Pathways
Report and support options for sexual assault, harassment, bullying, hate crime and hate incidents
Getting help and support
Care and Concern
Talk in person about where to get support and how to report.
0208 411 6200
careandconcern@mdx.ac.uk
Contacting Care and Concern flow-chart
What happens next?
Contact Care and Concern
- Email careandconcern@mdx.ac.uk
- call Security on 0208 411 6200 and ask for Care and Concern
Emergency situation
If on campus, a Designated Safeguarding Officer (DSO) will meet you and implement an immediate response to ensure you’re safe. Where appropriate, they will liaise with Security and the Care and Concern team.
Out-of-hours (after 5pm, at the weekend)
Non-emergency situation
A Designated Safeguarding Officer (DSO) will contact you, either by phone, email or face-to-face. If you meet in person, you can bring along a friend or family member. You can also request to meet a DSO of a specified gender identity. If it’s unsafe to do so, the DSO can meet with you off-campus at an agreed location.
Non-emergency situation
A Designated Safeguarding Officer (DSO) will contact you at the nearest available time i.e. the next day.
Emergency situation
Security will take immediate measures to ensure your safety. They will liaise with a member of Care and Concern if necessary. A member of Care and Concern will contact you at the nearest available time i.e. the next day.
Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
You will only have to talk about what you want to talk about
You will be in control of how much you say. You will not be made to talk about anything you don’t want to and you can decide at any point to end the conversation. The DSO will seek to avoid you having to tell your story over and over again.
You will be able to decide what happens next
You will decide what happens next and remain in control of decision-making as much as possible. The DSO will respect your decision.
Decide next steps
The Designated Safeguarding Officer will talk through your options and support you to make a decision that is right for you. The Care and Concern procedure is student-centred – focused on empowering you to decide what happens next and only carrying out actions, where possible, with your consent. When appropriate and with consent, they will work with other areas of the University and externally (e.g. with the police and NHS).
You will be asked appropriate questions
The DSO will ask general questions to find out enough information to ascertain what the next steps could be and to check that you’re not in any immediate danger. They won’t ask questions to investigate or interrogate or probe.
You will be given space and time
The DSO will know that you may be feeling overwhelmed and so won’t rush you or force you to have to decide to do anything now. You can have as long as you need. You can speak to a DSO as many times as you want.
The upmost importance will be given to your confidentiality
The conversation is completely private. The DSO will ask for your permission if they wish to share any information. The DSO will only share information in exceptional circumstances where for example somebody is in immediate danger.
You will be listened to and treated with dignity and respect
The DSO will believe you, they won’t judge you or blame you. They won’t challenge your story. They will be senstive and supportive.
Action-interventions
The Care and Concern team will discuss what they can do to support you, including immediate actions and longer-term interventions. You will be at the centre of the actions taken by the Care and Concern team which will prioritise your safety, and the safety of university staff and students. They are also committed to helping ensure that you can continue to study and enjoy university life. You will be included in the decision-making process, where possible, and actions will only be taken with your consent, wherever possible. As the Care and Concern team provides support, you will be assigned a key worker or/and the Designated Safeguarding Officer who you first made contact with will act as your main point of contact.
Ensuring your safety
The DSO will discuss if you feel safe on campus and safe to go home and, if not, what the University can do to make you feel safe. They can take actions to ensure your safety and manage any immediate risk of harm. Actions could include paying for a taxi to get you home safely, sorting out alternative accommodation or liaising with Security on your behalf to establish safe spaces around campus where you can go if you’re feeling threatened.
Reporting to the police
The DSO can help you decide whether or not to report to the police and they can make a report on your behalf. The Care and Concern team can provide continued support throughout a police investigation.
Reporting to the University
The DSO can help you decide whether or not to report to the university. They can initiate the reporting process by contacting the Student and Legal Affairs Casework team on your behalf.
Accessing support
The DSO will help you access support services, for example to book an appointment on your behalf. They can also take action to help put in place measures to minimise the effect on your studies and university life.
Referral to the Care and Concern team
The DSO may wish to contact the Care and Concern team to help put further support in place. You will be asked permission (consent) before a referral is made. If you don’t wish for your case to be referred on, then it won’t unless there is a significant risk of future harm to somebody.