Support services for staff and workers

University support

• The University mediation service provides an informal, confidential and independent process to support those wishing to resolve disagreements and rebuild working relationships. Two impartial third parties (mediators) help two people in dispute to attempt to reach an agreement and find a mutually acceptable resolution. The process normally takes around a day, including a preliminary meeting with each party. The University can also offer shorter facilitated discussions. Facilitated discussions follow the same principles and format as mediation but the two parties are supported in a 2 – 3 hour meeting where they can discuss the issue and find a way forward together.

Provided both parties wish to participate, a request for mediation or a facilitated conversation can be made to the Mediation Service directly by you or the other party, or through a referral from your line manager, the person or team responsible for HR in your area, or your HR Schools Team.

• Dignity at Work Contacts are a group of trained volunteers from across the University who may be employees in any staff group and in any institution. These volunteers are responsible for providing confidential support to those who have experienced inappropriate behaviour and those who have behaved inappropriately. If you would like to talk confidentially to a Dignity at Work Contact, you should email dignitycontacts@admin.cam.ac.uk with your name and contact details. 
• Talking confidentially to a member of one of the University’s Diversity Networks may also be helpful, particularly if the inappropriate behaviour is perceived to be microaggressions, harassment or discrimination due to a protected characteristic.
• The University has the following internal and external services to help you with your mental and physical wellbeing:
  • the University Staff Counselling Service (staff service)
  • the University Occupational Health Service
  • Qwell (an online counselling and wellbeing platform).

• Trade Unions are also a source of guidance for individuals experiencing inappropriate behaviour and can directly support members in the process of resolving these issues.

External support

• The Samaritans - general support line for anyone to talk to at any time
• Cambridge Rape Crisis - Cambridge support service for women and girls who have experienced rape and sexual violence
• The Elms SARC - the regional Sexual Assault Referral Centre
• Survivors UK - national organisation focusing on male rape and sexual abuse
• Women’s Aid - Cambridge support service for women who have been subjected to intimate partner violence
• ManKind - national organisation providing support to men who have been subjected to intimate partner violence
• Galop - national organisation providing support for all LGBT+ people who've experienced hate crime, domestic abuse or sexual violence
• Paladin - national stalking advocacy service – supporting anyone who has been subjected to harassment and stalking
• Equality Advisory Support Service: Do you need advice
• Stop Hate UK: Hate Crime Campaign Materials
• Disability Rights UK: Let's Stop Disability Hate Crime
• TellMAMA (Measuring Anti-Muslim attacks): Resources to counter Islamaphobia
• Stonewall (campaigning for lesbian, gay, bi and trans equality): Hate crime information
• Mind in Cambridgeshire - support for better mental health and lifeline help for emotional or mental health crisis.
• CPFT Psychological Wellbeing Service - service enabling access (including self-referral) to NHS psychological services or talking therapies in Cambridgeshire

Finding out your options for reporting

Get advice

Talk to someone in confidence. They can listen to you, help you think about what you want to do next, and who might be best to approach to help you with that. There is a range of people in the University with whom you can talk in confidence around the informal and formal options available to you. This includes:

For staff:

• the person responsible for HR in your area or local HR team
• your line manager (if you have one)
• your central HR Schools team
• a Dignity at Work contact
• a trade union representative

Report the behaviour to the University

Sometimes you will need to report the matter formally because the incident is serious, is part of an ongoing pattern of inappropriate behaviour, or other attempts to stop the behaviour have been unsuccessful. Allegations of inappropriate behaviour should always be taken seriously and action taken as quickly as possible to stop it. If you are a member of staff, you can report to your line manager, the person or team responsible for HR in your area, or your central HR Schools team. If you choose to make a formal complaint to the University about a student or member of staff, there are procedures setting out the steps that you'll need to follow. 

The anonymous reporting tool enables anyone who is or has been a student, staff or visitor to the University to anonymously report inappropriate behaviour from staff, students or members of the community, including harassment, bullying, discrimination and sexual misconduct. 

The University also has a Safeguarding Statement, which sets out what everyone can expect when they report safeguarding matters to the University and the correct avenues to report more general safeguarding matters.