If you think you have, or someone else has, been subject to any act of hate, there are lots of ways in which you, or they, can get help:
●For students: Student Well-Being Support services, Student Counselling Services, or the Student Union. You may also report it directly on the University’s Report and Support system. You can choose to do this anonymously or you can request support from an advisor. If you choose to talk to an advisor they will be able to talk through the options and support available to you, in confidence. It you feel that your report has not been handled appropriately, you have the right to make a formal complaint to the University, following the University’s Complaints Handling Procedures.
●For staff: Staff Recourses. You may also report it directly on the University’s Report and Support system. You can choose to do this anonymously or you can request support from an advisor. If you choose to talk to an advisor they will be able to talk through the options and support available to you, in confidence. It you feel that your report has not been handled appropriately, you have the right to make a formal complaint to the University, following the University’s Complaints Handling Procedures.
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Nobody should have to put up with hate, whether it is classed as a hate incident or hate crime. Instances of hate are taken very seriously and should always be reported.
You can report if you have experienced hate, or if you’re a friend, neighbour, family member, support worker or simply a passer-by. You can report the incident even if the victim doesn’t want you to.
University support servicesThere are a number of university-based resources that you can access if you have been affected by hate. They can provide support and talk you through your options, whether you want to report the incident or not.
- Report+Support allows students and staff to report incidents either anonymously or with contact details for follow-up. The service also provides information on a range of different incidents, along with both internal and external support services.
- Student Wellbeing Services can provide information and advice to help support students for a number of issues and direct them to more specialist support services. They also have a counselling service which provides one-to-one, confidential support for students, in the form of short-term counselling or referral to specialised support services.
- The Advice Hub offer free, impartial and confidential advice to students about a range of issues, including mental health and wellbeing.
- Respect Ambassadors are staff members who can provide confidential guidance and support to staff who have witnessed or experienced inappropriate behaviour or are having a difficult time.
- Care First is a health package for staff, which offers support for a range of practical and emotional issues, as well as one-to-one counselling sessions.
Reporting to the Police: If you have experienced or witnessed hate, you should report it to the police, particularly any incident involving hate crime, as this is beyond the University’s abilities.
Scotland specific:
Heriot-Watt University works in partnership with Police Scotland, who take all incidents of hate very seriously, to ensure that you can report any incidence of hate in a welcoming, supportive and confidential setting. Instead of reporting directly to the police, you can use the Third-Party Reporting Service within the Student Union Advice Hub, to speak to someone on campus who can help you submit a police report, or report on your behalf. If you wish to report an incident, you can contact the Student Union Advice Hub by calling 0131 451 4535, or emailing advice.hub@hw.ac.uk. Those in the Scottish Borders can report via Borders College Student Services by calling 01896 662516 or 08700 505152, or emailing studentadvice@borderscollege.ac.uk. The Orkney Third Party Reporting Centre is located at Relationships Scotland – Orkney, and can be contacting by calling 01856 877750 or emailing enquiries@rsorkney.org.uk.
Any instances of hate crime should be reported to Police Scotland by visiting your local police station or by calling 101. You can also report using the online Hate Crime Reporting Form. If you would rather report an incident anonymously, you can do so by calling Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
If you are being threatened or are in immediate danger, please call 999.