Nathalie - Deputy President (Welfare)

Stay Safe Campaign

Deputy President (Welfare)
Friday 1 October 2021 15:36

Content Warning: Discussions of sexual misconduct and date rape drugs

The mental wellbeing of the Imperial community has suffered after a year spent in isolation. Additionally, many students are expected to face significant difficulties in reconnecting into a larger social sphere; this will especially be the case for students who started university last year at the height of the pandemic. There will be a need for supporting students and staff in recreating a connected and supportive learning environment, whilst also supporting the safety and wellbeing of students as they return to socials and nights out. 

Additionally, the #MeToo movement has highlighted the need for large-scale social and cultural change around consent and sexual violence. In a joint consultation of 4491 students that was run by Revolt Sexual Assault and The Student Room, 70% of female students, 26% of male students, and 61% of non-binary students reported having experienced sexual violence. In total, 62% of all the students in this consultation have experienced sexual violence. Regardless of whether you are a man, a woman, or a gender non-conforming individual, this is a massive issue that is very likely to have a direct impact on you or on someone you care about.  

To acknowledge these challenges, I would like to invite you, the person reading this, to take part in the 2021 Stay Safe Campaign. 

What is the 2021 Stay Safe Campaign? 

The 2021 Stay Safe Campaign is about reintegration of the student community and the provision of a safe and welcoming reintroduction to night life after a year spent in collective isolation. This year, we will have two cohorts of students that are new to night life and have yet to broach the opportunity to explore their own boundaries and comfort levels in that context. As a result, we will be providing support in getting students home safely after our night events in Beit Quad. This year, we have invited the Christian Union once again to our night events to offer warm beverages, rain ponchos, and maps outlining the addresses and locations of undergraduate halls to anyone who needs it. The officer trustees will also be present in a welfare capacity at our largest night events, to provide support and/or reassurance to anyone who needs it. 

In addition to this, the Union has taken a number of additional measures to ensure that the venues can support anyone who is feeling vulnerable. The Ask for Angela scheme will be in full effect in our venues and has been part of the training for both permanent and casual bar staff and will also be included in staff briefings before events.  

Figure 1. These posters have been placed into male, female and gender neutral toilets on the ground floor in the Union building.

The purpose of this scheme will be to provide an outlet for anyone feeling uncomfortable in our venues to speak to a member of staff, who will then be able to take you to a safe place and arrange a safe mode of transportation, or a discreet way of exiting the venue, if needed. They can also liaise with security and ask for the removal of anyone who is not abiding by the Union’s Safe Space Policy. 

Finally, on September 28 and 29, we had invited 95 casual bar staff, 108 hall seniors and 23 departmental and faculty welfare representatives to attend Active Bystander Training, courtesy of the Union Venues Team and the Faculty of Medicine. This training is meant to give participants the confidence to take action against inappropriate behavior both safely and effectively within the Imperial College community. We are also in the process of working with Malinda Davies, the Gender Equality Officer, to acquire and offer relevant training to chairs and presidents in our clubs, societies and projects. We hope to define this offer in the coming weeks. By inviting student leaders to these types of training, we hope to empower the leaders within our community to help create a safer and more inclusive environment for all Imperial students from all backgrounds. 

There will also be two major pieces of work that I will be conducting over the month of October. The first is the analysis of the sexual misconduct survey that was written and distributed by my predecessor, Shervin. I will then be using the results of this survey, along with the consultation of a working group made up of Imperial staff and students, to write an Operational Procedures Policy for the Union. The purpose of this policy will be to provide clarity for the process of investigating disciplinary complaints, as well as the procedures around communicating and enforcing their outcomes. This is an incredibly vital piece of work that will be made to address urgent issues that have recently been brought to our attention around safeguarding vulnerable students in our venues. 

How can you help 

You can take part in the Stay Safe 2021 campaign by doing the following: 

  1. Look After Yourself 

Make a plan for when and how you will travel home in the evening. Keep in mind that the Night Tube has not yet been reinstated since the start of the pandemic, so be sure to check what time the final trains will be leaving Gloucester Road station on the Piccadilly, Circle or District Lines. And as much as it pains me to mention it, don’t leave your drink (or your vape) unattended. Recent reports have mentioned victims experiencing horrific, life-threatening reactions to having their drinks and vapes spiked, resulting in seizures and trips to the ICU. Bear in mind that if you or anyone you know has ever encountered anything like this, you are not the one to blame, and there is support available to help you overcome your trauma. In College, you can use the Report and Support tool to submit complaints of harassment, bullying or sexual misconduct anonymously, or to be put in touch with a Sexual Violence Liaison Officer (SVLO) or Harassment Support Contact (HSC). These are dedicated, trained members of staff whose aim is to help you gain access to relevant support services both internal and external to the College, as well as walk you through the process of making a disciplinary complaint, should you choose to go down that route. You can also directly access external support services outside of College; see the links provided below this post. 

  1. Look After Your Mates 

If someone you know discloses that they have been a victim of assault or mistreatment after a night out, the way you react can have a major impact on how they will go on to process their trauma. It is important to be free of judgment or blame; make sure to avoid suggesting that any of their own actions contributed to the assault. Allow them to share as much as they feel comfortable, and offer to accompany them to an NHS sexual assault referral centre (SARC); the closest one to the South Kensington Campus is the Havens – Paddington at St. Charles hospital. 

If you end up getting close to someone on a night out, it is also important to make sure that they feel safe and happy in your presence. You can take this free online course on how to communicate consent and respect the boundaries of the person you are with. And if you ever end up worrying about having potentially crossed a line, you can use this free anonymous phoneline for advice. 

  1. Look After Others 

Anyone can be an advocate for the safety and wellbeing of the people around them. If you happen to see someone who is struggling to walk on their own or stay awake, or is acting out of character, expressing your concern for their wellbeing can have a significant positive impact. Ask if they have a group of friends who are there to support them; if they are alone, or if you ever see anything that concerns or worries you, don’t hesitate to ask the bar staff for assistance. Remember that we are here to support you and want to help make this year’s Welcome a memorable one for all the right reasons.  

If you care enough about this topic to have read this far, then please know that I appreciate you, and I want to hear from you. Drop me an email at dpwelfare@imperial.ac.uk if you have any concerns about this topic, or if you have any ideas on how we can support students. If reading this has left you feeling unwell, please don’t hesitate to reach out for support in the links that I provided below: 

College and Union Support Services: 

External Support Services: