My current role is to set and lead the strategic direction of the Policy, Represenation and Advocacy work of Arts SU. This includes working with teams to enable effective student voice across UAL, whilst supporting their operational planning and overall contribution to the Union's strategic aims.As a member of the Arts SU Leadership Team, I contribute to the development and achievement of organisation wide objectives and strategy within budget. My role also includes supporting and empowering our elected Student Officers, representatives and paid student interns to effectively represent UAL students and effect positive change throuh strong, policy-driven, evidence-based campaigns and lobbying work.Key pieces of work since joining the organisation has included successful implementation of new democratic structure, re-writing of the organisations bye-laws, supporting officers with university committees as well as the successful recruitment and orientation of new team members.

During my time at Aberystwyth I oversaw the management, delivery and development of AberSU’s Advice Service and Volunteering Service as well as high quality democracy and representation provision. To empower students to shape their Students’ Union and enhance their University experience and ensure that AberSU is the primary voice of students.I was also member of the AberSU Leadership Team, contributing to the development and achievement of organisation wide objectives and strategy within budget.Joining the organisation during a period of intense change, I supported the organisation from a commercial focus to one which was built around membership engagement. Key pieces of work during this time includes rebuilding relationships with key colleagues across the university, increasing engagement in activity and democracy, the creation of a new volunteering hub allowing students to search opportunities and record hours, refocusing of our advice provision and a complete review and reorganisation of the academic rep system with better integration with the institutions existing quality systems.

While at UCLan I was the lead staff member for the Union's Advice and Representation Centre supporting work in areas of democracy, campaigns, student welfare, academic representation as well as quality and enhancement. We did this by seeking continous improvements in the support available for students, the impact and performance of representative systems on the student experience and the analysis of casework to inform policy change. I managed a team which included a Advice and Representation Coordinator, Advice and Representation Assistant, Academic Representation Coordinator, Democracy and Campaigns Coordinator, two Advisors and Student Staff where required.The role also supports full-time and part-time officers with campaigns and research as well as the unions democratic functions which includes the elections. I also was the union’s main staff point of contact for the University of Central Lancashire’s Partnership Institution Network (consisting of 25 Institutions based across the UK – with the majority in the North West of England).

While at UCLan I worked to elect, train and support over 1300 volunteer course representatives, coordinate the union’s Student-Led Teaching Awards and support both full-time and part-time officers in being able to effectively respond and develop higher education policy in areas of academic quality and student engagement.The role as part of the wider Student Voice Team also supports full-time and part-time officers with campaigns, research and administration of the unions democratic functions including the elections. I also act as the union’s main staff point of contact for the University of Central Lancashire’s Partnership Institution Network (currently consisting of 37 Institutions based across the UK – with the majority in the North West of England).

In a period of change-over I was asked to run the Student Voice Department which supports full-time and part-time officers with campaigns, research, administration of the unions democratic functions and the development of higher education policy. In particular during this period I supported the Students’ Union Elections, resulting in a record number of candidates and votes.

As the University of Cumbria Students’ Union’s first Representation Sabbatical and the Union’s Chair of Trustees I oversaw a huge period of transition including the implementation of a new Governance Structure and 5 year Strategic Plan. I represented over 14,000 University of Cumbria students at the highest levels of the institution with formal positions on its Board of Directors, Academic Board and other smaller committees across the University. It was my role to make sure the union’s democratic functions operated in a way that was accountable and transparent to the union’s members.