91ÊÓƵ

Support Services

University support teams offer open access appointments  

• The Mandala Project: Can offer you personal support, referrals and academic adjustments during the reporting process if you have reported a sexual misconduct issue to DMU
• Wellbeing Team: University mental health support such as counselling

External Support

You can contact trusted outside organisations such as:

• which is our local Sexual Assault referral centre, other centres can be found on the

Support for Everyone Involved

We support both the person making a report and the person it’s about:

• Reporting students are assigned a contact from The Mandala Project
• Responding students can access wellbeing support and are offered a dedicated case worker
• Everyone involved can bring a companion to formal meetings such as disciplinary panels

Introduction and Purpose

At DMU, every student and apprentice has the right to feel safe and respected. This webpage explains:

• What you can expect from 91ÊÓƵto protect you from harassment and sexual misconduct
• What to do if your experience does not meet those expectations
• Where to get support and independent advice

You can find what to do if you;

• Want to make a report
• Have experienced harassment or sexual misconduct
• Are the subject of a report

DMU's Commitment

91ÊÓƵdoes not tolerate sexual misconduct, harassment, or violence, this is set out in our student and staff regulations. We are committed to:

• Providing a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment
• Making it clear what behaviours are unacceptable
• Supporting anyone affected by sexual misconduct, including those who witness it
• Explaining clearly how you can report concerns in person or online
• Responding to reports fairly, sensitively, and effectively
• Offering both personal and academic support throughout any investigation
• Providing training to help students and staff understand what sexual misconduct is, including what consent means

• Keeping your information private, only sharing when absolutely necessary for safety or legal reasons
• Never using Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) to silence people
• Ensuring freedom of speech within the law, while also protecting you from harassment

Your Privacy

We take confidentiality seriously. Your information will only be shared when:

• You give permission, or
• It’s needed to protect someone or prevent a crime

Only the people who need to know will be told. Inappropriate sharing of information may lead to disciplinary action.

Your Rights

• You can ask for reasonable adjustments if you have a disability
• Translation and language support is available
• You can appeal a decision within 10 working days if:
  • The procedure wasn’t followed properly
  • The outcome was unfair
  • You have new evidence that wasn’t available before

• You can make a complaint about university processes

You will be informed in writing of the outcome. You can appeal within 10 working days if you believe there was a procedural error, the outcome was unreasonable, or new evidence has emerged.

Interim Safety Measures

If someone is at risk, we can take steps to protect students and staff, including:

• Temporary removal from campus
• Changes to accommodation
• Non-contact arrangements
• Support from security and wellbeing services

Each case is handled individually, and we aim to act quickly and fairly.

Any temporary safety actions (like non-contact agreements) are reviewed at least every 4 weeks, or sooner if needed. Students involved will get updates on any changes.

Policy Reviews and Feedback

Keeping Policies Up to Date

• University policies are reviewed at least every 3 years
• The date of the last update will be listed in the policy archive section
• You’ll be able to access the full policy documents from the archive

Our policies will show the following details

Last updated: [Date] | Next review due: [Date]”

Giving Feedback

We welcome feedback on our policies. If you think a policy affects students unfairly, or you have general comments:

Email: scs@dmu.ac.uk

Your feedback will be considered during the next review.

What Counts as Harassment or Sexual Misconduct

Sexual misconduct includes any unwanted sexual behaviour. This could be in person or online and includes:

• Sexual harassment
• Sexual assault
• Rape
• Stalking

Harassment is any unwanted behaviour that:

• Violates someone’s dignity, or
• Creates a hostile, intimidating, degrading, or offensive environment

Online harms can also count as harassment or misconduct. These might include:

• Cyberbullying or online abuse
• Sharing sexual images without consent
• AI-generated sexual images
• Hate speech or threats
• Child sexual exploitation or abuse

Students are reminded to follow the University’s Social Media Policy.

Key Terms

• Reporting Party: the person making a report or experiencing harm
• Responding Party: the person who is the subject of the report

Reporting an incident

In an emergency or to report a crime

If you’re in immediate danger or need urgent assistance, call 999 .

You can report a crime anytime by calling 111

How to report university misconduct

You can report the behaviour of another student or staff member

• Online, annonymously or with details: fill in a short incident report form.
• In person: contact Student Casework Team to arrange an appointment or 91ÊÓƵSecurity are available out of hours

You can also speak to someone you trust or get support from DSU or the Mandala project who can assist you to complete our online form.

What Happens After You Report Misconduct

• A trained Investigating Officer (IO) will look into your report
• You and anyone else involved will be asked to meet with the IO
• Your case will be handled sensitively and fairly
• With your consent you will be referred to The Mandala Project for support. This support will be based on what you need but can include academic adjustments and referrals for services such as counselling.

If you are responding to a report about your behaviour you will also be able to access support from the Wellbeing Team.

What Happens when you report an incident?

• 91ÊÓƵwill do a risk assessment within 2 working days of a full report
• We may take steps to protect individuals involved, like no-contact agreements or temporary suspensions
• An investigating officer will look at all the evidence
• If needed, the case goes to a University Disciplinary Committee. can offer support and advice about this process

Possible Outcomes

These may include:

• A formal warning
• A requirement to take part in training
• Suspension or expulsion
• Non-contact orders
• Being banned from some parts of campus or university activities

If the case involves a staff member, separate staff procedures apply.

Timeframes

• You’ll get a reply from SCS within 5 working days of submitting a report
• If the case goes to a disciplinary hearing, you’ll get 10 working days’ notice
• You’ll normally be told the outcome within 5 working days after the hearing

Your Rights

• You can ask for reasonable adjustments if you have a disability
• Translation and language support is available
• You can appeal a decision within 10 working days if:
  • The procedure wasn’t followed properly
  • The outcome was unfair
  • You have new evidence that wasn’t available before

• You can make a complaint about university processes

You will be informed in writing of the outcome. You can appeal within 10 working days if you believe there was a procedural error, the outcome was unreasonable, or new evidence has emerged

Support Throughout

• Bring a Student’s Companion (a staff member, DSU adviser, or fellow student)
• Legal representatives are not normally allowed, except in Fitness to Practise cases

Prevention and Education

Student Training

All students must complete mandatory online training on:

• What sexual misconduct and harassment are
• Understanding consent – when it is and isn’t given
• What to do if someone tells you about an incident or if you witness one

This training has been developed by the with DSU and is available in the .

Face-to-face sessions are also offered throughout the year to students

Need to be exempt or need adjustments?
Email: themandalaproject@dmu.ac.uk

Staff Training

All staff are required to complete Healthy 91ÊÓƵand Safeguarding essential training. It is also recommended that all staff complete additional online sexual harassment awareness training.

This training helps ensure staff understand:

• What constitutes harassment and sexual misconduct.
• The relevant universities policies and the steps to take if they experience or receive a disclosure of this type of behaviour.

Staff in student facing roles (both professional services and academic) are also required to complete additional training requirements on how to ensure students are safe from harm and supported when they disclose a concern. This includes facilitated workshops on supporting students with disclosures and empowering academic tutors training.

Role specific training for staff is also applicable.

Please contact peopleservices@dmu.ac.uk with any questions about staff training  

Extra Resources and Campaigns

We provide access to extra learning like:

• Consent and bystander awareness training
• Campaigns to raise awareness about respectful behaviour
• No Space for Hate
• Healthy DMU
• Mandala Project