1. What is Safeguarding?
Safeguarding means “Preventing harm to people… it means taking all reasonable steps to prevent sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment (SEAH) from occurring; to protect people, especially vulnerable adults and children, from that harm; and to respond appropriately when harm does occur.” (Safeguarding Resource and Support Hub n.d.)
Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) recognises its duty of care in safeguarding and protecting beneficiaries, research participants, patients and communities with whom we have direct and indirect contact through our work, and in protecting staff, students, volunteers, collaborative partners and other representatives. Safeguarding includes the protection and prevention of harassment and sexual misconduct in students (OfS 2024) including that which occurs in any intimate personal relationships with staff.
An intimate personal relationship between a staff member and a student raises questions of potential abuse of power, conflict of interest, of trust and confidence in working relationships and of equal treatment in teaching, learning, supervision, selection, assessment, research and pastoral support.
LSTM strongly discourages ‘intimate personal relationships’ between staff members and students. This means a relationship that involves one or more of the following elements:
- physical intimacy including isolated or repeated sexual activity; or
- romantic or emotional intimacy.
LSTM acknowledges that as a post-graduate Higher Education institution, students are over the age of 18 and that there may be times where relationships develop between staff members and students, that may be romantic or sexual in nature. LSTM has a duty of care to ensure that abuses of power do not occur.
In the event of physical intimacy, or romantic/emotional intimacy or relationship, staff members and students should be transparent and declare this as soon as possible via the declaration process. For the full guidance on intimate personal relationships, and making a declaration, please refer to the LSTM Relationship Policy – Staff and Students.
LSTM has several policy documents that relate to safeguarding and protection. You can find all the overarching information regarding harassment and sexual misconduct in the Safeguarding Students Policy, but other useful policies are also listed below.
2. Raising concerns
A range of different mechanisms are provided at LSTM so that staff and students, research partners, research participants and members of the community are able to raise concerns, including in person, or online. The easiest way for staff and students to raise concerns about harm or abuse is by reporting them using LSTM’s confidential reporting system: VAULT
Whilst it is possible to raise concerns on VAULT anonymously, (and a person can reply to you anonymously through the system, even though we don’t know who you are), we encourage and support all staff and students to raise concerns personally wherever possible, as we may not be able to fully investigate anonymous concerns.
You don’t have to be personally affected to report. If you witnessed something, heard something, or are worried about something or someone, you can raise a concern.
You can also contact the Educational Safeguarding Lead, Student Experience & Wellbeing Team: studentlife@lstmed.ac.uk, an Educational Safeguarding Focal Point, or Dignity & Respect Champion about your concern. This can be by phone, email or in person. (Please see link below for list of focal points and champions).
If you don’t want to contact someone in the Faculty of Education, you can contact LSTM’s Designated Safeguarding Lead in person, by phone or by email at: safeguarding@lstmed.ac.uk
3. Overcoming barriers to reporting
LSTM recognise that there are barriers for staff and students in reporting concerns. These include:
- Lack of awareness: Individuals may not know what constitutes a concern, or how to report.
- Fear of repercussions: Concerns about finishing studies, job security, consequences of reporting.
- Cultural barriers: Cultural differences on what constitutes sexual harassment between different communities and genders.
- Personal factors: Reluctance to report because of concerns on causing disruption, getting through studies and personal safety.
- Lack of confidence: Feeling that you may not have enough evidence, worried about the outcomes of reporting.
In order to overcome these barriers, LSTM has developed:
- A range of training and awareness raising for staff and students
- Clear policies and procedures
- An open reporting culture, with clear and accessible reporting methods (including anonymous reporting)
- Support and guidance on reporting through organisational champions and focal points
- Prompt and effective response to concerns raised
- Leadership commitment to safeguarding and preventing SEAH.
4. Support for students
Students can access appropriate support when they wish to raise concerns or complaints, or if they are cited as a subject of a complaint. This support is available whether or not a formal report is made.
Support is available to students who have alleged and/or experienced harassment or sexual misconduct, whether or not the incident has occurred on LSTM’s premises or during/in connection with a student’s registration.
There are several people at LSTM who can provide support to students; depending on the type of issue you want to raise, or the type of support you need:
- Safeguarding Focal Points or Leads
- Dignity and Respect Champions
- Educational Supervisors
- Line Managers and PIs
- HR staff
- Educational Staff
5. Survivor centred approach
A survivor-centred approach means ensuring that the complainant's rights are always considered. It means placing the complainant at the centre of decisions and processes that involve them. This means respecting their voices and choices.
It also means ensuring that prevention and response are non-discriminatory and that they respect and prioritise the rights, needs and wishes of survivors, including groups that are particularly at risk or may be specifically targeted for sexual exploitation, abuse or harassment. It includes:
- Ensuring confidentiality, safety, respect and non-discrimination of the complainant
- Keeping people informed about what is happening during any investigation
- Identifying who is best able to provide support for recovery, this may include local external agencies
- Ensuring that all staff and students who are the subject of complaints receive appropriate support and are referred to relevant services as necessary.
6. Investigation process
After you report a concern:
- We will listen/read the concern carefully
- We may contact you for more information, (we can speak to you anonymously through the VAULT system, even if we don’t know who you are)
- We will review the matter within 5 working days and let you know how we will proceed
- In accordance with our policies/code of conduct, if appropriate, there will be a detailed investigation.
Please refer to: Disciplinary Policy (for staff) or Student Disciplinary Code (for students)
- In the case of complaints relating to LSTM staff, a Commissioning Panel will be convened and if appropriate, they will appoint Internal or External Investigator(s).
- In the case of LSTM students, an Investigating Officer will be appointed by the PVC of Education or their nominee
- There will be a nominated HR or Faculty of Education representative to support the process.
Principles of an Investigation
Investigations should:
- Do no harm: The cross-cutting ethical principle of all investigation processes
- Be survivor-centred: Based on principles of safety, confidentiality, respect and non-discrimination
- Be transparent and fair: Due process must be followed, must be fact-based and impartial
- Be professional: Follow best practice standards for investigation
- Be structured: Be thorough and focused and carried out diligently.
Purpose of an investigation
- Establish the facts relating to alleged misconduct and to identify whether there may be a disciplinary case for the staff member or student to answer
- The format of the investigation will be determined by the nature of the allegations and will vary from case to case. Investigations can involve:
- Interviewing people
- Taking statements
- Reviewing relevant documents and digital evidence
- Reviewing evidence such as staff rosters or door access data
- Reviewing CCTV footage or photos
- Reviewing text messages, phone records and emails
- The investigation will be completed as quickly and thoroughly as possible
- Support will be provided for all parties throughout the process
- We will seek to learn lessons following any incidents
- We may make referrals to other agencies, e.g. counselling services, social services, local voluntary organisations, legal services, or the police.
7. Treatment and handling of information
- Information will be handled sensitively and used fairly in practice
- Information will be collected sensitively and treated with appropriate confidentiality, irrespective of the mechanism used to report or disclose information (e.g., in person or online)
- Information will be handled on the basis set out in data protection legislation
- Staff and students will understand how information they disclose may be used, for example during a disciplinary process for a student or a member of staff
- We will not use non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) or confidentiality clauses that prevent members of the LSTM community from speaking out about harassment or other unacceptable behaviour. We wish to ensure that all our colleagues and students are safe and supported and would consider the use of confidentiality clauses in such circumstances to be wholly unacceptable.