At UCA, we care about your safety – so if you or someone you know are being subjected to any kind of abuse or neglect, or have been exposed to other dangers, such as radicalisation, honour-based violence, grooming or bullying and harassment, we want to help as best we can.
Whatever the issue, we have procedures in place and a team of people throughout the University who can help. So if you have a concern, it’s important you share that with us.
Reporting a concern
First and foremost, confiding in someone about your own situation - or a concern you may have about a friend or classmate - isn’t easy at all, and we appreciate the effort and courage it can take to speak to someone. However, we cannot stress enough how important it is that you do share your concerns – especially if you, or someone you know, is in danger.
Please talk to one of the following people as soon as you are able to:
- One of your tutors, lecturers, or your Programme Director
- Staff at Gateway Services
- A First Response Officer, Lead Designated Person, or designated person for safeguarding. You’ll find details on who these are in Appendix 1 of our safeguarding policy.
Whatever your concerns or circumstances, you’ll be listened to, and your worries will be taken seriously. While they will be treated in confidence, this is not the same as keeping them secret, and we may need to speak to other people, including outside agencies, if we feel the risk is high enough.
Getting support
If you need any support yourself, UCA has services available, including our counselling service – so please don’t feel like you have to cope alone. We are here to help.
You can also make use of these confidential services if you feel you need to:
- Childline – www.childline.org.uk
- NSPCC – NSPCC.org.uk
- Anti-terrorist hotline – 0800 789 321