Harassment and Sexual Misconduct

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This is the single comprehensive source of information for the University which sets out our policies and procedures on subject matter relating to incidents of harassment and/or sexual misconduct.

This page contains references to harassment and sexual misconduct which may be distressing or harmful to some readers.

You can exit the page quickly by returning to our homepage.

If you are affected by any of the information and would like support, please contact studentservices@chester.ac.uk or call 01244 511 550 (opening hours: Mon-Thu: 9am - 5pm and Fri: 9am - 4pm)

As part of our commitment to maintaining a safe environment for our staff and students, we require all students to undertake our informative and helpful training on harassment and sexual misconduct. Once enrolled as a student, using your university login details, you will have access to our interactive training, and you should complete this prior to arrival. Students at higher education institutions across England are now required to complete training on harassment and sexual misconduct.

At the University of Chester, we believe that all members of our community deserve to feel safe and respected. We aim to create a safe and inclusive environment, where all forms of unacceptable behaviours are not tolerated – however, we must work together to achieve this goal. 

Unacceptable behaviour can include harassment, sexual misconduct, domestic abuse, hate crime, discrimination, and bullying. 

We actively work to create a culture of respect for all by raising awareness of what constitutes unacceptable behaviour, how students can report such behaviours, and where students can receive our support if they experience or witness behaviour that contravenes our Student Code of Conduct.

Student Code of Conduct

The Student Code of Conduct explained

Within the Student Code of Conduct we state:

Under no circumstances will the University tolerate any behaviour that amounts to an offence against a person including, but not limited to, assault, sexual assault or sexual violence, domestic violence or discrimination or harassment of any kind, whether verbal or physical and in any form or medium, including in any online space or context.

The University also has a Dignity and Respect Policy.

This policy reaffirms the University’s stance on forms of harassment and sexual misconduct as informed by the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 and the Equality Act 2010.

We have developed these web pages to provide you with clear and concise information that is specific to harassment and sexual misconduct. You can also find general information on student discipline on our website.

According to the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, harassment includes causing alarm or distress to someone through repeated behaviour in-person, as online actions and speech.

Harassment may include:

  • Comments or actions related to sex, including sexist comments
  • Inappropriate or personal comments or jokes related to a protected characteristic
  • Unwanted physical conduct, including touching, pinching, pushing, invading physical space, and serious forms of physical or sexual assault
  • Being treated less favourably due to rejection or submission to unwanted conduct of a sexual nature or behaviour
  • Stalking, which is persistent and unwanted conduct, such as following a person home, sending unwanted and repeated messages, or making intrusive or unwanted visits
  • Forming or participating in an online group that isolates or victimises fellow students or members of staff
  • Bullying that may include insulting, abusive or intimidating behaviour, spreading malicious rumours, persistent unwanted criticism, and openly and repeatedly excluding a person in group situations
  • Abuse of power where authority is misused to coerce or influence another in a sexual context

Sexual misconduct refers to unwelcome and unwanted behaviours or conduct of a sexual nature that infringes personal boundaries and does not consider full consent. It includes sexual harassment, sexual assault, and rape. This includes online environments such as social media, email, and photography.

Sexual misconduct may include the following examples:

  • Kissing or inappropriate physical touching without consent
  • Unsolicited and unwanted sexual comments or jokes
  • Sending sexually explicit emails or text messages
  • Accessing or distributing indecent images via university computing systems
  • Recording a sexual act without consent
  • Sexual violence and sexual abuse that is criminal such as rape and sexual assault
  • Treating an individual less favourably because they submitted to or rejected sexual advances
  • Unwanted conduct that creates a degrading or intimidating environment
  • Engaging in sexual activity with another where a person does not have the freedom or capacity to give consent

You can report an incident of harassment and/or sexual misconduct using our Report a Concern online form. This can include an incident that has happened to you or an incident that you have witnessed as a bystander. You can also make a report on behalf of someone else if it is with their knowledge.

Further details are available on the Report a Concern site.

If you have a concern or complaint involving harassment or sexual misconduct and do not know where you should raise this or which policy covers this, we will be able to advise you and ensure it is dealt with under the relevant policy or procedure.

You can also contact the Student Services Helpdesk on 01244 5114550 or email proctor@chester.ac.uk.

If you are in immediate danger, you should contact the Police on 999.

If you are not in immediate danger but would like to report to the Police, you can call 101.

You can also contact Crimestoppers who are an independent charity that allows people to report a non-emergency crime anonymously.

Student Complaints Procedure

The Student Complaints Procedure covers: 

  1. the provision of courses or part of courses of study
  2. services or facilities of the University
  3. action or lack of action by the University

Student Disciplinary Procedure

The Student Disciplinary Procedure (full version) and Student Guide to Disciplinary Procedure cover complaints involving harassment and sexual misconduct by a student.

Dignity and Respect Policy

The Dignity and Respect Policy covers complaints involving harassment or sexual misconduct by a member of staff.

When we receive information regarding an incident of harassment and/or sexual misconduct we have trained staff that are able to discuss this with you in an appropriate and supportive way, which includes confidentiality and additional signposting to internal or external advice and guidance or procedures.

We recognise that disclosures of harassment and/or sexual misconduct are very sensitive, and we therefore aim to maintain confidentiality throughout the investigative process as far as practicable, sharing information on a need-to-know basis for the purpose of conducting the investigation.

  • If you inform us of an incident, we will provide you with an Adviser to discuss what you would like to happen and what support you need. You can also explore options for reporting and support
  • Any information you provide will remain confidential unless we believe there is a serious threat or Safeguarding concern
  • Disclosed information via a reported concern will only be used for the purposes of an investigation, if necessary.
  • All parties to a complaint must treat the complaint and related documentation confidentially
  • All records, letters and correspondence in relation to any complaint will be kept in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018
  • There is the option to report anonymously via our Report a Concern online form, although this may mean we are unable to investigate adequately or provide targeted support for you
  • All interviews and hearings under the Student Disciplinary Procedure (full version) will be conducted fairly and impartially by an interviewer and/or Chair of a hearing
  • An individual against whom a complaint is made is entitled to see or hear the complaint and to respond to it

When we receive an allegation or reported concern, there may be a preliminary investigation. If the allegation is against another student, the Proctor’s Office will usually start the preliminary investigation. If it is against a member of staff our Human Resources department will explore the allegation potentially leading to an Investigating Officer being appointed.

For complaints against a student, the preliminary investigation will normally involve interviews or discussions with the person that made the allegation, the person that is being reported, and anyone else who may be able to provide more information. This will be conducted by experienced investigating staff within the Proctor’s Office and may be a face-to-face meeting, a Teams or phone appointment.

A decision will then be made as to whether harassment or sexual misconduct has been committed, which could then lead to a formal disciplinary panel hearing. Full details can be found at sections 19 and 20 of the Student Disciplinary Procedure (full version).

For complaints against a member of staff, the Investigating Officer will normally meet with the student as complainant to ensure they have a full understanding of the alleged incident. The Investigating Officer will then meet with the staff member to discuss the complaint, and anyone else that may be able to provide more information.

You should note that if you are involved in any of these processes you can be fully supported by Chester Students' Union who are an independent body separate from the University and its procedures.

Our Student Support team at studentservices@chester.ac.uk and trained Sexual Violence Liaison Officers are available to support students at reporting stage and throughout ongoing procedures. These services are not part of the investigating team or Panel hearing procedures.

The Wellbeing and Mental Health (opening hours: Mon-Thu: 9am-5pm and Fri: 9am-4pm) team within Student Services can provide on the day confidential advice and support for you if you have been affected by an incident of harassment and/or sexual misconduct. We have trained staff that are experienced in dealing with disclosures and are able to offer specialist support.

You can make contact by emailing studentservices@chester.ac.uk or phoning 01244 511550. 

In addition, you have access to our Sexual Violence Liaison Officers.

Enrolled students can use an external 24/7 Student Assistance Programme by calling the dedicated helpline on 0800 028 3766. This offers access to emotional support and practical guidance from an experienced therapist or adviser. You will need your student log in to access more information on this here.

Further information is available on our Sexual Violence and Harassment Report and Support Information Guide.

You should note that our support services are also available for those that have had an allegation made against them.

Staff can request support from their line manager, HR Business Partner, or Safeguarding Coordinator.

Members of the Wellbeing and Mental Health team receive dedicated and professionally recognised training to support those affected by harassment and sexual misconduct. They provide support without judgement or bias, using a trauma informed approach. Affected students are at the centre of our approaches, with support tailored to their individual needs and circumstances.

Our case work delivery is governed by clear procedures, clinical supervision, with regular awareness and development sessions to ensure skills and knowledge are aligned to best practice in the sector. Training examples include, Sexual Violence Liaison Officer accreditation, Safeguarding, responding to disclosures, domestic abuse, Active Bystander Intervention, supporting survivors from the LGBT+ community, and understanding so-called ‘honour’-based harms.

In addition to the above, we have other university staff trained to deal with aspects of harassment and sexual misconduct. These include our Proctor’s Office, ConnectHub helpdesks, Security, Sexual Violence Liaison Officers, and Personal Academic Tutors.

The University strongly discourages intimate personal relationships between staff and students. Such relationships may compromise or distort the expectations of professionalism and trust which underpin the student learning experience.

If a member of staff does have a relationship with a student, the member of staff must immediately declare the relationship to their line manager so that consideration can be given to any potential conflict of interest.

The full policy is available online.

An NDA is a legal contract. It sets out how you share information or ideas in confidence. Sometimes people call NDAs confidentiality agreements.

The University does not and would not use NDAs in cases of harassment and/or sexual misconduct.

We value freedom of speech throughout the university community and are committed to promoting and encouraging free debate and academic freedom of enquiry. We therefore accommodate a wide range of views, political as well as academic, even when they are unpopular, controversial or provocative.

We are also committed to ensuring a welcoming, inclusive, safe and supportive community for all staff, students and visitors. This requires that free and open discussion takes place in an atmosphere of respect and tolerance, with acceptable standards of behaviour upheld by all.

Our Policy and Code of Practice on Freedom of Speech is available online.