hands holding a mobile phone

Sexual violence and domestic abuse service

Whether you've experienced sexual violence or domestic abuse yourself, or you're supporting someone who has, you'll find information here about options for support, how to report and how to access further advice and guidance.

Content warning: This page contains explicit reference to sexual violence and domestic abuse. It includes advice and how to access help.

Get urgent help

If you, or someone else is in danger, please call +44 (0)1225 875 555 for on campus Bath Spa University Security, or 999 for emergency services.

If you have recently been assaulted and need immediate support

This information is also available in a downloadable, interactive pdf document.

Quick links

How do I report an incident? External support Sexual Violence and Domestic Abuse Caseworkers Contact Student Wellbeing Services Sexual violence definition Domestic abuse definition

Support at BSU

Our Sexual Violence and Domestic Abuse team consists of a Gender-Based Violence Caseworker and Sexual Violence and Domestic Abuse Caseworkers. They've had specialist training to support and advise students who have experienced any form of sexual violence and/or domestic abuse.

This service is available to all students, regardless of gender, sexuality, age, and when or where the incident(s) took place.

 

Your caseworker will be led by you. They'll listen to you and discuss the options available to you. They'll:

  • help you decide what support you need going forward
  • help you access that support
  • provide you with information about possible next steps.

The SVDA team aren't therapists and they won't ask you to tell them lots of details about what's happened.

They'll ask you a few questions to ensure they give you the right information but you won’t be asked for a detailed account.

How do I get support from the Sexual Violence and Domestic Abuse Service?

Book an appointment via MyWellbeing

Book a Sexual Violence/Domestic Abuse appointment through MyWellbeing – go to the Appointments section and scroll to find the Sexual Violence/Domestic Abuse appointment option – click on this to reveal the available slots, in person on Newton Park campus or online via Teams.

If the listed slots don’t suit your availability, contact studentwellbeing@bathspa.ac.uk, requesting an SVDA Caseworker appointment, giving dates and times that work for you.

 

Contact via phone/email or Report and Support

You can request contact with the Sexual Violence and Domestic Abuse team by emailing studentwellbeing@bathspa.ac.uk or calling +44 (0)1225 876543

You don't have to say what you want to talk about. All you have to do is give is your name and student number, and request an appointment/contact with an SVDA Caseworker.

You can also contact the SVDA team by submitting a 'Support from Adviser' form on the Report and Support website.

One of our SVDA /Gender-Based Violence Caseworker will contact you to arrange an appointment.

If you're not ready for an appointment, that's ok - you can let us know that and ask any questions you have. 

You can also use the anonymous two-way messaging feature on Report and Support to have contact with our team without disclosing your identity.

What will happen during a meeting?

A Sexual Violence and Domestic Abuse (SVDA)/Gender-Based Violence Caseworker will speak with you either in person, on the phone or by video call (camera on or off) depending on your preferred option. 

The SVDA Caseworker will email you before the appointment to explain their role and how the appointment will work.

Appointments are 45 minutes but may be shorter if less time is needed.

In the meeting the SVDA Caseworker will:

  • Explain their role
  • Ask you how you are
  • Explore the most important issue for you at the moment – you may not know the answer and that’s ok
  • Explain the main support and reporting options to help you decide if any are right for you
  • Allow you time to decide on next steps (there is no need to make any decisions in the appointment)
  • The SVDA Caseworker won’t ask you to go into detail about what’s happened. They will ask you a few questions to make sure they give you the right information.

I'm not ready for an appointment

Take your time and do what feels right for you. 

If you're not ready for an appointment but would like to make some kind of contact/specialist resources, the following options may be of interest:

What happens next?

After the meeting, the SVDA Caseworker will send you a summary email and links to any relevant information. 
You can take your time to think it through and then confirm with them which options are right for you.
The SVDA Caseworker can then make referrals to support and advice services. 

Will my information be kept private?

The SVDA Caseworker will normally keep the information you disclose confidential within Student Wellbeing Services. 

If they consider you or any other person to be at risk of harm, they will need to share relevant information with senior managers for consideration about any action the University needs to take to ensure your and/or others’ safety. 

You are under no obligation to name the other person(s).

If SVDA Caseworkers are given the names of any BSU staff or students who are named as having committed any kind of sexual violence or domestic abuse, SVDA Caseworkers are obliged to pass the names to senior University staff. 

Senior SWS staff will complete a risk assessment to decide whether the University needs to take action in relation to your and/or others’ safety within the University Community.

SVDA Caseworkers must share any Safeguarding concerns relating to under 18s or adults at risk to the Safeguarding Lead, in accordance with the University’s Safeguarding policy. 

Key points about Sexual Violence/Domestic Abuse support

  • SVDA (SVDA)/the Gender-Based Violence Caseworker aren’t therapists; you won’t be invited to talk in detail about what’s happened
  • SVDA Caseworkers are trained to inform you of your options about reporting and support relating specifically to sexual violence/domestic abuse
  • SVDA Caseworkers can connect you to any support options you may be interested in. SVDA Caseworker support tends to be practical and short term, but is flexible depending on your individual needs and circumstances
  • SVDA Caseworker support is available to you at any point during your time at BSU

Things that SVDA Caseworkers can discuss with you:

  • The option to report to the police (and University, if relevant)
  • Specialist support options such as counselling and group support
  • Specialist self-help resources
  • Specialist helplines
  • Academic impact and how to mitigate that
  • Safety concerns
  • Support options within BSU, e.g. mental health, wellbeing, Disability Services 

How do I report an incident?

If you've experienced any form of sexual violence or domestic abuse, there are several ways you can access support:

Report to the police

If you’d like to speak to an SVDA Caseworker, they can explain your reporting options and connect you to relevant people to make your report to. 

If you prefer to report directly, the following options are available:

To report to the police: 

  • In an emergency dial 999 and advise that you need to report a sexual assault and would like to speak to one of their specially trained officers.
  • To report a crime (non-emergency) directly to the police, use their online form or call the police non-emergency number 101
  • If you would prefer to initially speak to a police officer somewhere other than your place of residence, ask for this when you call.

There are also specialist agencies who can provide Independent Sexual/Domestic Violence Adviser (ISVA/IDVA) support with police reporting and throughout a police investigation. 

Local agencies for this in the Avon and Somerset/Bath area are:

Report an incident of sexual violence or domestic abuse to the University

A SVDA Caseworker can connect you to the Student Disciplinary Team for you to formally report sexual misconduct or domestic abuse by a Bath Spa University member, or you can contact the Student Disciplinary Team directly on complaintsofficer@bathspa.ac.uk.

Formal reports of misconduct of this nature are dealt with under the sexual violence and misconduct procedure for students. 

A step-step by guide to the reporting process is detailed here. 

Speak to a specialist agency

There are also specialist agencies who can provide Independent Sexual/Domestic Violence Adviser (ISVA/IDVA) support with police reporting and throughout a police investigation. ·

Local agencies for this in the Avon and Somerset/Bath area

How to report anonymously

You can anonymously report something that has happened to you.

Sometimes people find this a useful first step towards telling someone what’s happened, while not yet feeling ready to engage further in support. You can submit an anonymous report via our secure Report and Support system.

You'll be given the option to report anonymously either with or without our 2 way anonymous messaging system, which allows you to have further contact with our team without disclosing your identity.

If you choose to submit an anonymous report, we may not be able to take formal action. 

If you do choose to name the other person/people involved in any of the free text areas and they are either a University student or staff member, the University will consider appropriate action to safeguard you and/or members of our community, in accordance with the Safeguarding Policy and Procedure.

External support

Your nearest Sexual Assault Referral Centre can help with:

  • Police reporting, including having forensic evidence samples taken for sexual violence that has happened within the last 7 days
  • Emergency contraception
  • Sexual health testing
  • The Survivor Pathway offer sexual violence support services within Bath and North-East Somerset

Your nearest domestic abuse service can help with:

  • Emergency housing
  • Advice on reporting and legal options
  • Risk assessment
  • Safety planning

 

Specialist helplines include:

You can find some useful self help resources to support you through this difficult experience:

Two people holding hands in a supportive way

What is sexual violence?

Any kind of sexual activity or act (including non-physical, such as sexual harassment and online sexual abuse) that took place without consent.

There are lots of different types of sexual violence, and no one form of it ‘counts’ more than the other.

The perpetrator is often known to the survivor and it can happen within a relationship as well as outside of one.

Anyone can be a survivor or perpetrator of sexual violence.

What is domestic abuse?

An incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive, threatening, degrading and violent behaviour, including sexual violence

In the majority of cases by a partner or ex-partner, but also by a family member or carer.

Domestic abuse can include, but is not limited to, the following:

Domestic abuse can happen to anyone, regardless of gender, sexuality, age or relationship status (you do not need to be living together), and it is never the fault of the person receiving the abuse.

Some of the terminology and concepts around domestic abuse may feel alien to you, as there is a pervasive stereotype of domestic violence happening only within heterosexual couples, a male perpetrator of a female victim-survivor.

It’s often envisaged that this couple are older, live together, are married, have children.

There are many abusive relationships that fit this description, and it may be that this reflects your situation.

But many students have experienced/are experiencing abuse within their relationship that looks different to this – we’re here to support all students, of all genders, sexualities, ages, social background, race, ethnicity or nationality.

Contact Student Wellbeing Services

  • Current Bath Spa University students: Access ‘MyWellbeing’ to ask questions, book appointments and view upcoming events.
  • Future students: Access ‘MyWellbeing’ to ask questions and view upcoming events.
  • University staff: Log a call via ‘MyServices’.
  • Third parties, including parents and supporters: Email studentwellbeing@bathspa.ac.uk.
  • Telephone enquiries: +44 (0)1225 876543
  • Telephone enquiries: Student Wellbeing Helpline available 24/7
  • If you are a student and want to let us know that something hasn't gone well with your wellbeing support, please complete this form.

How we work with local agencies, Universities and Student Unions

Bath Spa University is a member of the Joint University and Partnership Working Group on Sexual Violence and Harassment. The Working Group consists of relevant members of staff from Bath Spa University, the University of Bath, UWE Bristol and University of Bristol, joined by their respective Student Unions and local specialist agencies, such as The Bridge and members of Avon and Somerset Police. 

The Joint forum hold meetings throughout the year to share best practice and ideas in providing support, reporting mechanisms and preventative measures relating to sexual violence and sexual harassment, both within the university communities and more generally in the Bristol, Bath and Somerset regions. 

The Joint forum work on a set of principles articulated in the joint statement, which can be found here. 

Further information about specific campaigns and joint work with other organisations can be found here.

two hands holding in support

Harassment and Gender-Based Violence Framework

The Harassment and Gender-Based Violence Framework webpage is our single source document which brings together all information relevant to harassment and gender-based violence at BSU. 

You might also be interested in