We believe that no one should ever have to experience bullying, harassment, or sexual misconduct, and that, if you do, you deserve to be supported and taken seriously.
Our long-standing priority is for every member of our community to feel heard, safe and to have full confidence in relying on the systems designed to protect you and to help you report any incidents.
As part of this ongoing, long-term commitment we have made a number of important changes to Report + Support (R + S) , UCL’s platform where you can report these kind of incidents.
The new staff system was introduced last week following the rollout of the improved student system at the start of 2025.
What improvements have been made and why?
We carried out an in-depth review of the Report + Support platform last year, which included consultation with a range of staff and students to understand people’s experiences of using the system and where improvements could be made.We listened to that feedback and worked with experts and sector best-practice to ensure Report + Support remains trauma-informed and survivor-centered.
Key improvements made for staff reporting
Faster responses and access to support
- Staff who report concerns or incidents can expect a response within two working days. A dedicated team will follow up with staff who have provided contact details to help identify what support/next steps are required.
Confidential messaging if you report anonymously
- The platform has been redesigned to make reporting simpler and clearer (whether you choose to report anonymously or with your name). If you report anonymously, you can opt to receive confidential messages with appropriate advice from our Employee Relations (ER) team while remaining anonymous.
More specialist support
- We have invested significantly in the expert teams that support people once they have made a report. We have also bolstered the system behind the scenes by recruiting a new administrator role to support smooth running and timely coordination with relevant teams.
How staff can use Report + Support
You can make a report in two ways:Named report
This allows us to contact you directly, offer support, and take appropriate action in one of the following ways:- Issues that require formal investigation (e.g. potential disciplinary matters or grievances) will go to the Employee Relations (ER) team
- If there is a named report seeking informal resolution, this will be sent to the Human Resources Business Partnering (BP) team to support
- If there is a health or wellbeing issue raised, the ER team will work with the Workplace Health teams and appropriate HRBP to ensure that concerns are addressed appropriately
- Where needed, the ER team will help connect individuals with the right UCL services e.g. Crime Prevention, Workplace Wellbeing etc. If the concern involves a student, the case will be jointly reviewed with the Student Casework team to ensure co-ordinated, compassionate support.
Anonymous reports
These will be sent to the HRBP team for monitoring purposes. The Heads of HR will provide monthly data on Report + Support to Faculties to help identify trends or hotspots of reported behaviours which will help with identifying and determining how best to tackle issues. While we can’t investigate individual cases from anonymous reports, we can message people confidentially to provide information on available support if they opt to receive these.Key improvements made for students reporting
We know some staff will also support students reporting. We recently updated students about the changes made since the new student Report + Support system was rolled out in early 2025.- Faster responses and access to support: We have significantly reduced waiting times to access support. Since January 2025, 99% of reports have been triaged in two working days
- More specialist support: As part of our investment in the team, we have introduced more dedicated Independent Sexual Violence Advisers (ISVAs), new roles that support students facing specific challenges such as forced migration, housing issues or intersectional harm, and additional roles focused on supporting affiliate students.
- Confidential messaging if students report anonymously: The platform has been redesigned to make reporting simpler and clearer. If students report anonymously, they can now opt to receive confidential messages from our team while still remaining anonymous.
New triaging process: Reports from students are now triaged directly to Student Support and Wellbeing Services (SSWS) through a new process designed to get them the right support from the right team, based on their needs, as quickly as possible. Where student reports concern staff, we work closely with Human Resources in a new weekly process for joined-up case management.
Why these changes are important to our community
These changes are all part of our ongoing, continuous efforts to improve how we support our staff and students at UCL.We have been strengthening our 200-strong Student Support and Wellbeing Services team of dedicated professionals who offer a confidential, non-judgmental space for students to discuss any issues or concerns. This includes investing significantly in the expert teams that support students once they have made a report. All these staff have been trained in handling sensitive disclosures, and we invest in a range of training for them including from external specialist organisations such as Rape Crisis, Survivors Network and Stamp Out Spiking.
As part of our wider action, we also run awareness campaigns and preventative education and training for staff and students.
For students, our Active Bystanders programme is run in conjunction with the Students’ Union and is the largest of its kind in higher education. It has already trained over 50,000 students and will become mandatory from September 2025.
Transparency and trust
We’re also committed to transparency in how the system works and how it performs and will continue to listen to feedback from staff and students.We will be publishing annual reports with anonymised data and insights from R+S to show what is happening, what is improving, and where we will be taking action to do better. Regular trend analysis reports with anonymised data will also be shared with Departments and areas within UCL to ensure a proactive approach to intervention and prevention.
Addeel Khan, Director of Equity, Inclusion & Culture at UCL, said:
" Through our EDI strategic plan we are committed to working collaboratively across UCL to foster an inclusive culture based on our core values of openness and inclusion, care and respect, integrity and mutual accountability and rigour and innovation. The changes to R + S aim to tackle harmful behaviours and the person-centred process will ensure people have the right support when they need it.
Further guidance and support information
There are various wellbeing resources staff can access via our Workplace Health website , including guidance on how to respond to and support others who may be having a difficult time, whether inside or outside of work.The Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) is a free employee support service. Call 0808 196 5808 to speak to a professional counsellor or information specialist in confidence.
There are various pages with advice on supporting colleagues, including those you manage directly and general colleagues. Workplace Health has resources including on how to respond to and support others who may be having a difficult time, and how to respond to a disclosure.
In addition, the Workforce Health department delivers mental health and wellbeing briefings to departments. The team also recently launched a new online self-paced Mental Health Training for Line Managers.
We also have a People Management Essentials course which includes information on mental health and how best to support direct reports.
Managers who are concerned about their staff can also use our occupational health service to refer their employees via a management referral.
Our newly-expanded Student Triage and Referral Tool is the best way to help in advising, signposting and supporting the student appropriately if you’re worried about the wellbeing of a current UCL student.
You can find further information on the changes to the student R + S system here and guidance on supporting students here.
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