Dignity & Respect Support Service

Main idea

The UCD Dignity and Respect Support Service was established to ensure the University has proactive measures in place to promote a positive culture of dignity and respect and to create a working and learning environment which makes clear the expectations of members of our community with regard to respecting each other and that unacceptable behaviour will not be tolerated.

Outline

The UCD Dignity & Respect Support Service was launched in November 2021. 

The service offers:

• Personal support, specialist information and guidance to students,  employees and community members in relation to bullying, harassment or sexual misconduct. 
• An outreach service to raise awareness of the support and ensure it is visible and accessible. 
• It strives to transform the culture of dignity and respect in UCD, raising awareness and offering comprehensive training is a way to achieve this. 
• A process for reporting data in relation to dignity and respect issues in UCD that is transparent and sensitive.

The UCD Dignity & Respect Support Advisers provide 1 to 1 confidential and proactive support to students, employees and community members  who have experienced issues of bullying, harassment or sexual misconduct. The Advisers are experienced and trained to support, respond and advise on all reports of a dignity and respect nature, they provide a supportive, confidential environment in which to discuss the issues and will support individuals to make a decision that is right for their situation.

As a person making a report, the Dignity & Respect Support Advisers will provide those using the Service with support and will work with them in relation to the steps needed to seek a solution. Ultimately, the decision on how to proceed will rest with those seeking support. 

Advisers can also assist with making a formal complaint and can continue to provide support throughout the formal complaint process, this may include accompanying people to investigation meetings and the provision of aftercare support following any informal or formal interventions.

The Dignity & Respect Support Advisers are also available to support those who have been reported for such behaviour. Different Advisers will support the various people involved to avoid a conflict of interest. If a formal complaint has been made, they will provide information as to what this will normally entail. They may accompany those seeking support to investigations and also provide aftercare support.

UCD Dignity & Respect Service runs a drop-in service during which time students, employees and UCD community members can drop in for support, information, or a listening ear. Alternatively, face-to-face or Zoom appointments can be made by emailing respect@ucd.ie

In addition to this one to one confidential support the Dignity & Respect Service. Training is also offered to employees and students: 

Building a Respectful UCD – employee training 

Active Bystander Training for students

These are both available through the UCD Virtual Learning Network – Brightspace 

Goals

There are 4 main pillars that guide our work: 

• Increase of employees/students lodging formal complaints. 
• Change the culture
• Educate people
• Provide training and support with regards to complaints processes.

Students involvement

• Focus groups were ran for students to be part of the original design of the service. 

Dignity and Respect Student Ambassadors 

Dignity and Respect Ambassadors are student champions who are role models that foster a respectful and welcoming environment at UCD. They have a deeper understanding of UCD’s Dignity & Respect policies and support available, making them uniquely equipped to raise awareness amongst their peers around dignity and respect matters. They also report inappropriate behaviour, and signpost students to the many support services available.

The Dignity & Respect Ambassadors are tasked with a variety of activities across our campuses during the year, including:

• Supporting Dignity & Respect Support Service (DRSS) orientation period activities
• Supporting in-term outreach stands
• Engaging in in-term lecturer addresses
• Supporting events and conferences
• Signposting students to the Dignity & Respect Support Service

Inspiration and evidence

An Independent Review was conducted.

Success criteria

• The Service is well resourced with sufficient capacity to provide proactive support to those reporting as well as those being reported.
• The Service is promoted and supported by senior management which ensures access to various employee for a to raise awareness of the Service.
• The launch of the Service was accompanied by the launch of a professionally designed communications campaign.  Campaign designers had experience in designing similar campaigns in the sector
• The launch of the Service was accompanied by the launch of bespoke training for students, employees and people managers.
• Students were consulted and actively involved in the review process which led to the establishment of the Service and so student leader ‘buy-in’ was achieved from the outset.

Effectiveness

• Through the review process 
• Track our contact numbers 
• Provide avenues for service users to provide anonymous feedback
• Issue an annual report 
• Initially we want to see an increase in informal complaints and then a decrease

Do you feel you can effectively provide the support that students require?

We strongly agree.

Would you recommend this to other institutions?

strongly agree

Evaluation

Y/N

The service is in its initial stages but it will be reviewed after 3 years.

Communication

• Social Media 
• In person outreach through stand and lecture addresses
• Presentations to academic staff, faculty and administrative staff 
• Outreach to university associations/annexes offsite – hospitals, farms and support professionals on site. 
• Dignity and Respect Student Ambassadors promote the service 
• Poster Campaign
• Direct emails

Timing

• The service is active for the whole year. 
• Orientation and regular outreach is an important part of awareness raising of the service

Resources

• The service is funded by the university but a dedicated budget is needed.
• Dedicated office space 
• External companies to develop training 
• Marketing budget 
• Budget to train staff 
• Outreach budget 
• Budget for evaluation 
• Administrative costs

Extra information

• UCD Dignity and Respect Review
• Dignity and Respect Support Service
• UCD Dignity & Respect Flowchart

Transferability

We think it is easily transferable to other contexts or groups.

Universal design and accessibility is at the forefront of their minds. 

For it to set up,  it would be important to have practical help to implement it – consult widely with others who have the expertise, we met with the Rape Crisis Centre, Women’s Aid and others, to get their buy in and guidance. 

We conducted research to see what was happening internationally in this space and get guidance on how to progress, the UK have similar services – focused primarily on sexual harassment but we have a broader scope. 

Some challenges we experienced were trying to figure out where the service fits within civil society, investigations parallel to garda investigations, there are lots of partners and when does our responsibility end and others begin.