Unsure whether to report or not?

Thank you for considering whether to report something today. We understand that this might be a difficult time and that you might be feeling unsure about your options. We hope the guidance below - taken from our 'Frequently Asked Questions Page' - will help you to make an informed decision.

Which option should I choose, 'Tell us anonymously' or 'Report with contact details'? 

'Tell us anonymously': If you 'Tell us anonymously', the University of Reading won't have information about who you are, and therefore cannot provide support or contact you. This option is for people who do not wish to be identified but would still like to make an incident known.

 

'Report with contact details': If someone wishes to receive support or consider their informal or formal options to address a concern, they can choose to report with contact details, instead. A staff member from the appropriate team will then contact the person who has made a report to arrange a meeting to discuss options for support, what could happen next, and the courses of action that can be taken.

What happens if I report anonymously but accidentally identify myself or someone else?

Any personal data captured within reports will be handled in confidence and kept securely until it is no longer required. If you identify yourself within an anonymous report, we will still assume you wish to remain anonymous, and treat as an anonymous report. If you wish to report with your details instead, there is an option at the end of the form to convert your report to include your details.

Why can't the University investigate anonymous complaints?

Anonymous reports help the University to get an understanding of the experience for employees and students. The information you provide in an anonymous report will remain confidential and will be used to monitor issues of concern across the organisation and understand the impact of initiatives run by the University.  Where there is a weight of reporting that relates to a particular theme or location, the responder team will follow up with the relevant Head or Director.  

The report will remain confidential, the exception to this will be when there are safeguarding or welfare concerns and when the reporter has provided sufficient information for the necessary protective action to be taken.  If you name someone in your report this will not initiate an investigation while you remain anonymous .  

 

Remember that the "Report with contact details" option does not automatically initiate a formal complaints process but allows us to provide you with appropriate support and information on your options. 

The report will be viewed by one of the administrators: 

The administrators will review the report and decide what, if any action can be taken with the information provided. and if any identifiable information is provided, the administrator will then remove it. The information kept will be for data monitoring and trend analysis purposes, and to inform prevention strategies. 

No further formal action will normally be taken but consideration will be given as to whether information from your report needs to be shared with the Head or Director of the area to consider taking informal action to address the concerns raised. 

In certain circumstances, where there are safeguarding or welfare issues, administrators may take action using confidential information supplied by a reporter.  Where appropriate, we may alert the reporter to this and seek their consent, but we acknowledge that in some circumstances, this may not be practical or possible.

The report will be viewed by the administrators who will assign it to the appropriate University staff member. 

Depending on the nature of the report, that member of staff could be part of the HR Advisory team, a member of the Student Appeals, Complaints and Discipline team, or the Student Welfare team. That person will only be able to access the cases that are specifically assigned to them. 

 

The relevant staff member will receive an email notification that a case has been assigned to them by an administrator. No identifiable information is provided within this email alert. The staff member then logs into the secure Report and Support platform to access the information provided. The staff member will then contact you to arrange a meeting to discuss your options for support, what could happen next, and which course of action you wish to take.

 

If you have reported anonymously the University of Reading won't have information about who you are, and therefore cannot reach out to you about your report.

What happens next will depend on what you’ve experienced, the information provided, and what you want to happen.  It may be that you choose to speak to a relevant staff member and then decline to take any further action. That is completely acceptable and we will support your choices.

In exceptional circumstances, where there are safeguarding or welfare issues responders may  take action using confidential information supplied by a reporter.  Where appropriate, we will alert the reporter to this and seek their consent, but we acknowledge that in some circumstances, this may not be practical.

Given the nature of an anonymous report, the University cannot provide a response to you after you have submitted an anonymous report.

 
How soon will I hear back from someone about my report?   

If you have reported giving contact details one of our staff members will reach out to you within 3 working days, through your preferred contact method. Please note that reports submitted to Report and Support are only accessed during normal working hours and is not continuously monitored by the University.

If you or someone else is in immediate danger please call the emergency services on 999.

If you have reported anonymously the University of Reading won't have information about who you are, and therefore cannot reach out to you.

You may also wish to see what general support is available to you.