Advice & Advocacy Charter
The Student Advice & Advocacy Service Charter is a document that describes the rights, aims and principles of the service the Advice and Advocacy team provides. This means you can know what to expect, and what they expect of you if you choose to engage with them.
As a member of TU Dublin SU, you are entitled to advocacy, advice, and information regarding your student rights and entitlements as per the TU Dublin SU Constitution.
What You Can Expect of Us
The following outlines the service students can expect from the staff working in the SAAS:
- Accurate, comprehensive, and timely information, considering confidentiality, data protection, and privacy issues.
- Clear and relevant guidance tailored to your situation.
- Assistance enabling you to take necessary steps to address your issues.
- An acknowledgment within 7 working days of your initial enquiry.
- Appropriate advocacy, if required.
- Fair, accurate, and relevant record-keeping in compliance with relevant legislation. All records are kept in a secure environment.
- Openness, impartiality, and non-judgmental service.
- Realistic and reasonable responses to your queries or guidance on your situation.
- Privacy when contacting us, with the option for scheduled appointments as necessary.
- Consistent and professional information and guidance.
- The right to conclude a case when all options have been exhausted.
What We Expect of You
We expect the following from members seeking our services:
- Provide all relevant information to receive appropriate advice and make informed decisions.
- Behave respectfully and avoid aggression in our offices, online, or during phone interactions.
- Show up on time for appointments or notify us promptly if rescheduling is necessary.
- Interact with our team members in a courteous and polite manner.
- Submit any required documentation or statements in a timely manner, as it is your responsibility to do so.
In certain circumstances, we reserve the right to withdraw service. We will not engage with students who exhibit violent or threatening behaviour, attempt to involve us in illegal activities, or breach TU Dublin’s rules and procedures.
If we receive no response from you after two attempts to contact you over a period of three weeks, we reserve the right to close the case. However, this does not prevent you from reaching out to the advice service in the future if you require assistance with another matter.
Any student who believes that services have been withdrawn unfairly is entitled to appeal the decision by contacting the President and General Manager via email at feedback@tudublinsu.ie.
We cannot offer consultation or service to parents/guardians or any third party regarding our members’ affairs without explicit written permission from the members.
We are subject to the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Child Care Act 1991. Confidentiality exemptions include:
- Child Protection: If we become aware of a child at risk, we have a responsibility to act appropriately.
- Risk Assessment: If a student is at significant risk of self- harm or harming others, we are obligated to refer the matter appropriately.
- GDPR Exceptions: Personal data may be released for crime prevention or detection, apprehension or prosecution of offenders, and tax or duty assessment or collection. TU Dublin SU retains the decision-making authority unless instructed by a court order.
We highly value your feedback, which is treated with utmost confidentiality. Your input is essential in enhancing our services, identifying training requirements, and monitoring our performance. Please direct any feedback to: feedback@tudublinsu.ie.