaign progress, and relevant statistics and using social media, Email and WhatsApp to keep members informed about developments.

As a social worker I needed problem-solving skills because I had to make informed decisions, often in other people's best interests. I had to constantly make choices that impacted on the well-being and future of my clients. Strong problem-solving skills allowed me to weigh options, consider potential consequences, and choose the course of action that would lead to the best outcome.

As a union Rep I mediate disputes between employees and management to reach mutually agreeable solutions. I gather information by actively listening to employee concerns, I analyse the data and prepare arguments to support union positions. I collect relevant details about workplace issues and researching applicable employment laws to understand the situation comprehensively. I analyse the situation to pinpoint the underlying causes of a problem, going beyond surface-level complaints to address systemic issues. I develop solutions considering different perspectives and crafting practical strategies to address the identified problems. I effectively communicate employee concerns to employers while also being prepared to negotiate and find mutually agreeable compromises. I mediate disputes between employees and management, de-escalating tensions, and facilitating constructive dialogue to reach a resolution. I articulate my arguments clearly, presenting evidence to support the employee's position, and persuading management to implement positive changes. I am willing and able to adjust strategies based on changing circumstances, new information, and employer responses.

As a social worker I understood the ongoing need to take care of myself as the work can be very challenging. I made time for self-reflection and relaxation, which are essential for mental and physical health. I learned to spot the signs of fatigue and to seek support when needed and this helped to avoid overwork and burnout.

As a union rep I take care of myself by being aware of my limitations, asking for help, and prioritizing my workload. I will also take advantage of the resources and support available to me when necessary, such as Unite's Reps Assistance Programme. I understand that I am not a health professional, and I will signpost colleagues to appropriate support services.

In 2023 I used my organisational skills to lead a successful campaign which resulted in my employer, Redcar and Cleveland Council, adopting Unite's Period Dignity Campaign. The council did not supple free sanitary products in their toilets. I identified this as a problem, and an equalities issue. I felt this would be a good issue on which to campaign. I asked myself questions to get ready for the campaign. For example: Why is this problem happening? Who is affected by the problem? Who will support the campaign? and who will oppose it. I discussed the campaign in a workplace branch meeting. Branch members were supportive, and eager to help. I sent out an Email to Reps, informing them of Unites Period Dignity Campaign and asking for their engagement in, and support of, this crucial campaign. I set up a meeting for Reps and members where I identified campaign leaders and set up a task group. We explored where our experience and skills could best be utilised during the campaign. I sent out letters to HR, the senior management team and the Chief Executive Officer, explaining the campaign and requesting a meeting to discuss it further. I completed a workplace audit of the toilets within my workplace building .Once I knew how many toilets were involved, I started to put together costings and made up an example sanitary basket.

When I did not get any response from HR, management and the chief Executive officer, I used the Unite Period Dignity campaign leaflets which I gave out to staff entering and leaving the building. I also put posters on notice boards. I still received no response and after consultation with other reps I decided to create more awareness and put pressure on those who could influence a positive outcome.

I put the campaign on the agenda of the next meeting of the Council's Equality, Diversity and Inclusion group, where I delivered Unites Period Dignity presentation. I highlighted that having a period is natural and should not be a source of awkwardness for anyone. The EDI group were very receptive to the campaign and suggested that I deliver the presentation in team meetings to reach staff in all areas of council employment. I did this over a period of 4 months. The council eventually agreed to supplying free sanitary products. I saw this as a clear win, until they clarified that they would only be making the products available in the female toilets.

I arranged a meeting with Reps, members of the Council's senior management team, HR and the Chief Executive officer. I explained that sanitary products should be available in male toilets, both for men who experience incontinence and require products and for trans men who may menstruate and need access to sanitary products in a space they feel comfortable using. One week later the leader of the Council informed me that sanitary would be supplied in ALL toilets.

In my role as Senior Rep, I have represented members at all stages of disciplinary and grievance hearings. When preparing a case, I follow the ACAS Code of Practice, Unite's procedures, and relevant employment law. I use an open and honest approach with members which helps to foster a relationship of trust and manages their expectations. When representing a member who experienced sexual harassment in the workplace I took the following action, spoke with the member to ascertain the details and establish whether a crime had been committed. I asked the member what outcome she was looking for. I took detailed notes, assured the member that all information would be kept confidential, unless I was informed of a threat to herself or another and discussed mental health support. I supported the member in raising an informal complaint, when this was not successful I assisted her to raise a grievance and accompanied her to all meetings. The grievance was upheld, if it had not been I would have discussed the option of appeal with the member.

As a trade union representative, I have knowledge of employment law including rights related to pay, working hours, discrimination, disciplinary procedures, and redundancy as well as collective bargaining agreements, workplace procedures, member rights, grievance handling procedures, and basic understanding of economics and industrial relations to effectively represent members in their workplace. I use essential negotiation skills including active listening, clear communication, building trust, understanding member concerns, presenting strong arguments based on data, being flexible to compromise, identifying areas of mutual gain, and maintaining a positive relationship with the employer while advocating fiercely for worker rights; all aimed at achieving the best possible outcome for members during collective bargaining negotiations.