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Planning for a safer and more equitable future for every student in the School of Medicine 2020 (3)

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Dear University of Leeds,

I kindly request the results of this survey, and the results from survey 1 & 2

The email containing the survey included the following quote

"This survey was last run in January 2018. Based on student responses the School made a number of important changes, including using actors rather than students as live models in anatomy classes, training our staff on equality issues and how to support affected students, raising awareness of dignity and respect at student induction, and improving the process and outcomes for students reporting issues of sexism, racism, discrimination or harassment"

How has the School of Medicine improved the process and outcomes for students reporting issues of sexism, racism, discrimination or harassment?

Yours faithfully,
C. Martin

Freedom of Information, University of Leeds

Dear C Martin,

Freedom of Information request reference K/20/248

Thank you for your Freedom of Information (FOI) request dated 2 July 2020. Your request has been allocated the reference number K/20/248. Please include this number in all further correspondence related to your enquiry.

Please note that in light of the ongoing coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, the University of Leeds is, like other organisations around the world, experiencing disruption to services. We consider it likely that there will be some short- to medium-term impact on our ability to respond to FOI requests, which may result in FOI responses taking longer than 20-working days . We will endeavour to keep applicants informed at all times, and appreciate your understanding. More information on how the University of Leeds is responding to Covid-19 is available on our dedicated webpages.

If you have any questions about your request, please contact us at [University of Leeds request email]

Yours sincerely

Chloe Wilkins
Freedom of Information Officer

Secretariat
University of Leeds

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Freedom of Information, University of Leeds

1 Attachment

Dear C Martin,

 

Freedom of Information Response (Our Ref: K/20/248)

 

Thank you for your Freedom of Information (FOI) request dated 2 July 2020,
reference K/20/248.

 

The subject line of your email read:

 

“Planning for a safer and more equitable future for every student in the
School of Medicine 2020 (3)”

 

Your request read:

 

            “I kindly request the results of this survey, and the results
from survey 1 & 2

 

The email containing the survey included the following quote

 

"This survey was last run in January 2018. Based on student responses the
School made a number of important changes,  including using actors rather
than students as live models in anatomy classes, training our staff on
equality issues and how to support affected students, raising awareness of
dignity and respect at student induction, and improving the process and
outcomes for students reporting issues of sexism, racism, discrimination
or harassment"

 

How has the School of Medicine improved the process and outcomes for
students reporting issues of sexism, racism, discrimination or
harassment?”

 

The University of Leeds holds this information. We have responded to each
part of your request separately below.

 

Survey results

The results from the 2020, 2018 and 2015 surveys are set out in the
attached PDF. Experiences of racism and race hate crimes were collected
only in the 2020 survey to inform the implementation of the [1]BMA Charter
for medical schools to prevent and address racial harassment.

 

There were 577 responses to the 2020 survey, 410 to the 2018 survey and
523 to 2015 survey, but it is possible that there were some duplicate
responses.

 

We are withholding the responses to open ended questions under section
40(2) of the FOI Act. This is in order to protect the identities and
personal information of respondents, who were assured that their responses
would be confidential. Disclosure would therefore be unfair and would
breach their data protection rights.

 

Improvements

Following the first survey in 2015 we have:

o Improved dissemination of existing reporting and complaints structures
through Course handbooks, information on placement, sessions at
induction weeks, the [2]School website and within each survey.
Agreement with the question “I know how to make a complaint to the
University about gender inequality, sexual harassment, offensive
sexualised behaviour or sexual assault” has improved from 33.3% in
2015 to 40.4% in 2020 but we continue to find ways to ensure reporting
processes are better known. This is the first time we have asked the
question “I know how to make a complaint to the School about racism or
racist hate crime” 40.2% of students responded yes in 2020.
o A presentation at an induction week in 2018 led to students
approaching the Associate Dean for EDI offering to work with her to
tackle harassment and discrimination on placement. Since then an
informal group of students have supported this work and, for example,
were instrumental in making changes to the 2020 survey to capture
information on training needs and other forms of discrimination.
o The value of the survey anonymity is demonstrated by students using
the survey as a safe space to report incidents or concerns. Although
anonymous, we have been able to take action in some cases where
sufficient information is provided, though we cannot feedback to the
student who reported it. Sensitivity of this information, for example
in terms of possible student identity means that we cannot openly
report follow up to the wider student body.
o We have trained staff, including student support colleagues, to be
first responders to reports of partner physical or sexual violence.
This includes listening and validation, signposting to student support
or counselling and external support for those experiencing this kind
of violence, including voluntary sector organisations and the police.
We do not record these encounters as they are not reports or
complaints related to the School of Medicine. The surveys initially
identified to us as something which can affect students as well as
staff.
o Through reports to senior staff including the Associate Dean for EDI,
and staff organising placements, we know that since we started the
survey students are more likely to raise concerns about racism, sexism
or other perceptions of discrimination they experience during teaching
or on placement. This report may be to a tutor, placement organiser,
IDEALS tutor or another lecturer/tutor. There is no central system for
recording every single incident across all aspects of the courses run
within the School. Incidents reported on placement are recorded by
course leads and always followed up, but the sensitivity of this
information and the need to protect student confidentiality means that
we cannot openly report follow up.

 

We know that racism, sexism, misogyny, sexual and racial violence are
unfortunately part of our society in the UK. Since starting the surveys in
2015 we are now aware that some students of the medical school are also
affected. We have used this knowledge to work towards improving reporting
and outcomes for our students and working across medical schools to bring
about change through the sector and the NHS. To our knowledge we are the
first medical school in the UK to survey our students in this way; other
medical schools are intending to use our survey to inform their processes
and outcomes also. The School wants all our students to be safe and be
treated with dignity and respect, but if they are not, that they feel
confident to report to us so that we can take appropriate action. We
therefore see a rise in reports as a positive sign that our processes are
beginning to improve and along with them outcomes for individual students,
but we are committed to work, which will prevent the need for such reports
in the first place, including student and staff training and awareness
raising.

 

We hope this information is helpful. If you have any questions about this
email, however, please do not hesitate to contact us on [3][University of Leeds request email]

 

If you are unhappy with the service you have received in relation to your
request and wish to make a complaint or request a review of our decision,
you can request an Internal Review. Requests for Internal Review should be
made in writing using the following contact information:

 

Post:               Mr D Wardle

Deputy Secretary

The University of Leeds

Leeds

LS2 9JT

 

Email:             [4][University of Leeds request email]

 

Requests for Internal Review should be submitted within 40 working days of
receiving the University’s response to your request. Further information
about how the University manages Freedom of Information requests and about
our complaints procedure is also available on our website
(www.leeds.ac.uk).

 

If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have
the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a
decision.  Generally, the ICO cannot make a decision unless you have
exhausted the review/complaints procedure provided by the University.  The
Information Commissioner can be contacted at:  Information Commissioner’s
Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF.

 

Kind regards

 

Chloe Wilkins

Freedom of Information Officer

 

Secretariat

University of Leeds

 

 

References

Visible links
1. https://www.bma.org.uk/media/2030/bma-me...
2. https://www.medicine.leeds.ac.uk/mbchb/s...
3. mailto:[University of Leeds request email]
4. mailto:[University of Leeds request email]

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