As your Union, we aim to empower our students to look after them and stay safe as much as possible. So, we hope to provide some useful tips and resources to stay safe at Surrey.
We also know that unfortunately, some students may experience difficult or traumatic situations during their time at University, and may fall victim to hate crime, discrimination, or assault/harassment. If you experience any of these situations, we have compiled some information about dedicated support for survivors and victims of abuse.
On this page, you will find:
Staying Safe at Night
For urgent support, please click here.
For on-campus, ongoing support and someone to talk to, please click here.
To report an incident, including harassment or abuse (for yourself or another) please click here.
Welfare Watch
Welfare Watch are dedicated student volunteers, aimed at making your night out in Rubix safer. Based in the Students’ Union building, Welfare Watch are there to support you when you have been asked to leave Rubix, or if you are not allowed into Rubix. Armed with sick bowls and phone chargers, they have everything you need to stay safe, and warm, whilst you sober up or wait for your friends to end their night.
Find Welfare Watch in the Front Room every Wednesday for Citrus and Friday for Flirt!
Welfare Watch closes 20 minutes before Rubix closes.
Follow their Instagram here!
Walking alone at night
- If you have to walk, avoid short cuts in lonely areas. Keep to well-lit, busy streets.
- Always walk facing oncoming traffic so a car cannot pull up behind you.
- If you regularly go walking or jogging, vary your route.
- Avoid using a personal music player or mobile phone while walking or jogging. They can distract you from your surroundings.
- If you think you’re being followed, walk to the busiest place you can find or knock on a door. Then call the police.
- Consider carrying a personal attack alarm.
- When approaching your car or home, have your keys ready so you can enter without delay.
- If you are attacked, shout for help as loudly as you can or shout for someone to contact the police. Use your personal attack alarm. Try to get to a safe place and call the police.
- Download a personal safety app such as Hollie Guard – hollieguard.com
In Case of Emergency (I.C.E.) Number
Make sure you have your main contact in your phone labelled as ICE. Many smart phones have a medical ID section for emergencies.
Stay Together, Stay Safe
- Don’t leave your friends to get home alone – travel in groups or pairs to ensure you all get back safely.
- Make sure you have contact details for a reliable taxi company.
- If you leave Rubix separately, why not ask to wait in Welfare Watch?
Survivor Support
If you have experienced, or been a victim of harassment, bullying, hate crime, racism, sexual assault or physical violence on campus, the Students’ Union is here to support you.
We are: Non-directive. We won’t ever tell you what to do but instead, we can work through your options with you, whether that be reporting to the Police, to the University, anonymously reporting or not reporting. As we are impartial, we can talk you through each process and likely outcomes in each case so that you are able to make a well informed decision that works for you and your time at University
You can report to the University either anonymously or otherwise here.
What happens if I report to the University?
Anonymous reporting: If you report anonymously then it is likely that the University wont be able to act on what you have said unless you have provided evidence. However, reporting anonymously does give the University the opportunity to build a bigger picture of what is going on at the University, and where. For example, there might be more than one allegation about a student or staff member that needs to be investigated or, an area of the University is deemed unsafe – so it is still worth reporting anonymously to the University.
Non- Anonymous reporting: If you decided to attach your name to the report then someone will be in touch with you regarding your report, if you wish, to ensure you are ok and getting support from the relevant people. From there, they can start the reporting process, as outlined below.
You can also report without using Report and Support – and you can go directly to Security to report any incidents to the University.
You can find out more about the reporting process by reading the below or, by emailing ussu.advice@surrey.ac.uk for confidential and impartial advice and guidance.
The Union believe that the University takes acts of harassment, assault, bullying and discrimination very seriously. Where allegations are upheld, the University practises a zero tolerance policy. For the University, this means that where an allegation is found to be true, there will be consequences for those involved.
Unfortunately our victim support drop ins have now ended but if you need support from your Union through this process, and impartial advice and guidance, please email ussu.advice@surrey.ac.uk.
Sexual Consent
What does sexual consent mean?
It means that both parties willingly agree to taking part in sexual activity, which is anything that imposes on someone’s personal boundaries. This can be anything from a hug, touching or kissing to oral or penetrative sex.
Before you engage in any sexual activity, you must be sure that you have, and give, consent.
Not sure? Stop and ask!
There is nothing sexier than being 100% sure that your partner(s) actually wants to have sex with you…
It may seem obvious, but it is important that you understand what consent is, how to know that you have it and when to stop.
Sex without consent is rape or sexual assault and is against the law.
Being under the influence of alcohol or drugs is not an excuse for committing sexual assault. Take a look at Drink Aware’s campaign, Wouldn’t do it Sober, Shouldn’t do it Drunk: www.drinkaware.co.uk/wouldnt-shouldnt
You cannot get consent if:
- It is assumed
- Is forced, pressured or violent
- Your partner is asleep
- Your partner is passed out, too drunk or
- Your partner doesn’t understand what is happening
- •Your partner changes their mind
Find out more about sexual consent and test your knowledge with the quiz at pauseplaystop.org.uk
If you have been affected by the content of the Consent video and would like to talk to someone in confidence, you can get in touch with Guildford’s Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre at https://www.rasasc.org/
Sexual Health
In 2019/2020 you VP Support campaigned for more SHAG (Sexual Health and Guidance) on campus.
As a result, the University now has a dedicated sexual health nurse on campus, so you can check yourself and stay safe on campus.
You can find out more here: https://wellbeing.surrey.ac.uk/sexual-health-and-contraception
