We Operate Under The Basis That…

We are a membership organisation and as such, are accountable to our members for engaging with them appropriately and providing good quality opportunities and services. Who constitutes our members is laid out within our Constitution.

We are subject to the Data Protection Act and therefore can only share information about one of our members in very limited circumstances.

We Believe

That being at University is a crucial time to develop independence and the skills that will help students become effective and responsible citizens.

That our members may have varying levels of maturity, as well as a range of experience levels with regard to decision-making and self-advocacy but, that the majority are capable of assuming primary responsibility for conducting their lives and making their own decisions. Exceptions to this, would be members under 18 and vulnerable adults.

That parents and carers may have concerns about their loved ones whilst studying at Lancaster and may wish to advocate for, or ‘step in’ to support. Our goal though, is to establish effective relationships and dialogue with members ourselves.

Our Policy

• As a general rule our interactions will be directly with our members.
• We are always willing to give general information and explain the policies and protocols of LUSU and the University to interested third parties. However, we will not discuss specific members, or their issues.
• We will not discuss or deal with third parties such as parents and carers unless our member expressly requests it and gives permission in writing.
• Any legal relationships such as contracts and insurance have to be understood and agreed to between the member and LUSU.