What is discrimination?
Unlawful discrimination takes place when an individual or a group of people are treated less favourably than others based on a protected characteristic such as age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership (in employment), pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief (including lack of belief), sex or gender, sexual orientation.
There are different types of discrimination including:
·Direct discrimination
·Indirect discrimination
·Discrimination by association
·Discrimination arising from a disability
·Racism
The Equality and Human Rights Commission’s definition for discrimination can be found here. To read more about different types of discrimination, please see iCity: Discrimination : Birmingham City University.
At BCU, we believe that discrimination is never okay. Discrimination is contrary to the Equality Act 2010 which defines specific types of discrimination, the University’s Student Disciplinary Procedure (Non-Academic) and Prevention of Bullying and Harassment, Sexual Misconduct and Victimisation Policy. For staff, discrimination is also contrary to the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in Employment Policy.
What support is available from BCU people who have experienced discrimination?
If you or someone else is in immediate danger, or are seriously injured, you can seek emergency support by calling 999. If you are on campus and need additional support, you can call Security on 0121 331 6969, they are available 24/7.
If you, or you know someone who has experienced discrimination it can be helpful to talk about this with someone you trust. You can speak to the University Mental Health & Wellbeing Team, who have trained advisors to support students at BCU. The Mental Health & Wellbeing team are available Monday-Friday 9am-5pm.
You can access support from the BCU Disability Team, they have specialist advisors and can offer support and advice to all students. You can also choose to speak to the Student Support Centre or to your personal tutor for support and guidance.
Students can contact BCU Student Union Advice Centre. This is a free confidential, impartial service where students can get advice and information on academic and personal issues, including advice on procedures and representation at hearings.
Extenuating Circumstances. If you feel your studies have been affected by what has happened, you can consider applying for extenuating circumstances.
BCU’s wellbeing app is an online support service that can be accessed by BCU students and staff for free. There are self-help resources and information on anxiety, stress, managing emotions and building confidence readily available.
If you are a member of staff, you can contact People and Culture, your HR partner will be able to identify the support that’s available for you. Staff members can also utilise the Employee Assistance Programme. If you are a member of a trade union, you may be able to access further support by getting in touch with them directly. The Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Team provides advice, support and guidance on equality, diversity and inclusion related issues to academic advisors and other staff in student-supporting roles.
If you are worried or concerned about someone else, find out more about how you can help them.
What support is available externally for discrimination?
If you or someone else is in immediate danger, or are seriously injured, you can seek emergency support by calling 999. If you are on campus and need additional support, you can call Security on 0121 331 6969, they are available 24/7.
If you would like to explore support external to the university, you can find a list of organisations below that can provide this support. These organisations will be able to provide to support to anyone, no matter if they are a staff member or a student.
·Victim Support offer free and confidential advice and support
- Call the Samaritans Helpline on 116 123 (open 24/7, 365 days a year)
- Muslim Safety Net is a specialist helpline providing support to individuals who have experienced anti-Muslim hostility, discrimination and hate crime.
- LGBT Foundation has a number of groups covering a wide section of the LGBT community. They provide a safe and comfortable environment for people who may feel isolated, are coming out or are new to the area.
- Look at the NHS guidance on 5 steps to positive mental wellbeing.
- Access some self-help resources available on iCity.
It’s important to take care of yourself. If you’ve heard something distressing or if something is troubling you, seek help and support from one of the above services.
If you are worried or concerned about someone else, find out more about how you can help them.
Reporting discrimination
We encourage concerns of discrimination to be raised via Report and Support. This system can be used by staff or students; you can choose to do this either anonymously or you can report with your contact details. If you choose to report with contact details, an advisor will be able to talk you through the options and support available to you, in confidence. You can report an incident no matter where it took place.
If you choose to make a formal complaint [LW1] to the University about a student or member of staff, there are procedures which set out the steps you'll need to follow.
- For students: Student Complaints Procedure, this is dealt with by Student Governance.
- For staff: Grievance Policy, this is dealt with by People and Culture.
If you are worried or concerned about someone else, find out more about how you can help them.
If you would like to submit information on a support service you think might help others, please contact us.