Sexual misconduct and harassment

Harassment and sexual misconduct are defined in Rose Bruford College’s Sexual Misconduct and Harassment Policy:  

• Harassment is unwanted conduct related to a relevant protected characteristic, which has the purpose or effect of violating an individual’s dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment – as defined in Section 26(1) of the Equality Act 2010 

• Sexual misconduct refers to any unwanted or attempted unwanted conduct of a sexual nature. This includes, but is not limited to, sexual harassment, sexual assault, and rape. It may involve behaviour that disregards boundaries, exploits power dynamics, or undermines consent. It can have legal implications and may breach College policies and codes of conduct. 

Harassment and sexual misconduct can occur in a range of contexts, including: 

• Between students 

• Between staff members 

• Between students and staff 

• Involving third parties or visitors to the College 

Our policy applies to incidents that occur: 

• On College premises 

• During College-related activities or events, whether on or off campus 

• Off-campus, if the individuals involved are representing the College or if the incident impacts the safety, wellbeing, or experience of any member of the College community 

Full definitions can be found in the Policy.

Rose Bruford College has dedicated platform, Report a Concern, which students and staff can use to report incidents of bullying, discrimination, harassment, hate crime and sexual misconduct.  

You can choose to report anonymously or share contact details so we can provide further advice and support. We promise to listen carefully and sensitively and take appropriate action where needed. 

We encourage the use of the Report a Concern platform as the first point of contact. This enables timely responses from trained staff, supports informed decision making and allows the College to monitor and respond to disclosures effectively. 

If you do not wish to use Report a Concern, there are other ways to raise a concern. The Sexual Misconduct and Harassment Policy outlines additional reporting options, including reporting in person to any trusted member of staff or via email to the Student Casework Manager at [email protected]. However, we encourage students and staff to use Report a Concern wherever possible to ensure they can access specialist guidance and care. 

If you believe that you or others are in immediate risk and need emergency help, call the Police or Ambulance Service on 999. 

If you’re affected by harassment or sexual misconduct, you don’t have to face it alone. Our Student Life team is here to offer confidential wellbeing and counselling support. 

You can contact them directly to talk through what you’re experiencing, explore your options, and get the help you need at your own pace. 

Visit our Student Life page for more information.  

In addition to the internal support available, students can access specialist advice and help from external organisations. Below is a list of support services that can provide assistance: 

• Sexual Assault Referral Centres – for medical, emotional, and practical support. 

• Rape Crisis England and Wales  

• Survivors UK 

• The Havens (London)  

• Beech House SARC (Kent and Medway) 

The Sexual Misconduct and Harassment Policy defines what harassment and sexual misconduct are and sets out the College’s approach to preventing and addressing harassment and sexual misconduct. 

In terms of how incidents are investigated, the Policy specifies that: 

Allegations of sexual harassment or misconduct involving students will be investigated under the College’s Sexual Harassment and Misconduct Policy with any appropriate sanctions applied under our Student Disciplinary Policy.  

Allegations involving staff will be investigated in accordance with the Disciplinary and Capability Policy. 

We are committed to creating an environment in which individuals feel safe to disclose incidents of sexual harassment or misconduct. Ensuring confidentiality is a key principle in building trust and encouraging reporting.  

All reports will be handled sensitively and confidentially. Information will only be shared with those who need to know to support the individual, assess risk, or take appropriate action 

However, there may be circumstances (e.g. police, social services, or emergency services) where we are required to share information with other agencies or to share information internally.  

Further details about confidentiality and information sharing are provided in our Policy. 

Rose Bruford College will provide the student or staff member who has raised an allegation and the responding party with an outcome of the investigation and/or explanation of the actions taken, or not taken if applicable, where it is reasonable and practical to do so. Depending on the circumstances, we may only be able to provide limited information. 

Our Policy prohibits intimate personal relationships between staff and students where the staff member has direct academic, pastoral, or professional responsibility for the student. 

Where an intimate personal relationship exists or develops between a staff member and a student outside of these responsibilities, the staff member must declare the relationship to the People and Talent department at the earliest opportunity. 

Further information is set out in our Sexual Misconduct and Harassment Policy.

Rose Bruford College does not use non-disclosure agreements or any contractual provisions that prevent or restrict students and staff from disclosing information about incidents of harassment or sexual misconduct. 

Students are required to complete training online and in-person during our Welcome Week. The training will be reviewed and refreshed, where required, annually.  

All staff are required to complete mandatory training.  

At Rose Bruford College, we are committed to taking meaningful and effective steps to protect students from harassment and sexual misconduct. These include: 

• Monitoring and analysing data from our Report a Concern portal to identify trends and areas for improvement 

• Using these insights to strengthen our processes, policies and support systems 

• Listening to feedback from students and staff and using it to shape our training, awareness campaigns and support services 

• Consulting with our Students’ Union on changes to our student policies on harassment and sexual misconduct