Steps to take immediately:
Are you in immediate danger? If you are in immediate danger or seriously injured on campus (including University Residences) you can call the University Security Service on 0114 222 4444. If you are off campus, contact the Emergency Services on 999.
Find a safe space. If an incident has just happened try and find somewhere you feel safe. If this isn't possible and you are scared or fearful you can call the University Security Service on 0114 222 4444 or the Emergency services on 999.
If you need to get home or somewhere else safely, you can use the Safe Taxi Scheme.
If the abuse involves someone under the age of 16 or they are otherwise classed as a vulnerable person, the abuse should be reported to the University Control Room on 0114 222 4085.
Support for students
Talk to a friend or family member: Talking things through with someone you trust can sometimes help.
Central Welfare and Guidance: If you are a student, you can speak to a member of the University’s Central Welfare and Guidance team. We can help you to go through your options, including reporting the incident to the police, to the University, or to just access support both within and beyond the University without making a formal complaint. To speak to a member of the team, please report with personal details via Report and Support and you will be contacted to arrange an appointment.
Independent specialist support: There are a large number of support services you can call or visit who you can talk with about what has happened to you - see other sources of support below.
Other sources of support
Domestic Abuse Helplines
Sheffield Specific Helpline: 0808 808 2241 FREE (Monday – Friday 8:00am – 8:00pm, Saturday – 9:00am – 5:00pm, not open bank holidays)
The National Domestic Violence helpline: 0808 2000 247 open 24/7 and can be anonymous.
Sheffield Domestic Abuse Support Services: Providing impartial advice and support to victims of domestic abuse and working in partnership with multiple agencies with the aim of increasing safety.
Your GP. If you want to speak to a medical professional and you are registered with the University Health Service you can book an appointment on: 0114 222 2100. If you are registered with another GP you should contact them in your usual way to make an appointment.
Making a Report
Reporting to the police (please call 999 for emergencies and 101 for non-emergencies).
For non emergency situations, if you would like to discuss this with a staff member in advance of reporting to the police, please disclose with your personal details via Report and Support, so that an appointment can be made for you with a member of staff from the Central Welfare and Guidance Team.
Reporting the incident anonymously to the Police. You can report online to Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555 111.
Report + Support: You can disclose an incident to the University anonymously or with your personal details using the University’s Report + Support site.
If you choose to disclose anonymously we will not be able to offer direct advice and are unlikely to begin any formal processes.
If you disclose using your contact details, a member of staff from the University’s Central Welfare and Guidance team will contact you to discuss the support and reporting options available to you. We can also help you to access specialist external support organisations. Male and female advisors are available.
University disciplinary processes. A Sexual Violence Liaison Officer can help you to make a report to the Student Conduct and Appeals Team (if you are making a report against another student) or to Human Resources if your report relates to a member of University staff.
If you choose to name a member of staff or a student in your disclosure, there are procedures which set out the actions the University may take, this could include initiating an investigation.
When you report an allegation of misconduct by another student to the University, we have a dedicated team who will consider your allegation and liaise with you regarding next steps. It is likely that you will be invited to meet with one of the team to discuss your case in detail to establish the details of the incident/behaviour you wish to report. We do this using student regulations and policies such as the Disciplinary Regulations for students and the Student Anti-Harassment Policy and Procedure.
The full range of possible sanctions is available in section 16 of the Regulations as to the Discipline of Students.
Similarly if you report an allegation of misconduct by a member of University staff, Human Resources (HR) will take a lead on investigating your report. It is likely that as a first step you will be invited to meet with them to discuss your case and to establish the details of the incident/behaviour before an investigation is initiated.
It’s important to be aware that University investigations are limited to investigating ‘misconduct’, only the Police are able to investigate from a criminal perspective.