Hello,

I've very much enjoyed my time at SUSU as Welfare Officer but like all good things it must come to a close.
So now I'm writing to you to encourage you to go for my job! Being a full time officer is an incredible opportunity to campaign, and change life for your fellow students for the better, you are given the tools to make your dreams a reality (cheesey but true). The job also looks incredible on your CV, how many other students or recent graduates can tell you they've been a director and trustee of a multi-million pound charity!? No two days are ever the same and you really do get out what you put in with many opportunites all within reach.

Campaigning is a key part of the job and one of the most rewarding, to give you an idea of what it can involve I'll briefly tell you the stages of my recently launched Safe Taxi Scheme: although these steps are only ones that I felt relevant to my campaign and there are numerous other ways to run one!

- Research: I always find the best first step is to find out what else is out there that can help you with your goals. Being a manifesto point I felt mandated to implement my scheme without further student consultation however if it is in the timeframe and possible always try to do a degree of this. My main researching time was spent with other SU's across the UK. Contacts and friends I had met networking at events during my time in the role were more than happy to point me in the right direction and give me a framework to start, no need to reinvent the wheel!

- Key Partners: Knowing I had a good framework in place and comfortable it would work for the Union and was in budget I went on to identify who I could work with on the project. This involved making sure all University and Union departments who would be relevant (finance, ISS etc.) were willing to support the scheme and that external partners were on board. Organisations like the police and community liaison groups were very keen so I felt comfortable to move to tendering for a taxi company. The invitation to tender for the service was only delivered to Data Cabs as I know they have a good relationship with the University already and the largest fleet of disabled vehicles in Swansea, had the case have been different I would have felt more comfortable approaching other firms.

- Formalising and contracts: Data Cabs thought the scheme was brilliant and after a few meetings sorting out the details it was then time to start writing out and signing contracts (scary as a 21 year old!) again thanks to my research stage counterparts in other SU's such as Cardiff gave significant support at this stage and myself and the Union's Finance and Commercial Manager managed to draft out a suitable document that provided the best deal for students which was duly signed by myself and the MD of Data Cabs.

- Implementing: The scheme is now ago,   Data Cabs had the tasks of setting up accounts and informing staff and I had the tasks of putting in design requests and preparing the community and students for the scheme. Communication is key as an FTO so always ensure you are open, transparent and supportive with not just your students and colleagues but the wider community as you will find this often works out in your favour and at times great wins for students can just fall in your lap for keeping communications open and relations high! Now I am in the final stage of promotion, as this is an emergency scheme I don't want to be offering it as a convenience tool however it is important students are aware so aside from promotion around campus don't be surprised to see me shivvering on wind street with the police and safety teams keeping an eye out for those that are in genuine need of the scheme!

Despite being hard work at times, and frustrating when you can't get things done or your time is taken up by university meetings, there is nothing like the great feeling of seeing students respond well to something that you put your heart and soul in to and knowing you have made a change for the better. From helping a student struggling with exams to securing transport links for the Bay Campus there is truly no job like this!

More information on the Safe Taxi Scheme can be found here http://www.swansea-union.co.uk/support/advice/safety/gethome/ or by emailing me.

Thanks for reading, the job is an exciting one even though my ramblings can make it seem boring! Let me end this blog with an invitation to shadow me for a meeting at Executive Committee on the 26th January at 5pm (please RSVP) and to Student Forum the following day at 6pm. If you ever have any questions about the job please feel free to contact me and make sure you attend the candidate information day 22nd Jan 5pm-7pm in Cafe West. 

Happy campaigning,

Joel - Welfare Officer

welfareofficer@swansea-union.co.uk

Ymgyrchu, etholiadau a chysgodi!

Helo,

Rwyf wedi mwynhau gweithio fel Swyddog Lles ar gyfer Undeb y Myfyrwyr ym Mhrifysgol Abertawe, ond fel pob peth da, rhaid iddo ddod i ben.

Felly, nawr rydw i’n ysgrifennu atoch i’ch annog i gynnig am fy swydd i!  Mae gweithio fel swyddog llawn amser yn gyfle ardderchog i ymgyrchu, ac i newid a gwella bywydau eich cyd-fyfyrwyr.  Cewch yr offer i wneud eich breuddwydion yn realiti (cheesey, ond mae’n wir). Mae’r swydd hefyd yn edrych yn ardderchog ar eich CV, faint o fyfyrwyr neu raddedigion eraill sy’n gallu dweud eu bod nhw gweithio fel cyfarwyddwr ac ymddiriedolwr ar gyfer elusen gwerth miliynau o bunnoedd!? Mae pob diwrnod yn wahanol ac rydych chi’n wirioneddol yn derbyn gymaint ag yr ydych yn rhoi mewn gyda nifer o gyfleoedd, sydd gyd o fewn eich cyrraedd.

Mae ymgyrchu yn rhan allweddol o’r swydd, ac un o’r rhannau mwyaf boddhaus.  I roi syniad i chi o beth all y swydd cynnwys, byddaf yn egluro yn fyr y camau ar gyfer fy Nghynllun Tacsi Diogel a lansiwyd yn ddiweddar.  Dyma’r camau y teimlais eu bod yn berthnasol i fy nghynllun i ac mae yna nifer o ffyrdd eraill i gynnal un!

-Ymchwil: Rwyf wastad yn teimlo mai’r gam gyntaf orau yw darganfod beth arall sydd ar gael y gallech helpu gyda’ch amcanion.  Gan ei fod e’n bwynt maniffesto, teimlais fod rhaid i mi weithredu fy nghynllun heb ymgynghori myfyrwyr yn bellach.  Ond os oes amser gennych ac os yw’n bosib, ceisiwch wneud rhyw faint o hyn bob tro.  Treuliais ran fwyaf o fy amser ymchwilio gydag Undebau Myfyrwyr eraill ar draws y DU.  Roedd cysylltiadau a ffrindiau yr wyf wedi cyfarfod mewn digwyddiadau rhwydweithio yn ystod fy amser fel swyddog yn ddigon bodlon rhoi  cymorth i mi a rhoi fframwaith i mi i ddechrau, nid oes angen ail-ddyfeisio’r olwyn!

Partneriaid Allweddol: Gan wybod bod gen i fframwaith da, gan deimlo’n gyfforddus y bydd y cynllun yn mynd i weithio ar gyfer yr Undeb a gan wybod bod gen i gyllideb, es i ymlaen i nodi pwy allaf weithio gydag ar y prosiect.  Roedd hyn yn cynnwys sicrhau bod pob adran berthnasol o’r Brifysgol a’r Undeb (cyllid, ISS, ayyb) yn fodlon cefnogi’r cynllun a bod partneriaid allanol yn cytuno.  Roedd sefydliadau fel yr heddlu a grwpiau cyswllt cymunedol yn barod iawn felly teimlais yn ddigon cyfforddus i symud ymlaen  at dendro am gwmni tacsi.  Cafodd y gwahoddiad i dendro ar gyfer y gwasanaeth ei ddanfon i Data Cabs yn unig gan fy mod i’n ymwybodol bod ganddynt berthynas da gyda’r Brifysgol yn barod a bod ganddynt y fflyd fwyaf o gerbydau ar gyfer pobl anabl yn Abertawe.  Os oedd y sefyllfa’n wahanol, byddaf wedi teimlo’n fwy cyfforddus yn gofyn i gwmnïau eraill.

-Ffurfioli a chontractau: Roedd Data Cabs yn meddwl bod y cynllun yn syniad ardderchog ac ar ôl rhai cyfarfodydd i drefnu manylion, roedd hi’n amser i ddechrau ysgrifennu a llofnodi contractau (sy’n codi ofn ar rywun 21 oed!).  Diolch eto i fy nghymheiriaid cyfnod ymchwil mewn Undebau Myfyrwyr eraill fel Caerdydd a wnaeth cynnig cymorth anferth yn ystod y cam hwn.  A llwyddais i, gyda chymorth Rheolwr Cyllid a Marchnata'r Undeb, ddrafftio dogfen berthnasol a ddarparodd y cytundeb gorau ar gyfer myfyrwyr a gafodd ei arwyddo gen i a gan Reolwr Gyfarwyddwr Data Cabs.

-Gweithredu: Mae’r cynllun bellach wedi cael ei gytuno.  Cyfrifoldeb Data Cabs oedd sefydlu cyfrifon a rhoi gwybod i staff, a fy nghyfrifoldeb i oedd cynnig ceisiadau cynllunio a pharatoi’r gymuned a myfyrwyr ar gyfer y cynllun.  Mae cyfathrebu yn allweddol fel Swyddog Llawn Amser felly sicrhewch eich bod chi’n agored, yn eglur, ac yn gefnogol gyda myfyrwyr a chyd-weithwyr, a gyda’r gymuned ehangach hefyd. Bydd hyn o fudd i chi yn aml, ac ar adegau, gall buddion mawr dod i chi gan eich bod chi wedi cadw cysylltiadau a pherthnasau yn agored!  Pellach, rydw yn y camau olaf o’r cytundeb, a gan fod hyn yn gynllun argyfwng, nid ydw i am ei gynnig fel teclyn cyfleus, ond mae’n bwysig bod myfyrwyr yn ymwybodol.  Felly ar wahân i hybu o gwmpas campws, peidiwch â synnu wrth fy ngweld i’n oer ar Wind Street gyda’r heddlu yn cadw golwg ar rheiny sydd wirioneddol angen y cynllun!

Er ei fod e’n waith anodd ar adegau, ac yn rhwystredig os nad oes modd gwneud pethau neu os ydy cyfarfodydd yn y brifysgol yn defnyddio’ch holl amser, nid oes unrhyw beth tebyg i weld myfyrwyr yn ymateb yn dda i rywbeth yr ydych wedi rhoi gymaint o waith ynddi, a gwybod eich bod chi wedi gwella rhywbeth.  O helpu myfyriwr sy’n cael trafferth gydag arholiadau i sicrhau cysylltiadau trafnidiaeth ar gyfer Campws y Bae, nid oes swydd debyg i’r un hon!

Am ragor o wybodaeth ar y Cynllun Tacsi Diogel, ewch i <http://www.swansea-union.co.uk/support/advice/safety/gethome/> neu danfonwch e-bost i mi.

Diolch am ddarllen hwn, mae’r swydd yn un cyffrous, hyd yn oed os ydw i’n gwneud iddo’n swnio’n ddiflas!  Gadewch i mi orffen y blog gyda gwahoddiad i chi gysgodi mi ar gyfer cyfarfod gyda Phwyllgor Gweithredol ar Ionawr 26ain am 5yp (RSVP os gwelwch yn dda) ac i Fforwm Myfyrwyr y diwrnod wedyn am 6yp.  Os oes gennych gwestiynau am y swydd, peidiwch ag ofni cysylltu â mi a sicrhau eich bod chi’n mynychu’r diwrnod gwybodaeth ar gyfer ymgeisydd ar 22ail o Ionawr o 5yp-7yp yn Cafe West.

Ymgyrchu Hapus,

Joel - Swyddog Lles