This page aims to provide all members of staff at the University of Kent with clear information regarding:
- the University's response to the Office for Students (OFS) Statement of Expectations;
- current University initiatives to tackle sexual misconduct and assault;
- guidance and resources to help a student who discloses;
- the process to report incidents for students and staff.
'Consent. Get it. Full stop.' Campaign
The University of Kent has launched a sex-positive campaign to cultivate and strengthen a culture of consent in our community of staff and students.
Join us in making our university the safest it can be.
- We want to be transparent with students and staff about our approach and response to sexual misconduct and harassment.
- We want students and staff to know what the procedures, expectations, and actions taken within the university are.
- We want all members of our community to know the support we offer and how they can access it.
We have put together a student facing campaign page which is a useful resource for staff too. In our campaign page we give information about what consent is and share some tips on how to ensure they have got consent, and how they can give consent clearly to their partner(s).
Join us in putting a full stop to sexual assault and misconduct.
We are in the process of organising events for all members of the University. If you think your Department, Division or School would be interested in hosting a talk or other type of event that relates to their area of expertise, please email Becky Wyatt.
Short video explaining the ethos of the Consent campaign, what has been done so far and what we are currently working on at Kent.
Resources to help students
The support our staff offer to students is a source of great pride for the University. Below we provide you with resources so that you can support students who are victims of incidents of sexual misconduct and assault.
Support Contacts
Students can book an appointment with the Specialist Wellbeing Adviser for Sexual Assault and Harassment by emailing KentSSW@kent.ac.uk or by calling 01227 82 3158.
The Specialist Wellbeing Adviser works with students who disclose experiences of sexual misconduct. Their job is to listen, support through the reporting process, and refer to specialist services as needed.
See this guide to learn more about What happens in a Sexual Assault and Harassment Meeting.
Students can get support from a Sexual Assault Responder by calling 3333 or 01227 823333 or, if they're on the Canterbury campus, by going to Campus Security which is always open and located next to Santander Bank.
Sexual Assault Responders are trained members of staff who provide out of hours support to students who disclose experiences of sexual misconduct. Their job is to discuss immediate support options and can book taxis as needed.
See this guide to learn more about What happens in Sexual Assault Responders Meeting.
In addition to the support that can be sought from the university, direct support can be also be found with many external agencies.
Visit our External Support for Sexual Assault and Harassment guide for more detailed information on the external support available to students.
Resources, Visual Guides, and Guidance Documents
We have created a staff facing SharePoint folder where resources such as visual guides aimed at facilitating students' understanding of access to support and information on reporting, the disciplinary procedure, guidance documents, and other materials that might be of use to members of staff can be found. The SharePoint folder is updated regularly.
Some of these resources are linked here:
Document list
What active steps can I take as a member of staff?
eLearning Module: Responding to student disclosures of sexual assault and rape
We have designed a module to give all staff information, guidance and confidence in responding to disclosures from students about sexual assault and/or harassment. This module aims to well equip staff members with the knowledge to be able to signpost students to support that exists within the university.
The University currently has over 20 trained members of staff who are paid Sexual Assault Responders (SARs).
SARs provide immediate support to victims of serious sexual assault or rape at the Canterbury and Medway campuses out of hours (between 17.00 and 9.00) and at weekends. SARs operate on a rota system. The role is to give advice and guidance to victims of serious sexual assault or rape with regards to aftercare support procedures. The role is NOT a counselling role.
For more information, to request a role description, or to express an interest in becoming a SAR, please email Becky Wyatt in Student Support and Wellbeing.
We are in the process of organising events for all members of the University. If you think your department, division or school would be interested in hosting a talk or other type of event, please email Becky Wyatt.
Reporting to the University
The reporting tool staff members should use to report an incident of sexual assault and misconduct depends on the part you (as a member of staff) play in the incident, that is, whether you were a witness or a victim.
Student Reporting Tool: Report + Support
Report and Support is a tool which empowers students to record details of incidents such as sexual assault, harassment, relationship abuse or hate crime. Reporting through report and support ensures that students gain access to the support that is available to you in the aftermath of an incident.
Members of staff can report as a third party providing anonymous information about incidents relating to students.
Staff Reporting Tool:
If you wish to pursue a complaint, you can do so under Ordinance 42: Grievance Resolution.
Initial steps include:
Informal resolution by addressing the complaint directly with the individual or discussing it with your line manager;
Formal resolution which has four steps:
- Raise the grievance formally
- Investigation
- Communicate the outcome
- Appeals process
I am a member of staff and I need support
Members of staff are encouraged to visit our External Support for Sexual Assault and Harassment guide for more detailed information on local and accessible support available.