ASSESSING EFFECTIVENESS
67. Institutions understand the importance of assessing the effectiveness of policies
to prevent and address harassment, hate crime and sexual violence. Several
universities explained that where they have established their own internal
working groups to understand and tackle such issues – these have often arisen
from an internal review of university policies and data. However, there remains
scope for improvement and for the sharing of case studies and best practice
across the sector. Effective assessment of institutional policies will also be
contingent on having good reporting and recording mechanisms in place.
Without these, it will be difficult to monitor trends and the impact of specific
interventions.
BUILDING EXTERNAL RELATIONSHIPS
68. There are many examples of institutions that have built effective relationships
externally, for example with the police and specialist support services.
69. Whether this is led by the institution, the students’ union or both varies across
the sector. The evidence suggests that a cross-institutional approach is
associated with a more strategic and systematic response to incidents. One
example is the collaboration between the University of Leeds and the local police
which has improved training for staff on specific issues and built trust with the
student body (see case study 8 in Annexe E).
70. The evidence received also highlighted some positive examples of universities
working with specialist agencies to develop and improve policies and procedures
and support for students. An example is Coventry University’s work with the
Coventry Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre to assess and improve the university’s
approach to supporting students who have experience unwanted sexual
incidents (see case study 9 in Annexe E). This involved a range of work including
surveying staff and students to assess the institution’s capacity to respond
effectively to incidents of sexual violence, the development of staff training and
improvements to internal policies and procedures.
SIGNPOSTING STUDENTS TO RELEVANT SUPPORT
71. The evidence also showed that universities have developed different
mechanisms for ensuring students are aware of available support.
72. The University of Sussex has developed an easy-to-use Care Pathway for staff. At
the University of Oxford, a student-led campaign resulted in the development of
a smartphone application First Response for students. This sets out options for
sexual assault victims/survivors (including attending a sexual assault referral
centre or calling the police). Details of both initiatives can be found in case
studies 10 and 11 in Annexe E and provide examples of the types of steps
institutions can take to ensure students are able to access the right support
quickly.
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