What support is available at university if I’ve been victim of a hate incident and/or hate crime?
If you have been subjected to a hate incident or hate crime of any kind at any point in your life, what happened was not your fault and there is support available.
If you know someone who has been subjected discrimination, you can support them by sharing the information below and supporting their decisions about what to do next.
Support – if you are looking for…
Support at the University of Law: ULaw has a team of trained Safe Inclusive Campus advisors who can help you understand and access your options for support and reporting discrimination and any other unacceptable behaviours. Your advisor can help you access all the options below. You can access support from an advisor by sharing some information here.
Who offers hate incident and/or hate crime support at the University of Law?
Support is provided by Safe Inclusive Campus advisors, who have developed knowledge and specialist skills to identify risk and support the needs of students and staff who have been subject to a hate incident and/or hate crime. Safe Inclusive Campus advisors are not investigators but can support students and staff alongside university procedures.
This service is confidential, meaning you do not need to provide full disclosure of the incident to receive support and Safe Inclusive Campus advisors’ notes are confidential and shared only on a need-to-know basis.
In rare circumstances, confidentiality may need to be broken if: there is a risk of harm to you or others; there is a safeguarding concern (e.g. involving a child or adult at risk); or when the police or courts order notes to be provided in criminal investigations.
For students, the University’s partnership with Spectrum Life offers confidential counselling support. Students can also access Togetherall. The service has an active forum with round-the-clock support from trained professionals. You can talk anonymously to other members and take part in group or 1-to-1 therapy with therapists. The University of Law Students' Union can also offer advice and guidance.
For staff, more information and access to support is available through the Benefits and Wellbeing Hub. Support is also available through People and Organisational Development.
External sources of support
- You can check with Citizens Advice if you’ve experienced a hate crime or hate incident
- Victim Support is an independent charity dedicated to supporting victims of crime and traumatic incidents in England and Wales
- Mind has information on some of the experiences that may impact the mental health of people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic students' mental health and how to find support.
- Friends, Families and Travellers works to end racism and discrimination against Gypsy, Roma and Traveller people and to protect the right to pursue a nomadic way of life. They support individuals and families with the issues that matter most to them, at the same time as working to transform systems and institutions to address the root causes of inequalities faced by Gypsy, Roma and Traveller people.
- Stop Hate UK provide a free, independent 24/7 hate crime reporting helpline
- TELL MAMA supports victims of anti-Muslim hate and is a public service which also measures and monitors anti-Muslim incidents.
- Community Security Trust’s (CST) Student Helpline is the dedicated service for anyone over 18 who witnesses or experiences antisemitism in higher education.
- Galop (anti-LGBTQ+ hate crime) support LGBT+ people who have experienced abuse and violence
- The Equality Advisory Support Service discrimination helpline is for people who think they may have experienced discrimination. The service aims to support you if you're referred from local organisations. You can call the helpline directly, but it's best if you go to an advice organisation first. They can then make contact with the service on your behalf.
Reporting
The police and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) take all hate incidents and hate crime very seriously. All police forces would want you to report any experience of hate incidents and/or crimes - you can report online, 101 in non-emergency cases or 999 in emergency situations. The CPS have more useful information here.
If you would like to report to the University of Law, this is something more than making a disclosure which you can do to a member of staff to access support. Reporting means sharing your information for the purpose of a disciplinary decision being made and punitive action being taken.
The Dignity and Work and Study Policy outlines the university’s approach to all unacceptable behaviours. There are formal and informal reporting routes which can be taken, and more information and support through these procedures can be provided by a university Safe Inclusive Campus advisor.