Students may report harassment or misconduct through the ‘No Excuse’ online form which can be found here: https://forms.office.com/e/M5T3qpiKEq
Anonymous reporting is allowed but may limit the capacity for a thorough response. If a student wishes to make a report anonymously, they can do so by using the ‘No Excuse’ online anonymous form which can be found here: https://forms.office.com/e/XQq0Wgi9B8
Behaviour that amounts to harassment or sexual misconduct is not tolerated by University Centre Somerset. If you are a student or a staff member who has been affected by harassment or sexual misconduct, this webpage offers information about the support and reporting options available inside and outside of UCS.
The UCS policy on Sexual Harassment and Misconduct can be found here: (Link to policy - still to be approved)
Sexual consent means a person agrees to have sex or take part in any kind of sexual activity by choice. Consent should be given clearly and freely.
This means that a person is unable to give consent if:
If consent is not given to any kind of sexual activity, this is rape or sexual assault. Repeatedly asking for consent after being refused can count as sexual harassment.
What consent can look like (including but not limited to):
What consent does not look like (including but not limited to):
What the law says about consent:
Sexual harassment is unwanted behaviour of a sexual nature, which is intended to or has the effect of:
You don’t have to have previously objected to someone’s behaviour for it to be considered unwanted.
Sexual harassment can include:
'Lad culture’ and ‘banter’ which is sexist, misogynist and homophobic are regarded as harassment.
The Office for Students defines sexual misconduct as any unwelcome behaviour of a sexual nature that is committed without consent, by:
Sexual misconduct can happen to anyone; it can be committed by a person of any gender and can occur between people of the same or different gender; it can happen within personal relationships as well as between strangers.
Such behaviour may also constitute a criminal offence. It may, but does not have to, involve misuse of institutional power or raise issues of unequal relationships.
Some examples of sexual misconduct are:
When reporting an incident, it would aid the investigation process if the student making the report were able to provide instances of when the sexual harassment occurred; including details such as:
How to Report if you are a UCS student:
Students may report harassment or misconduct through the ‘No Excuse’ online form which can be found here: https://forms.office.com/e/M5T3qpiKEq
Anonymous reporting is allowed but may limit the capacity for a thorough response. If a student wishes to make a report anonymously, they can do so by using the ‘No Excuse’ online anonymous form which can be found here: https://forms.office.com/e/XQq0Wgi9B8
How to Report if you are a UCS staff member
UCS encourage staff who witness sexual harassment or victimisation to take appropriate steps to address it. Depending on the circumstances, this could include:
UCS staff can also report the matter anonymously using the College’s dedicated confidential reporting email address - inconfidence@btc.ac.uk or they can speak to their immediate/line manager and/or the People Management team for advice.
If a member of staff believes they have been sexually harassed, they have a number of options to address the behaviour:
Informal process
If staff feel confident doing so, they are encouraged to speak to the person who has harassed them, explain their behaviour is unwanted and ask them to stop. The person may not realise how their actions are impacting others, and an informal discussion can be enough to prevent repeat behaviour. Staff can speak with their immediate/line manager or the People Management team if they would like advice about how to approach the conversation.
If the informal approach is unsuccessful or the complaint is deemed to be of a sufficiently serious nature, the matter should be reported formally as detailed below.
Formal process
UCS staff are able to either;
If staff are unsure whether an incident or series of incidents amounts to sexual harassment and/or are unsure how to report the issue, staff are encouraged to speak to with their immediate/line manager or the People Management team for advice.
If concerns relate to a staff member’s immediate/line manager, staff are encouraged to contact the People Management team or another senior leader for advice.
In circumstances where it is too difficult or embarrassing for an individual to do this on their own behalf, an alternative approach would be to seek support from, or for an initial approach to be made by, any of the following:
If a UCS staff member believes they have witnessed an act of sexual harassment they should report this to their immediate/line manager or use UCS's dedicated confidential reporting email address: inconfidence@btc.ac.uk
How to Report if you are not a UCS student or staff member:
(Enter Reporting Function for Third Parties - needs to have one with details and one that is anonymous.)
All students within University Centre Somerset (UCS) receive training and awareness sessions at the start of their programme, with touch-points during the academic year. Students also have refresher sessions at the start of each subsequent academic year on their programme.
Staff members of UCS, and the wider University Centre Somerset College Group (UCS College Group) also receive mandatory training as part of their employment within the institution.