Colleague information and reporting

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As a colleague within the Leeds Beckett community, there are several ways that Support Report Respect may be relevant to you.

You may want to access advice for yourself if you have personally experienced or witnessed bullying, any form of harassment (such as racial abuse) or sexual misconduct in the workplace or through reasons related to your employment. Or you may be supporting a student who has made a disclosure, so you can access information on how to refer them to specialist services, below.

You can use our reporting forms to tell the university if something unacceptable has happened to you or another member of our university community. How and if you make a report is entirely your choice.

If you choose to submit a report you can either complete the form anonymously or provide your name and contact details. By providing your details, an adviser will be able to contact you to discuss your experience and explain your options, which may include making a formal complaint, if you wish to.

Anonymous reports support us in better understanding the prevalence of issues within our community, without requiring you to share personal information. This means we can build a picture of the inappropriate behaviours and incidents that have taken place. We can monitor trends in the information you choose to share with us and use this to inform our preventative work on tackling bullying, any form of harassment or sexual misconduct.

All reports are handled sensitively, and we appreciate you choosing to share your experience with us.

You may wish to read the Preventing and Addressing Bullying, Harassment and Sexual Misconduct Policy, that applies to colleagues and students.

Submit an anonymous report

Provide your contact details and receive advice for yourself or a colleague

Provide your contact details and receive advice on behalf of a student

If you are a member of staff who has experienced bullying, any form of harassment or sexual misconduct in the workplace or through reasons related to your employment there are a number of sources of support available to you.

These include:

Colleague Wellbeing Services, including our employee assistance programme, which offers a free, confidential counselling and legal advice service 24/7
Dignity and Respect Network, comprised of trained volunteers from across the university who are able to provide support and advice to anyone with a query regarding a dignity at work or study issue
HR services who can provide information and advice on how you can make an allegation against another member of staff
You can get help from a number of external support services detailed below

Get support from local and national services

The Hazlehurst Centre

SARC is a joint initiative between West Yorkshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner and NHS England aimed at improving the provision of services to victims of rape and serious sexual assault.

The Hazlehurst Centre SARC offers free support and practical help to anyone in West Yorkshire who has experienced sexual violence and/or sexual abuse. Their service is completely confidential and you do not have to give any personal information in order to get help or report the incident to the police. If you would like to speak to someone they are available 24/7.

Services that are available within the SARC are:

Access to a Forensic Medical Examiner
Referral care pathways for ongoing healthcare needs
Referral care pathways to the ISVA (Independent Sexual Advisors) service

T: 0330 223 0099
E: hazlehurstcentre.sarc@nhs.net

SARSVL is the Rape Crisis Centre for Leeds. They are a feminist organisation that exists to support all women and girls who have been affected by sexual violence of any kind at any time in their lives. They promote their needs and rights and work towards the elimination of sexual violence. Through SARSVL you can access advocacy through their ISVA service, and counselling.

supportafterrapeleeds.org.uk

Galop is the LGBT+ anti-violence charity. They provide confidential and independent advice and support for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and queer people who have experienced sexual assault, abuse or violence, however or whenever it occurred. If you choose to report to the police, they can help you to get appropriate and effective police response and support you through every step of the criminal justice system. Their service is based on the values of inclusion and empowerment. For more information visit the Gallop website.

Trans Survivors Switchboard is a dedicated helpline which offers support to trans people including those who are non-binary or questioning, who have experienced sexual violence at any point in their lifetime.

Helpline: 01273204050
info@switchboard.org.uk

Yorkshire MESMAC provide Leeds Survivors Support Group, which is for men, Trans men, non-binary, and intersex people. The support group is a comfortable and confidential space to meet other survivors of sexual violence and share stories and strategies. The aims of the group are to gain confidence and find support in through day-to-day life.

Tel: 07761936764

LS1MSSG@gmail.com

West Yorkshire Survivors provide gender-informed support for male victims and survivors of sexual violence and abuse. Their survivor led service offers pathways for emotional, psychological & self-help support for men in the community who have experienced sexual violence or abuse at any point in their lives. For more information visit their website.

Tel: 07761936764
Email: LS1MSSG@gmail.com

Leeds Domestic Violence Service (LDVS) is a partnership of 3 specialist services in Leeds: Leeds Women’s Aid, Behind Closed Doors and Womens Health Matters. LDVS works with women, men and families in Leeds, offering emergency accommodation, support, advice and advocacy.. LDVS supports anyone experiencing domestic violence and abuse and actively encourages people from LGBT+ communities to access our support.

Call the 24 Hour Helpline on 0113 246 0401.
Email: hello@ldvs.uk

Leeds Domestic Violence Service

In partnership with Leeds Domestic Violence Service, Leeds Women’s Aid provides a 24-hour domestic violence helpline as well as drop-in support at health settings across the city, additional shared refuge accommodation, the Staying Safe group ‘Healthy Relationships’ programme, and support and accommodation for women who have been trafficked. They provide 24 hour safe emergency accommodation for anyone fleeing an abusive relationship.

Tel: 0113 246 0401
Email: administration@leedswomensaid.org.uk

Victim Support can help anyone of all genders affected by crime, including rape, sexual violence, domestic abuse, harassment and hate crimes. Not only can victims access support, but so can their friends, family and any other people involved. Because they are an independent charity, you can support you without the involvement of the criminal justice system, and will not contact them about you unless they feel someone is at risk.

Any member of staff may receive a disclosure from a student or colleague that they have experienced bullying, any form of harassment (such as racial abuse) or sexual misconduct, including sexual violence, or domestic abuse.

They may have found it extremely difficult to disclose this to you, so it is important to respond appropriately. The information below is designed to support you, in supporting them.

Responding to initial disclosures

Referring to the right service

It’s important to give the student or colleague a chance to speak with a trained or relevant member of staff or service. For students, this would be a dedicated adviser in Student Services. Colleagues may wish to speak to the Employee Assistance Programme to access personal support and advice, or Human Resources so they can understand their options and rights in the workplace. If the target of the behaviour is not ready to speak to someone within the university, or would prefer not to, there are other, external services locally and nationally. Information on all of this can be found in the Get Support section on this page.

Remember the foundations of giving support

Ensuring we respond in a genuine, appropriate and empowering way is key. This means actively listening; giving control; being patient; respecting courage; believing and, finally, remembering it was not their fault. You can find more information on these principles and how to give support below.

Some ways you can help

Listen

Listen, and show that you are listening to what she / he / they have to say, even if it is difficult for you to hear. You might have many questions but try not to interrupt. Accept periods of silence and do not feel like you have to fill the space. Let them tell the story and concentrate on what’s being said.
Give them control

Harassment, abuse and violence, of any kind, can make a person feel powerless. It is important that they are given full control over their disclosure and what happens next.

You can signpost them to the 'Support Report Respect' pages and talk them through their options. However, it is most important to respect whatever route they choose to take and respond sensitively and supportively.
Be patient

It might not be easy for them to start talking about their experiences. They might feel ashamed, responsible, traumatised or threatened.

By telling you about the incident, they have put their trust in you, so avoid encouraging them for details before they are ready.

If you are supporting a partner or spouse through an incident, whether it is recently or in the past, they might find intimacy and sexual contact difficult. Remember that this is not a reflection of your relationship. Reassure them and be patient.
Respect their courage

It takes so much strength to speak out about harassment, abuse and violence, of any kind. As long as you do not judge them or disclose the incident to anyone else without their consent, you will really be helping someone to seek out the support they need.
Believe

Survivors often worry that they will not be believed. It is so important, especially in the early stages of the disclosure, that we convey genuine belief and devote our full attention to them.
Try not to ask questions that sound like you’re questioning their story. For example, avoid questions that start with ‘Why did you...?’.
Remember it’s not their fault

They did not ask for this to happen. No survivor should ever be blamed for not preventing what happened to them. The responsibility lies with the perpetrator. Negative judgements about themselves may be made by the individual and those around them. Therefore, it is important that these are not reinforced.