Make a complaint

I want to make a complaint about sexually harmful behaviour.

Please see further information about the different options available as part of the complaint process in this section. Our staff will work with you to understand how you would like your complaint to be managed.

Types of process

You may wish to request to have your complaint raised directly with the person. The process to resolve the complaint can take many forms depending on what you are comfortable doing. Some processes require the agreement of the person who you are complaining about and could include:

• trained staff meeting directly with the person to raise concerns on your behalf
• a shuttled conference where someone raises issues on your behalf and goes between yourself and the other person to try and resolve the issue
• a written restorative approach where both parties are given the opportunity to communicate in writing
• a restorative process where a trained facilitator helps you work through what happened what the impact has been on you and what can be done to repair and restore the relationship
• another process that suits your cultural or spiritual needs.

There is no formal investigation in these individually planned processes and the outcome requires the agreement of both parties.

The information provided in these processes will be retained by the Student Interest and Conflict Resolution team. The information will be treated confidentially.

Further action will not be taken without your consent unless there is a serious and imminent risk to you or someone else.

If there are concerns about risk of harm, or other significant concerns about health and safety, we may be required to communicate or seek advice with external specialists or external stakeholders or take other actions to protect you or others.

Wherever possible this will be done in a collaborative manner and in consultation with you.

Formal process

Sometimes a formal process which has a potential disciplinary outcome may be the appropriate way to manage your complaint. This requires a written complaint detailing your concerns. If the complaint is about a staff member it will be provided to the staff member’s manager or another senior manager at the University who will determine the appropriate procedure to follow in consultation with the University’s Human Resources team. If the complaint is about a student it will be provided to the relevant decision maker, which could be the Head of School or the Convener of the Disciplinary Committee. They will determine the appropriate procedure in consultation with the Student Interest and Conflict Resolution team.

A copy of your complaint will be provided to the person you are complaining about to allow them to understand the complaint and to respond. You will be contacted by a trained staff member to help you understand the process and to discuss your safety and support needs during the complaint process.

During a formal process, the Student Conduct Statute and General Misconduct Procedure or the Staff Conduct Policy and Guidelines will be followed. You will be informed at the completion of the process whether your complaint has been upheld.

For more information about any of the available processes please contact the Student Interest and Conflict Resolution team.