About this page
University Centre Leeds is committed to providing a safe and inclusive environment, this includes ensuring that we have policies and procedures in place to handle reports of unacceptable conduct.
All students receive training to ensure they understand behaviour that may constitute harassment and sexual misconduct. The Health and Wellbeing Team can also assist students affected by any incident to access appropriate support.
On This Page
You deserve to feel safe, respected, and supported
Whether something has happened to you, you’ve witnessed concerning behaviour, you’re worried about another student, or you’re simply unsure whether something is a safeguarding concern, we’re here to help.
You don’t need to know exactly what has happened before speaking to us.
Our trained safeguarding team can help you understand your options, explain available support, and help you decide what feels right for you.
Speaking to safeguarding does not mean you have to make a formal complaint.
Our service is non-urgent, and our team is available during office hours only.
If you need immediate support, or it is outside our normal opening hours, please refer to our out of hours support and crisis services information.
1. You contact us
You can contact us by speaking to any member of staff, via the report-it form , or alternatively, you can complete the Health and Wellbeing Team’s Student Support referral form .
2. We meet with you
We have trained and experienced staff who can meet with you in-person or contact you online.
3. We explain your options
We will explain your options. You can still access support without making a formal complaint. If you choose to make a formal complaint, we can advise you on the process as this is handled by the Quality Team.
4. You remain in control
Depending on the situation, you remain in control of what happens next. We will discuss your options with you and respect your wishes wherever possible.
However, there may be occasions where we need to take action to protect you or others in line with our policies and procedures .
Frequently Asked Questions
You don’t need to know whether your situation fits in a particular category before contacting us. Safeguarding can support you with a wide range of concerns, whether they affect you directly, someone you know, or something you’ve witnessed.
You can still speak to us if something has happened before you were a student with us, if it involves someone who is not a student here, and if it has happened off campus.
Yes. You can contact safeguarding simply to ask questions, discuss what has happened, or understand your options. Speaking to us does not mean you have to make a formal complaint.
Safeguarding will also support you when you want to make a formal complaint, for more information regarding this process, please refer to our Misconduct Report Guide.
Understanding Harassment and Sexual Misconduct
Content Note :This section contains information about sexual misconduct, harassment, consent and abusive behaviours. Please take your time and access the information in a way that feels right for you. If you need support at any point, you can contact the Safeguarding Team.
Back to the topQuestions Students Often Ask
Sexual misconduct is any unwanted behaviour of a sexual nature. It can happen in person or online and includes behaviours ranging from unwanted comments to sexual assault.
Harassment is unwanted behaviour that makes someone feel intimidated, humiliated, threatened or offended.
It can happen once or repeatedly, and can take place in person, online, or through someone’s behaviour towards you.
What This Might Look Like
Harassment and sexual misconduct can take many forms.
Not every experience looks the same, and some behaviours can be difficult to recognise. If something has made you feel uncomfortable, unsafe or pressured, you do not need to decide whether it “counts” before speaking to safeguarding.
Verbal Behaviour
Unwanted behaviour of a sexual nature that makes someone feel intimidated, humiliated, offended or unsafe.
This can happen in person or online and can include unwanted compliments, sexual jokes, gestures, inappropriate questions, catcalling, repeated requests for dates after someone has said no, or comments about someone’s appearance that make them feel uncomfortable.
Non-verbal Behaviour
Sexual misconduct isn’t always verbal. Staring, leering, displaying explicit material or sexual imagery, suggestive gestures, or creating an intimidating atmosphere can also be forms of harassment.
Online Behaviour
Unwanted behaviour online can include sending explicit, sexual messages or images, sharing intimate images without consent, cyberflashing, AI-generated sexual images, online stalking, or repeated unwanted contact through social media.
Sexual Assault
Any unwanted sexual touching or sexual activity without consent. Sexual assault is a criminal offence and includes a wide range of behaviours, from unwanted touching to rape.
Pressuring, manipulating, or repeatedly persuading someone into sexual activity is never okay. Consent must always be given freely and can be withdrawn at any time.
Abuse of Power
Sometimes someone may misuse their position of influence or authority to pressure another person into unwanted behaviour or make them feel that opportunities depend on sexual attention or relationships.
Abusive Relationships
Relationships should be based on respect, trust, and consent. If someone is controlling, intimidating, manipulating, or making you feel frightened, this may be an abusive relationship.
Understanding Consent
For consent to be valid:
- ✓ It must be given freely, without pressure, manipulation, or fear
- ✓ A person must have the capacity to make that decision
- ✓ Consent can be withdrawn at any time
- ✓ Previous consent does not mean future consent
- ✓ Silence or the absence of “no” does not mean “yes”
A person cannot consent if they are unconscious, asleep, or unable to make an informed decision because of drugs, alcohol or another reason affecting their capacity.
Questions Students Often Ask
A hate incident is motivated by hostility or prejudice towards a person’s protected characteristic, such as their race, religion, disability, sexual orientation or transgender identity.
Bullying is behaviour that intentionally hurts, intimidates, or undermines another person. It can happen face-to-face, online, or through social exclusion.
What this might look like
Verbal Behaviour and Microaggressions
Insults, shouting, mocking, name-calling, repeated jokes, stereotypes, casual insults or comments about someone’s identity or culture may seem small in isolation but can have a significant impact over time and contribute to a hostile environment.
Online Behaviour
Abusive messages, hateful comments, sharing offensive content, creating fake profiles, exclusion from online groups, or coordinated online abuse are all forms of online harm.
Graffiti and Property Damage
Writing offensive messages, displaying hateful symbols or deliberately damaging someone’s belongings because of who they are can be a hate incident or even a criminal offence.
Stop Hate UK
Free dedicated 24-hour anti-Hate Crime helpline service.
Stop Hate UK Report a Hate CrimeDigital Safety
Including PREVENT
Safeguarding concerns don’t just happen on campus. If an online interaction is affecting your safety, wellbeing or student experience, we’re here to support you.
Questions Students Often Ask
Digital safety means protecting yourself and others while using the internet, social media, messaging apps, gaming platforms, and artificial intelligence (AI).
The digital world offers many opportunities to connect, learn and create, but it can also expose people to harmful behaviours such as online bullying and harassment, radicalisation and extremism, exploitation and image-based abuse.
What this might look like
Image-Based Abuse
Sharing, threatening to share or creating intimate images without someone’s permission, including edited or AI-generated images.
Financial Exploitation
Someone pressuring or manipulating a person into giving them money, taking out loans, sharing bank details or making purchases on their behalf.
Extremism & Radicalisation
Being encouraged or pressured online to adopt harmful extremist views, join groups promoting hatred or violence, or access harmful content designed to manipulate beliefs or behaviour.
PREVENT is a national programme that aims to stop people from becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism.
Exposure to Harmful Content
Participation or finding content that contains extreme forms of violence, sexual content, violent pornography or criminal offences that may cause distress.
What Leeds Conservatoire Does
- ✓ Provides training for all staff on safeguarding concerns, including training regarding harassment and sexual misconduct
- ✓ Supports students to make formal reports and investigates concerns fairly
- ✓ Gives students various options for support ranging from academic, accommodation and funding, disability, and health and wellbeing
- ✓ Works with external agencies and specialist support services
- ✓ Provides the option for anonymous reporting data
Your Responsibilities
- Respect others – treat everyone with dignity
- Respect boundaries – understand consent and personal boundaries
- Think before sharing – consider your behaviours and use of technology responsibly
- Speak up – speak to any member of staff if you have concerns
- Know the policies – understand the expectations you have as a student at Leeds Conservatoire by familiarising yourself with the universities policies
- Complete your training – attend and complete your in-person induction week mandatory training regarding Harassment and Sexual Misconduct
- Help us create a respectful community – if you witness behaviour that doesn’t feel right, and it is safe to do so, consider taking action. Even small actions can make a big difference.
Useful videos to understand the impact and ways you can intervene
Still Unsure?
You don’t have to decide today.
If something has happened and you’re not sure whether it’s a safeguarding concern, get in touch.
