The University of Chester is dedicated to providing a supportive and inclusive environment for all members of our university community. Everyone deserves to feel safe, regardless of race, religion, or background and we are committed to building a society where everyone can thrive, and where diversity is embraced, celebrated and valued.

Respect

As part of our RESPECT campaign, we work in partnership with Chester Students’ Union, police, third sector and our local community to help promote diversity, inclusivity, and unity. 

As a member of the University, we ask all staff and students to behave responsibly and respectfully to others, whether they are other students, members of staff, visitors or members of the local community. 

If you or someone you know has experienced or witnessed unacceptable behaviour such as harassment, discrimination, sexual assault, abuse, bullying or hate crime you can report it via our Report a Concern service. You can report an incident wherever it has occurred, for example off campus, during a placement and in the workplace. You can also email: report@chester.ac.uk. 

Hate Crime

If you’ve experienced a hate crime or hate incident, you can report it to the police by calling 101 or visiting a police station. You can also report if you witnessed a hate crime happen to someone else.

If you’re not sure if what happened was a hate crime, you can check if something is a hate crime. You can also find out more about hate crime reporting via Citizens Advice.

For instances of Islamophobia, you can report what happened to Tell MAMA. Visit their website for more information.

In an emergency, you should call 999.

University of Chester Student Services

The teams within Student Services can help you with key areas which may be impacting your life or your student experience, including Wellbeing, Mental Health and Counselling; Disability and Inclusion; Financial Support; Student Safety; SVLO (Sexual Violence Liaison Officer Service).  

Please be assured we’re here to help and by giving us as much information as possible about your situation, we can make sure you get the support you need as quickly as possible.   

Student Services are available 9am – 5pm Monday to Thursday and 9am – 4pm on Fridays. To access Student Services, you can:  

• Email: studentservices@chester.ac.uk or Telephone: 01244 511550 

If you need support outside of these hours, the Student Assistance Programme (SAP) is our dedicated student support, which you can call for free at any time, day or night. To Access SAP you can:

• Call 0800 028 3766 now for  in-the-moment support from an experienced therapist or adviser. 
• Or request a call back  from the Student Assistance Programme team (University code: MHA146072) 

Chester Students’ Union Advice Centre

The Students’ Union Advice Service is based at Chester and Warrington campuses, offering email, Microsoft Teams and face to face appointments. They have separate, confidential rooms and commit to providing free impartial advice and guidance. More information can be found here: https://www.chestersu.com/advice 

Chaplaincy

Our multi-faith Chaplaincy team is deeply committed to inclusion and building strong friendships between people of different religions, ethnicities and cultures. As faith leaders, our Chaplains are strongly connected to our faith communities in the North West. Our local communities are full of people who work together for the good of all – and therefore we have strong hope in difficult times. Revd Gill Reeve (Anglican Senior Chaplain) and Imam Zeryab Elhassan (Muslim Chaplain) are both available for students and staff, so please do get in touch with us if you would like to chat. Simply email chaplaincy@chester.ac.uk and ask for one of us to get in contact. We can chat with you in person or on Teams.

Safety and Security

We encourage you to be vigilant and keep safe and avoid areas where protests are occurring due to the potential for disruption and violence. In an emergency, you should call 999. Currently, the government is providing rapid additional support through the Protective Security for Mosques Scheme, alongside the support from local police forces. The new rapid response process means mosques at risk of violent disorder can be offered additional security personnel, providing communities with vital support and reassurance.

If any students have immediate concerns in relation to these events that may be affecting you on a University of Chester campus, please refer to Report a Concern or contact Security (security@chester.ac.uk or 01244 511 541) in the first instance.