Harassment and sexual misconduct听
At 秋霞福利一区 London, we are committed to maintaining a learning environment characterised by respect, equality, and inclusivity. Our values of fairness, respect, equality, diversity, inclusion, and engagement underpin everything we do. We believe that everyone has the right to learn and work in an environment free from sexual misconduct and harassment, and all allegations of these will be taken extremely seriously.
This page outlines the College鈥檚 policies and procedures on harassment and sexual misconduct. It includes how a student can make a disclosure, how they are investigated, the support available and how the College will ensure students are aware of this support. This page is the single comprehensive source of information required by the Office for Students ().
What is harassment and sexual misconduct?
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Harassment has the meaning given in section 26 of the Equality Act 2010 and section 1 of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997.鈥疉 person harasses another if they:听i. engage in unwanted conduct related to a relevant protected characteristic, and/or;听ii. engage in unwanted conduct of a sexual nature, and/or;听iii. engage in unwanted conduct of a sexual nature or that is related to gender reassignment or sex (and the individual engaging in such conduct treats the other less favourably because they reject or submit to the conduct);听and the conduct has the purpose or effect of violating the other鈥檚 dignity or creates an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment towards that person.听
In the context of section 26 of the Equality Act 2010, in deciding whether conduct has the effect of violating a person鈥檚 dignity, or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment towards that person, it is necessary to take into account: the perception of the person who is at the receiving end of the conduct; the other circumstances of the case; and whether it is reasonable for the conduct to have that effect. The last point is important because it introduces an element of objectivity into the test. The perception of the person who is at the receiving end of the conduct is not the only relevant consideration in determining whether the conduct amounts to unlawful harassment.听
In the context of section 1 of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, an offence is committed only if the person knows the conduct amounts to harassment of the other, or a reasonable person in possession of the same information would think the course of conduct amounted to harassment of the other person.听
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Sexual misconduct means any unwanted or attempted unwanted conduct of a sexual nature and includes, but is not limited to:听i. sexual harassment;听
ii. sexual assault; and听
iii. rape.听
Reporting harassment and sexual misconduct
All harassment and sexual misconduct must be reported to the College using our safeguarding reporting procedures. Disclosures can be made by emailing [email protected] or in-person to a safeguarding officer. Safeguarding officers can be identified by wearing a purple lanyard. Students can ask at any College reception to speak to a safeguarding officer.
Incidences can be reported anonymously using the Whisper Form 鈥� however students should be aware that the level of investigation the College is able to undertake through this channel is limited due to its anonymity.
If you believe that you or others are at risk and need emergency help, call the Police or Ambulance Service on 999.
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Morley is committed to supporting the wellbeing of our students.听 Our Wellbeing Team can provide short-term in-house support, as well as signpost students to specialist services as needed.听 The Wellbeing Team can be contacted at [email protected].听听
Other support services available are:听
Rape Crisis England & Wales听24/7 Rape & Sexual Abuse Support Line on 0808 500 2222听听
Brook听Advice on sex and consent听听
The Mix听Support for young people in the UK and guidance around sex & relationships听听
GALOP听Advice and support for LGBT+ victims and survivors of abuse and violence.听National helpline – 0800 999 5428鈥�
The Survivors Trust听A national organisation supporting support services in the UK.听Free, confidential helpline available 7 days a week – 鈥�0808 801 0818听
Investigating harassment and sexual misconduct
All disclosures relating to harassment and sexual misconduct will be investigated by experienced members of College staff who have received formal investigation training. The nature of investigations will depend on the nature and complexity of the allegation.
Where a disclosure is substantiated, action under the Student Disciplinary Policy or (log in required) will be considered.
Morley will provide students who raise an allegation with an outcome of the investigation and explanation of the actions being taken further to the outcome, where it is reasonable and practical to do so. Depending on the circumstances it may only be possible to provide limited information.
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Morley will take all reasonable steps to ensure any information disclosed to the College is treated sensitively, however there may be circumstances where we are required to share information internally or with external agencies.听
All personal data is recorded and held in accordance with current data protection legislation and retained in line with the College鈥檚 Data Protection Policy.听
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Morley is committed to ensuring that our students understand what constitutes harassment and sexual misconduct, how to report it, what support is available to them, what consent is and how to intervene effectively.听 During induction week, all new and continuing HE students will undertake mandatory training about these concepts.听 We understand that this training could be triggering to some students, and there will be the option to opt out either from all or certain parts of the training.听
Morley is committed to ensuring that our staff understand these concepts and are trained to support students making disclosures.听 All College staff undertake extensive safeguarding training which includes harassment and sexual misconduct, and key staff who are more likely to receive a disclosure or investigate an allegation will undergo additional in-depth training.听听听
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Staff members are strictly prohibited from engaging in any intimate or romantic relationship with students they teach, supervise, assess or otherwise influence academically or in their professional capacity.听
Any pre-existing relationships that began before either the staff member took on their role, or before the student enrolled with the College are permitted. However, these must be declared to People Operations and the staff member鈥檚 line manager and will be managed to ensure no conflicts of interest and to prevent the abuse of power.听
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秋霞福利一区 London has never used a non-disclosure agreement in relation to a student allegation of harassment and sexual misconduct and following the prohibition of these by the Office for Students since September 2024, will never use one.听
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All of our policies and procedures are reviewed regularly to ensure ongoing operational responsiveness and strategic relevance.听 The following policies are relevant to this topic:听
* Student Code of Conduct听
* Student Disciplinary Policy and Procedure听
* HE Complaints Policy and Procedure听
* Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Statement听
* Safeguarding Policy and Procedure
Morley maintains academic partnerships with several HE institutions:听听
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July 2025 鈥� publication of this page.听
