If you experience harassment, hate or sexual violence on an NHS clinical placement

Overview

We recognise that students undertaking clinical placements in the NHS may unfortunately experience concerning behaviour, such as harassment, hate or sexual violence while in placement settings.

This can be distressing and isolating, particularly when it occurs in a professional or hierarchical environment, where concerns about progression or assessment can make the decision to come forward to seek support more difficult. 

These behaviours are not acceptable, whether they come from:

• NHS staff
• Other students
• Patients or service users
• Anyone else you encounter while on placement

The University is committed to creating learning environments where all students feel safe, respected and supported, including while undertaking clinical placements. 

We recognise that addressing harassment and sexual violence requires ongoing action, and we’re committed to preventing these behaviours, responding appropriately when concerns are raised, and ensuring students know where they can access support. 

We were one of the first Universities in the country to sign the NHS Sexual Safety Charter and continue to prioritise sexual safety alongside our wider commitment to tackling harassment and hate. 

Sharing concerns relating to an incident on a clinical placement

You can share (disclose) what you’ve experienced and access support from the University regardless of whether you choose to take forward a report to the NHS, the University, or the police, using  Report + Support.

You can choose whether or not to name the reported party, however if you’d like to access support, but are unsure whether you’d like to take forward a report, we would encourage you not to include the details of the reported party in your disclosure at this stage. 

This is especially important if your disclosure names another student on a professionally accredited course or a medical professional working within the NHS, as it is likely that this information will need to be shared with their academic school and/or with the relevant NHS Trust or service provider.  

Information may need to be shared to ensure that appropriate risk assessments and action can be considered in order to safeguard you and other students, patients and/or NHS staff. Where possible, we would always seek to discuss this with you before sharing the information and it would only be shared on a need to know basis, with as few individuals as possible. 

Further information about confidentiality and information sharing. 

Taking forward a report relating to an incident on a clinical placement

You can use any combination of the following options to report your experience. 

1. Reporting to the placement provider

NHS Trusts and placement providers have their own policies for managing concerns, including:

• dignity at work policies
• raising concerns or incident reporting procedures

As a student, if you make a report to an NHS Trust or placement provider about behaviour you have experienced while on placement, the University (via your academic school) would ordinarily be made aware of this. This information would only be shared on a need to know basis, in order to consider any ongoing risks to you and/or others and to ensure you’re able to access appropriate support from the University.

The University can help you to understand what to expect from these processes.

2. Disclosing and/or reporting to the University

You can disclose your experience to the University via Report + Support so that we can  help you to access wellbeing and academic support, guidance around safety planning and information about reporting options.  

These options can be discussed with staff in our Safeguarding and Welfare team or where related to sexual violence/harassment, with  a University Sexual Violence Support Officer (SVSO).

If you decide to take forward a report to the University, we can:

• liaise with the placement provider 
• make temporary adjustments to placement arrangements to manage risk
• arrange alternative placement options (where possible)
• discuss safety planning
• consider wider risk implications and ensure safeguarding and risk management procedures are followed
• provide support with Extenuating Circumstances if assessments have been affected

Further information about making a report to the University 

3. Reporting to the police

You can choose to report to the police. 

Further information about how to report to the police