Making a report about a staff member
It's important that students are aware of their reporting options, both with the police and, if the perpetrator is also a member of the Keele community, the University. Our support teams can provide students with information and guidance to help them make an informed decision. The guidance below relates to reports of sexual violence, misconduct or harassment where the alleged perpetrator is a staff member at the University.
If you have experienced sexual violence, domestic abuse or harassment, you can access support from a range of specialist teams within the University, including our Sexual Violence Liaison Officers and Domestic Abuse Liaison Officers. These teams can provide advice and support, facilitate referrals to additional services (with your consent), and help you to explore your reporting options if this is something you would like to do.
You might decide not to make a formal report about the incident. This is completely your decision, and you can access support from the University regardless of whether you choose to make a formal report or not.
You can find information below about how to make a report to the University against a staff member and what to expect after you've submitted a report. Please note that students also have the right to report any instances of sexual violence, misconduct or harassment to the police.
You can find a downloadable PDF copy of our full guidance document below. You can read and download the full statement, or take a look at the FAQs below. Please note, if you choose to download, this will save a copy to your device.
If you have any questions or would like to speak to someone about the investigation procedures or support available, please contact hr.support@keele.ac.uk or studnet.services@keele.ac.uk for further guidance.
Making a report of sexual violence or harassment to the University against a staff member (243 KB)
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Students, witnesses or anyone with concerns wishing to report unacceptable behaviour of a University staff member (including believed breaches of our personal relationships policy) can make a formal report to the University by any of the following routes:
- You can make a report via the Report + Support platform - ideally, we would prefer reporting students to provide their contact details as part of their report to allow us to offer support and investigate further, but it is possible to make an anonymous report within the portal.
- You can contact Student Services for advice and guidance at student.services@keele.ac.uk or on 01782 734481. You may also want to speak with one of our specialist support teams, such as Student Experience and Support or our Sexual Violence Liaison Officer (SVLO) team.
- You can also contact Human Resources for advice and guidance at hr.support@keele.ac.uk or on 01782 731816.
Please note that Student Services and Human Resources operate during University working hours. Outside of working hours, students can access support 24/7 from the Campus Safety Team.
If you choose to disclose an instance of harassment or sexual misconduct anonymously via the online Report + Support platform, information received can be investigated, but we may be limited in actions we can take due to the anonymity of the report. Anonymised information will help the University understand patterns in behaviour, assess trends and inform priorities and activities, including areas where interventions may be appropriate.
It's important to note that a disclosure or report does not create a formal complaint and it is not an instruction for the University to take action. The person who has disclosed will have the opportunity to be heard and consider options before proceeding with any further steps.
The University reserves the right to investigate any allegations made against a staff member if it is felt there is a risk to the University or members of our community.
Where a case has also been reported to the police, it's likely that the University may need to suspend any internal investigation until any criminal case is concluded.
There may be circumstance where it is necessary to inform the police because there is ongoing risk to their safety or the safety of others, a risk to those who are vulnerable, or a safeguarding concern.
In most cases it is likely that a full investigation will be required. An investigating officer would be assigned to the case. They would be an independent representative of the University with sufficient seniority and relevant training to undertake the role of investigating officer.
The investigating officer will determine the allegations to be investigated, drawn from the detail of the complaint and the reported staff member will be informed of the allegation(s) and investigation. The investigating officer will review the content of the complaint and determine the scope of the investigation and how information can be gathered to investigate the complaint and this will be informed by the complexity of the case. An internal investigation will focus on whether a breach of university policy has occurred and would not be a criminal investigation.
It is likely that the investigating officer will wish to speak to the reporting party early in this process in order to ensure they understand the complaint in full and gather information about the reported incident(s), before proceeding with an investigation. From information received, the investigating officer will determine what further enquiry is appropriate. This may include, but not be limited to, speaking to witnesses to the alleged event, reviewing any evidence provided and also speaking with the reported party.
The investigating officer will then contact the reporting student and advise on the decision taken at this stage and next steps.
If there is a case to answer, a formal disciplinary hearing will be convened in accordance with the relevant University Staff Disciplinary and Appeals Policy.
At the hearing the investigating officer will present the case and the reported party will be provided with an opportunity to respond. Witnesses may be called to the hearing to present evidence, by either the investigating officer, hearing manager, or staff member. Any witnesses will be notified in advance and be provided with details of what to expect. Any student witnesses will be able to be accompanied by a member of the Keele Community (a current member of staff or current student). The reporting student will not always be required to attend and would not be compelled to attend.
Following presentation of the case and consideration of all available information, the hearing manager will determine the outcome in accordance with University policy.
Full details of the investigation process can be found in the information document above.
Students are encouraged to engage with support to ensure that appropriate wellbeing and academic support can be implemented. Students can access support from their Student Experience and Support Officer within Student Services.
If you have experienced sexual violence, domestic abuse or harassment, you can also access support from a range of specialist teams within the University, including our Sexual Violence Liaison Officers and Domestic Abuse Liaison Officers. These teams can provide advice and support, facilitate referrals to additional services (with your consent), and help you to explore your reporting options if this is something you would like to do.
Students may wish to get independent advice and support outside of the University. The Advice and Support at KeeleSU (ASK) team is independent from the University and students are able to self-refer for support from the team.
Separate support will be provided to staff members against whom an allegation is made. This will be a separate internal provision through their line manager, Human Resources team, access to Occupational Health or Employee Assistance Programme.
The University aims to complete any investigation within 90 days, but unfortunately occasionally these cases can often take longer. There are many reasons for this, including the sensitive nature and complexity of these investigations.
The reporting student will receive regular updates from the investigating officer and any expected or unexpected delays will be communicated to the reporting student.
After the investigation and hearing processes have concluded, the reporting student will be informed if their complaint has been upheld or not within two weeks of the decision.
The range of possible outcomes of a formal disciplinary meeting are documented in the University’s Staff Disciplinary and Appeals Procedures.
Information will be shared with the reporting student to minimise any adverse effects of not knowing the outcome of the matter and likely future interactions with the staff member. There may be limits to the information the University is able to share.
The decision maker will consider whether there are others affected by the decisions that need to be identified and informed. This will be reviewed on a case by case basis, and any information shared will be restricted and shared purely on an essential and-need to-know basis.
If the staff member (whom the complaint has been made against) leaves the University’s employment, there are limitations to the actions that the University can take, and it may not be possible to achieve a case outcome. The University will aim to take appropriate measures where feasible.
Information received or obtained by the University will be handled sensitively and used fairly for the purposes of supporting the people involved or taking appropriate action to investigate and address concerns. Information will not be disclosed to others unless there is robust and justifiable reason.
Throughout all proceedings, the University will act in compliance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Data Protection Act (2018).
In exceptional circumstances, including where a risk assessment finds that there is a risk of harm to a child or adult at risk, and/or a serious risk of harm to the reporting party and/or the wider community, the University may be bound by law to report the incident to a relevant external authority. Please see the University Safeguarding Policy and Privacy Notices for more information.
The standards of behaviour and expectations of staff members are outlined in the University’s values and behaviours framework and policies listed below:
