Addressing harassment and sexual misconduct: Leeds Beckett’s commitment

Harassment

The Equality Act 2010 makes three types of harassment unlawful. These are:

• harassment related to a ‘relevant protected characteristic’
• sexual harassment
• less favourable treatment of an individual because they submit to, or reject, sexual harassment or harassment related to sex or gender reassignment

Relevant protected characteristics

These are:

• age
• disability
• gender reassignment
• race
• religion or belief
• sex
• sexual orientation

Harassment is also unlawful under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 which enables an individual to seek criminal or civil proceedings against a range of behaviours that are causing distress or alarm to the target of the behaviour.

It is important to note that sexual violence is unlawful under criminal legislation such as the Sexual Offences Act 2003.

Sexual misconduct

Sexual misconduct is any unwanted or attempted unwanted conduct of a sexual nature. It covers a spectrum including sexual violence such as rape and sexual assault, and sexual harassment.

At Leeds Beckett University, we are committed to fostering a safe, respectful and inclusive environment for everyone in our community, this includes students, colleagues, and third parties such as visitors, contractors, and partner organisations.

Bullying, harassment, abuse, and sexual misconduct have no place in our university. We commit never to use legally binding non-disclosure agreements to silence those people with the courage to call out this behaviour.

We are actively working to prevent these behaviours and to ensure that clear, compassionate and effective systems are in place for reporting and responding when concerns arise.

We have strengthened our approach in line with the Office for Students' (OfS) new Condition of Registration E6, which outlines how higher education providers must take robust, proactive steps to protect all students from harassment and sexual misconduct.

Our work goes beyond compliance, it reflects our values and our dedication to creating a campus culture where respect, dignity and accountability are central.

We will gather continuous feedback through:

• Monitoring and analysis of data, to understand where more targeted intervention may be considered.
• Obtaining colleague and student feedback and engagement on our training material.
• Holding lessons learned sessions following resolved investigations related to harassment and/or sexual misconduct.
• Regularly reviewing our policies, processes and training.

We take all disclosures and reports seriously, provide access to timely support, and ensure that all members of our community are informed about their rights, responsibilities, and the pathways available to raise concerns. We also work closely with external partners and support services to ensure joined-up safeguarding and wellbeing practices across our networks.

Support Report Respect is our university wide reporting platform for everyone to use to disclose and report any incident of unacceptable behaviour, including on behalf of others. There are options to disclose and report anonymously or provide details and receive support.

In addition to Support Report Respect the university offers a variety of other support mechanisms:

• For students:
  • Reports can be made by completing the online form, or by contacting the Student Casework team via email on casework@leedsbeckett.ac.uk
  • Additional support is available through appointments with Student Services and University Chaplaincy. Our student facing webpages also signpost to trusted external organisations, Leeds Beckett Students’ Union offer independent advice and support, and can accompany you to investigatory meetings.
• For colleagues:
  • Formal routes include using the grievance procedure  (for colleague-to-colleague concerns) and the Student Code of Conduct (for concerns involving students).
  • Colleagues can also access support from our Dignity and Respect Advisers, the Employee Relations team who can be contacted via email on employeerelationsteam@leedsbeckett.ac.uk, the Employee Assistance Programme, and our University Chaplaincy.

We respond to all concerns with care, fairness and professionalism and ensure that no one has to navigate these experiences alone.

We understand that sharing personal experiences can be difficult, and we are committed to handling all reports and disclosures with sensitivity, respect and care.

If your concern involves a risk of harm to a child or adult at risk, it may fall under the university’s safeguarding responsibilities. The university’s Safeguarding Policy explains when and how to get in touch, and includes contact details for our safeguarding leads.

The Preventing and Addressing Bullying, Harassment and Sexual Misconduct Policies contain definitions of bullying, harassment, and sexual misconduct.

These policies outline the processes for investigation specifying that if a formal report is taken forward, it will be taken through one of the existing LBU regulations or procedures.

• For students, formal reports will be taken forward under the Student Code of Conduct.
• For colleagues this may mean that formal action is taken via the Disciplinary Policy and Procedure or Grievance Procedure.

The Preventing and Addressing Bullying, Harassment and Sexual Misconduct Policies also details our decision-making process, timescales for investigations, the range of actions that may result from investigations and decision-making process, and details of the appeals processes and how this can be instigated.

Any information shared with us pertaining to bullying, harassment, sexual misconduct and other unacceptable behaviours will remain confidential.

You are in control of whether your disclosure is taken forward through formal reporting. In line with UK Data Protection legislation, we will only process your information with your explicit consent, you can withdraw at any time by contacting:

• Students - studentsupportreport@leedsbeckett.ac.uk
• Colleagues - employeerelationsteam@leedsbeckett.ac.uk
• Visitors / third parties - Third party disclosures are received through Support Report Respect and are anonymous.

In some exceptional circumstances, confidentiality may need to be broken such as:

• When there is a risk of serious harm to yourself or others.
• When a child or vulnerable adult may be at risk.
• When required by law.
• In cases of serious breaches of university regulations or codes of conduct.

For more details on how your data is used, please refer to the below student and colleague privacy notices:

• Student Privacy Notice
• Student Suicide Prevention – Information Sharing Statement
• Colleague Privacy Notice

Our full Privacy Notices are available on the university Information Governance webpages.

Leeds Beckett University are the Data Controller for the information you provide. Your details will be held in accordance with UK Data Protection legislation for the purpose of addressing your Support Report Respect disclosure form. For more information on these principles, how to exercise your rights and freedoms and how to contact us please visit the university’s Information Governance pages.

Leeds Beckett University aims to ensure that individuals directly affected by decisions relating to reports of bullying, harassment and/or sexual misconduct are appropriately informed of the outcomes and the reasons for them.

This includes those who have made disclosures or formal reports, as well as those who are subject to an allegation, and any witnesses involved. Where a formal investigation has taken place, parties are provided with outcome information in line with our procedures, including any relevant findings and next steps. Communications are managed sensitively, and support is signposted where appropriate, to help individuals understand the process and its conclusions while maintaining fairness and confidentiality.

Details of the investigation process, including the range of outcomes available, can be found in the following policies:

• Student Code of Conduct
• Disciplinary Policy and Procedure
• Grievance Procedure

We want to ensure that students have all the information they need around harassment and sexual misconduct. Students are required to complete two online mandatory training modules.

Consent Matters – this module explores the following:

• Analysing and exploring healthy and unhealthy behaviours around sex and relationships.
• Interpreting verbal and non-verbal signs of consent.
• Understanding where to get support if you or someone you know has been the victim of harassment or sexual misconduct.

Being an Active Bystander - this module will:

• help students to recognise behaviour that makes someone uncomfortable, offends someone, or causes harm.
• Offer some suggested interventions to respond safely and effectively.
• Support students to take appropriate action, speak up, or support someone in need.

We recognise that content within the consent matters module is sensitive and engaging with this may be distressing or triggering for some students due to personal experiences. Students can request an exemption from the consent matters module to be granted and will be offered information on how to access support.

A range of training is made available for colleagues:

• Mandatory training for all colleagues on recognising and responding to disclosures and reports, understanding reporting procedures, exploring definitions, and supporting those affected by bullying, harassment or sexual misconduct.
• Additional specialist training for specific colleagues who are responsible for receiving information about, and undertaking investigations on matters relating to incidents of harassment and/or sexual misconduct, to ensure a consistent, trauma-informed approach to managing disclosures and reports.
• Ongoing opportunities for refresher training and targeted development in line with evolving guidance and best practice.

We recognise that content within our all colleague e-learning module is sensitive and engaging with this may be distressing or triggering for some colleagues due to personal experiences. Colleagues can request an exemption from this e-learning module to be granted and will be offered information on how to access support.

Third parties such as visitors, contractors, and partner organisations are provided with a dedicated resource pack to ensure a minimum level of understanding of the university’s policies and processes to preventing and addressing bullying, harassment and sexual misconduct when visiting or working across our campus and with our community.

We are committed to creating and maintaining a safe, welcoming and inclusive community which nurtures a culture of respect and consideration for all. As part of this, our Policy on Personal Relationships at Work sets out expectations, boundaries and safeguards to prevent potential abuse of power with respect to personal relationships between students and staff.

The university does not allow close personal and intimate relationships between members of staff and students where the staff member has direct professional responsibility for, and/or involvement in that student’s academic studies and/or personal welfare.

The university fosters an environment in which colleagues and students feel able to exercise their right to free speech (including controversial, offensive or unpopular opinions) within the law.

Robust, challenging and civil debate forms part of academic enquiry, even if viewpoints expressed are disagreeable or unpopular, as long as this is within the law. In exercising their right to freedom of speech, the university expects all colleagues, students and visitors to be tolerant of differing opinions and identities, in line with the Code of Practice on Freedom of Speech and engage with intellectual and ideological discussions in a constructive, questioning and peaceable nature. All speakers have a right to be heard when exercising their right to free speech within the law.

Freedom of speech and academic freedom do not mean freedom from accountability. The university does not tolerate speech or behaviour that incites hatred, harassment, or discrimination. We expect all members of our community to engage in dialogue responsibly, and with due regard for the dignity and wellbeing of others.

In support of our commitment to providing a safe, inclusive, and respectful environment for all members of our university community, our policies and procedures provide important context, protections, and guidance which relate to harassment, sexual misconduct, and related behaviour.