Public and Commercial and Services (PCS) union learning rep (ULR) Theresa Brookfield is helping Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) staff expand their knowledge and skills and improve their wellbeing through lifelong learning. 

Theresa had been a workplace rep at the Hull branch of PCS for 18 months when she first took on the ULR role in 2018.  

I believe in learning because it’s something that helps people’s wellbeing, and it’s good to be able to show that you’ve continued learning – we can always learn something new.

As she got going in the new role, Theresa discovered her co-workers were most interested in courses on topics such as autism, bullying, caring, nutrition, mental health and wellbeing (rather than the functional skills English, maths and digital courses that are popular in other workplaces). 

So she set up a range of Level 1 and Level 2 distance learning courses through online provider Hylton Training, using connections she’d made at ULR networking meetings. 

I sent out flyers to everyone in the different offices in Yorkshire and the Humber area covered by our branch, so people from Bridlington and other places could join in as well.

We had a very good working relationship with the provider: they would come into the office to do the inductions and go through all the paperwork to make it easier for everyone, and they kept me updated on any new courses that were coming up.

The free courses are open to all staff.

It’s not just for trade union members, it’s for everybody – if anyone wanted to learn something, they all had a chance to do that.

As staff worked their way through the courses, they could reach out to Theresa for help if they hit a bump in the road.

I tried a few of the courses myself so I’d have an idea of how they work and I could support people doing them. But they also got support from whichever college they were connected with, so they could get extensions if they hadn’t managed to finish as assignment on time.

Since the pandemic, Theresa has built a new relationship with another online provider, The Skills Network, and is now promoting the personal and professional development courses on offer from them. 

Theresa has also been facilitating a workplace reading group since becoming a ULR. 

I’d spoken to ULRs that had reading groups in other branches before we started and found out that you could get books for reading groups from the library.

There were 12 of us when we started, so I got a list of all the books the library had 12 copies of and we would go through them, one after the other – it just made it fairer that nobody was choosing what we were reading.

The group originally met once a month during a lunch hour at work, opening meetings with a short quiz and spending the rest of the session talking about that month’s book. 

When working from home became the norm during the pandemic, the group switched to meeting on Teams every four to six weeks, when the sessions helped members look after their wellbeing by keeping connected with each other. 

We still did the quizzes and we still talked about the books. I looked forward to it and I know the others looked forward: whenever I said we were doing a quiz, they’d all have their questions ready!

Moving online also coincided with a new approach to picking which books to read. 

Some people moved to other offices and couldn’t keep up with us, so the group that was left decided to put our own list of books together – we put down books we thought were good and we go through that list now.

Now that most people have been able to return to the office, the group alternates between meeting in a room at work and going out for lunch together to discuss the latest book. They’ve also set up a WhatsApp group to keep in touch in between meetings. 

Being part of the group has reignited Theresa’s own interest in reading, she says.  

I read all the time when I was young and then I stopped when I was about 19 but I’m enjoy reading again – I’ve always got a book on the go, which I didn’t have before.

She also gets a boost when group members enjoy one of her suggestions.

When I put a book I’ve read on the list and people come back to say they really enjoyed it, I feel proud of myself because I think that means I’m not as uncultured as I think I am!