We believe our community at London Met should be safe and welcoming so that all students and staff can flourish in our environment. We are committed to preventing and stamping out harassment, bullying and sexual misconduct. It is everyone’s responsibility to play their part in making this happen. We want to have an environment where everyone understands what is unacceptable behaviour and the actions that can be taken if harassment, bullying or sexual misconduct takes place.
Report and Support is a platform available to students to log incidents of unacceptable behaviour. These could include, but are not limited to:
- Bullying
- Discrimination
- Harassment
- Hate Crime
- Hate incident
- Microaggressions
- Sexual Assault
- Sexual Harassment
- So-called 'honour'-based abuse
- Domestic abuse
There are two ways in which a report can be made on Report and Support. The reporter can give their personal details or they can report anonymously.
When a student reports, they will be contacted by an allocated caseworker who will work with them to empower them to make decisions on next steps, which could include access to support only, or to follow a formal reporting route through the University or externally to the Police.
It is important to note that if a staff member wants to report harassment or sexual misconduct they can do so by referring to the university harassment policy
The process of reporting
Reporting with Personal Details
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Reporting Anonymously
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1. Complete a Report and Support Form
The student, or someone on behalf of the student, fills out the sections on the reporting form. The person reporting can make special requests for a certain type of advisor, for example if they wanted to speak to a female, or a person of colour. The last page of the form will ask for details of who we should speak to about this report.
2. Report is assigned to a caseworker
All reports go through the system and the student is contacted by a caseworker, (if the case is related to sexual violence and sexual misconduct a Sexual Violence and Sexual Misconduct Officer (SVSM) is assigned) taking into consideration any special requests made on the form.
3. Caseworker makes contact to discuss your report
A caseworker will reach out using the contact details shared on the report. This will usually be by email in the first instance, but they will also try by phone if there is no response or if a number is shared. We will usually then arrange an appointment to discuss the report further and find out what the student needs.
4. You choose from the support or report options available
Our service is led by what students need in that moment, as well as planning for anything they may need later on. Ultimately, unless there is a severe safeguarding risk or risk to others, we will follow the choice of a student in what support they may want to access, or whether or not they wish to make a report internally or externally about an incident. We will always aim to empower the student and give them back control over what happens next.
5. If a formal report is made, the University investigates your complaint
The investigation will involve a staff member being assigned to investigate and meet with relevant parties to assess what has happened. We would investigate neutrally, aiming to find out the facts of the case, and will be looking for information that shows that it is more likely than not for an incident to have happened. This may come from a respondent admitting the incident, or for witnesses to have supported an individual's statement. For severe misconduct, it may be that the investigation will result in a using the student conduct policy.
6. You will be notified if your complaint is upheld
At the end of the investigation, you will be notified as to whether your complaint has been upheld, and the case if proceeding through a disciplinary process.