Receiving a gender-based violence (GBV) disclosure

Updated on: 9 September 2026

Guidance on what to do if you receive a gender-based violence (GBV) disclosure

If you or someone else is in immediate danger

Call the emergency services on 999 (dial 9999 from a University extension) if you or someone else is in physical danger or needs urgent medical help.

After contacting the emergency services and if you are on-site, call the University Security and Response Team on: +44 (0)1334 46 8999 (dial 8999 from a University extension).

The team is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Your role when receiving a disclosure

If someone tells you they have experienced sexual or gender-based violence (GBV), your response can make a big difference. You do not need to be an expert in gender-based violence to respond appropriately.

Your role is to:

listen without judgement
respond with empathy and compassion
help the individual access appropriate support
explain any limits to confidentiality
take action where there is a risk of serious harm
avoid investigating or attempting to resolve the matter yourself

You are not expected to:

determine whether an incident occurred
gather detailed evidence
investigate allegations
advise someone what decision they should make
contact other parties without agreement, unless there is a risk of harm

The University recommends following the six steps set out by End Violence Against Women when responding to a disclosure.

Steps to follow when responding to a disclosure

1. Believe them

Be kind and reassure them that they are not to blame. Confirm you take the matter seriously. Do not ask for proof.

Helpful and unhelpful responses

You could say:

"Thank you for telling me."
"I'm sorry this has happened."
"I believe you."
"You do not have to tell me anything you are uncomfortable sharing."
"We can discuss what support is available."

Avoid saying:

"Why didn't you report it sooner?"
"Are you sure that's what happened?"
"What were you wearing?"
"You should report this immediately."
"I know exactly how you feel."

2. Explain your role and encourage towards specialist support

Advise that you are not a trained specialist but you can listen, provide information and refer for support.

Encourage them to access specialist support as early as possible. Specialist support can help individuals understand their options and access appropriate advice and assistance.

You can:

Offer to support them in reporting the incident to the University through Report and Support or by contacting an HR Business Partner
Refer them to Specialist gender-based violence (GBV) support.

Before discussing possible next steps, it is important to understand whether there are any immediate concerns about safety.

3. Ask if they feel safe

Ask whether they feel safe and whether there are any immediate concerns about their safety or the safety of others. Consider whether any urgent support or temporary workplace adjustments may be required.

Explain that information will be treated as confidential wherever possible. However, if they disclose that they or someone else is at risk of serious harm, you may need to share information with appropriate University contacts so that support can be provided and action taken to keep people safe.

Where there are concerns about serious harm or safety, contact the Director or Deputy Director of HR without delay.

If you are unsure whether information needs to be shared, seek advice from the Director or Deputy Director of HR as soon as possible. Where appropriate, remove identifying information when seeking initial advice.

4. Listen actively

Don’t interrupt. Don’t be afraid of silences. Concentrate on what you are being told.

Don’t investigate or probe for detail; that’s not your role.

Take brief, factual notes using the individual's own words where possible. Record only information that is relevant to the disclosure and avoid assumptions, interpretations or personal opinions.

You should email a copy of your notes to the individual making the disclosure and include details of support they can access. Then dispose of any printed notes.

5. Give them control

The person making the disclosure should be supported to remain in control and make informed decisions about what happens next.

Depending on the circumstances, temporary workplace adjustments may be appropriate to support the employee.

It is not appropriate to offer solutions or advice or to act on their behalf without their full consent unless there is a risk of harm to them or others (see step 3)

6. Safeguarding for under-18s

If the disclosure is being made by someone over 16 but under 18 and in care or a care leaver, you need to pass this disclosure to the person responsible for safeguarding procedures. Please contact Vice-Principal (People and Governance)

This should ideally be done with the person’s consent.

If you are a line manager

In addition to the steps above, you should:

consider whether any immediate workplace support is required
seek advice from your HR Business Partner where appropriate
avoid discussing the disclosure with others unless there is a legitimate need
continue to provide appropriate support and maintain regular contact with the employee
avoid treating the employee unfavourably because they have made a disclosure
keep a brief factual record of any actions agreed, support offered and workplace adjustments implemented

Further guidance if you receive a disclosure

You may be called as a witness if the person (or the University) reports the incident to the Police.

Information should be treated as confidential and only shared where there is a legitimate need to do so, such as where there is a risk of serious harm, a safeguarding concern, or where advice is required from the Director or Deputy Director of HR.

Receiving a disclosure of gender-based violence can be distressing. If you have received a disclosure and feel affected by what has been shared, support is available through your HR Business Partner, the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) and staff wellbeing resources.