Sexual violence support service

Our sexual violence support service supports students who have experienced any form of sexual misconduct, regardless of when or where it happened. Sexual misconduct is any kind of unwanted sexual activity, which does not always include physical contact.

We are open throughout the summer

The Sexual Violence Support Service remains open across the summer months. Please submit a request for support and the team will arrange to meet you. You can request an appointment online or over the phone if you are not in Bristol.

Our team of specialist case workers provide one-to-one support to help you understand your options and make the right choices for you.

You do not need to report what has happened to the university or police to access our support and we won’t ask you to go into detail about what happened.

Appointments take place from Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm but you can submit a request for support at any time and a member of the team will be in touch within three working days to arrange an appointment. We can talk to you on MS Teams, over the phone or in person.

Get support from a specialist case worker

In addition to seeking support from this team, there are a range of resources and external services you can access. We also have a range of support information and modules focusing on consent.

Our approach

  • we will believe you and be led by you. You will be in control of what you do or don’t do next
  • we work in a trauma-informed way, to ensure you are being supported without having to relive your experiences
  • we provide a safe space where you will be listened to without judgement
  • we treat everyone as an individual and recognise that life experiences and identity can impact on your experience of sexual violence
  • we work under the Education and Student Success confidentiality statement which means there are times we may be required to share information outside of the service – if there was a significant risk to you or another student, for example. We will always discuss this with you

What to expect

We will:

  • discuss immediate safety options with you and help organise these if needed
  • help you navigate options for specialist support, including making referrals where necessary. This might include support particular to your needs or identity, such as LGBTQ+ support or support for male survivors
  • talk through resources and methods to help you understand and process your responses to what has happened
  • help liaise with your school if your studies are being impacted, without disclosing details of your experience
  • support you throughout the reporting process, if you choose to make a report through the university
  • liaise with your Independent Sexual Violence Adviser if you have made a report through the police

Refer someone else

You can also refer on behalf of someone else.

Emergencies

In an emergency, don’t submit a referral form. Find out who to contact instead.

If you have experienced sexual violence of any kind within the last 7 days, we strongly encourage you to seek support without delay as there is a timeframe within which evidence can be gathered.

Your local sexual assault referral centre offers 24/7 support and can help you understand your options, including anything which is time-critical, whether you choose to formally report or not.

You can find details of your local sexual assault referral centre on the NHS website.