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Annual Student Survey: A chance to provide us with feedback and win £50
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TW Sexual Violence and Harrassment:
The content and links on the following page(s) relate to assault, abuse and harassment, which may affect or trigger survivors and other students. If you need support,
please visit the University's Support page for detailed information on internal and external support services, as well as specialist services.
Everyone has the right to live, study, and work in a healthy and welcoming environment where no one is subjected to harassment, bullying, or attack. We strive to make a safer campus and community.
- Fawziyyah Ahmed, VP Wellbeing and Diversity
The goal of this campaign is to increase awareness about all sorts of harassment and bullying, as well as to establish an environment where all forms of harassment and discrimination are considered completely unacceptable. We want students to
have the understanding, ability and confidence to stand up to bullying and harassment in any form.
Safety on Nights Out
As a Students’ Union, we received an increase in reports about concern for safety on nights out in Plymouth.
We have listened to your feedback and concerns and, as a Sabbatical Officer team, we are launching a campaign to address student safety within the city as well as to educate students about measures they can take to look after themselves on nights
out.
We will do this in collaboration with Plymouth College of Art and Marjon SU as well as working with the police to protect our community.
Submit your feedback
Campaign updates
18th January 2022: Violence Against Women and Girls Commission
Your SU President, Emi Dowse, has joined a new Commission to tackle violence against women and girls in Plymouth
A new Commission has been formed in Plymouth reviewing what more needs to be done to prevent violence against women and girls in Plymouth. The Commission has brought together key experts, partners and agencies.
Over the next three months the Commission will aim to shine a spotlight on the national issue of violence against women and girls and to understand more about the issue for those living in Plymouth.
Read more here Read more about the commission here
28th October 2021: Sabbatical Officer Team Meeting
Today we held the first of our weekly meetings in which we discuss the current situation around spiking.
These meetings are an opportunity to share feedback from students and to liaise with our Part-Time Officer team to find constructive solutions to the issue of spiking in order to reassure and support our student body.
28th October 2021: Meeting with the Devon and Cornwall Police and Best Bar None
Within the SU, the whole Sabbatical Officer team, the Director of Student Experience and the Venue Manager held a meeting with Devon and Cornwall Police and Best Bar None Plymouth. Importantly, this meeting was also attended by the President
and Manager from Plymouth College of Arts’ Students’ Union. This is important as we believe that students from across the city should feel safe on a night out.
From this meeting, we heard that Devon and Cornwall Police are leading on a drink testing scheme, from which the SU is given testing kits for drink spiking.
This comes from all Best Bar None member venues, of which the SU is a member of, being offered test kits. If one of these tests are found to be positive, officers are alerted and attend the incident, with a rapid urine test. These tests need
to be done within 48 hours of a potential incident to be valid. If there is a positive test, the individual will be offered medical assistance. If the test is negative, the individual will be supported to ensure that they are safe, and
able to make it home okay.
22nd October 2021: Steps we’re taking as a venue to prioritise your safety
Following the recent increase in reports of spiking both in Plymouth and nationwide, we know that there will be many of you who will feel nervous about heading out this weekend and to nightclubs in particular.
Further to our statement released yesterday, we’ve made some changes to the way our venue will operate and so things may look a bit different if you join us in the SU this weekend.
Read the full article here
21st October 2021: Increased Reports of Spiking in Nightclubs across Plymouth
As a Students’ Union we are receiving an increase in reports about spiking in the nightclubs around Plymouth. Students should be able to go out drinking and enjoy their night without fear for their safety.
It is illegal to spike someone’s drink and the maximum sentence for someone found guilty of spiking is 10 years in prison. If a person is caught spiking someone's drink in the SU they will be banned from our venue, and it will be reported
to both the Police and the University of Plymouth Code of Conduct Team.
If you have been affected by spiking, either directly or indirectly, you are not alone and there is support available to you. Please read our full statement below to find out more.
Read the full statement here
18th October 2021: Initial safety on nights out meeting
There is rising national attention to spiking following an increase in reports of incidents across the country in Nottingham and East Midlands in particular.
As a Sabbatical Officer team we are hearing more reports from concerned students around the issue of drink spiking as well as spiking by injection or 'needle spiking'. Our priority as a team, and for the Students' Union as a whole, is the
safety and wellbeing of our members. This morning we held an urgent meeting with rest of the UPSU Senior Leadership Team to discuss spiking as well as looking closely at the safety measures we already have in our venue as well as what
we can do to support our students further.
We'll be sharing more information as soon as possible.
19th May 2021: Sexual Violence and Misconduct Survey
Student safety and wellbeing is a priority for both the Students' Union and the University of Plymouth and we believe that all students should enjoy a safe and happy university experience, free from any inappropriate behaviour. Working jointly
with the Students’ Union, the University has a strategy and action plan which aims to prevent all forms of sexual violence and misconduct.
Thanks to student feedback to our last survey in 2020, this academic year the University implemented a number of actions including:
- launching a new policy
- delivering training about responding to student disclosures and bystander intervention
- holding a week-long event ‘Talk About Sex’
To inform plans for 2021/22, we are asking students to complete a short survey about their experiences of sexual violence and misconduct. The survey is voluntary and anonymous. Please, help us protect students and prevent inappropriate behaviour
by providing your feedback.
Complete the survey here Read the University's Policy here
February 2020: Speak Up tool launched in collaboration with the University of Plymouth
Over the past year your SU President, Tilda Fraser, has been collaborating with the University of Plymouth to develop a new online reporting tool to enable students and staff to report abuse, harm or hate that happens on campus.
Whether its sexual harassment, racism, homophobia, a single instance of discrimination or an enduring abuse, we want to empower students and staff to Speak Up.
The Students' Union and The University of Plymouth pride ourselves on creating an open, safe and welcoming environment, but should anything bad happen, we want our students and staff to know exactly how to tell us.
Read the full update here