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Events in the Middle East: Support for our community
View of Durham Castle, Durham Cathedral and Framwellgate Bridge across the river

Staff FAQs

These FAQs will be updated regularly. Last updated: 24 October 2023

Support

Travel

Security, safety and reporting

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Support

I am personally impacted by the events in the Middle East. Where can I find support for emotional and mental health issues?

If you have any concerns or you have been impacted, either because you are from the countries affected, or have friends or family from/living in the region, please let your manager or another senior colleague in your department or college know. This will allow them to ensure you get any relevant support.

You can access our Employee Assistance Programme 24/7 which can give you expert advice and counselling. Support is also available from the University’s Multi-Faith Chaplaincy.

You can also access our Mental Health Support Signposting Guide for colleagues and managers. This outlines the mental health support that is available both within the University and externally.  

How can I help students affected by the events?  

We have an extensive range of support services available within the University which you can signpost students to. This includes emotional, financial and academic support resources. Details of all support available can be found on our Student Support Hub (internal access only). Please direct students to the Hub, the information in the FAQs for students or their College Support Office.

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Travel

I would like to travel to Israel or another country in the region. Can I do so?  

Please follow advice from the UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), noting that current advice is not to travel to parts of Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.  

If you do decide to travel to the area, you should inform your line manager. Please note that you are not entitled to undertake your duties from abroad unless you have previously had approval to do so. Working from another country can have implications on your tax, healthcare, insurance and pension. 

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Safety, security and reporting

What is the University doing to ensure my safety?

We take reports of bullying and harassment, hate incidents and abuse seriously.  

We have robust risk assessment procedures for any planned events on campus. We have an emergency response plan to prepare for and deal with any incidents and we work closely with local police. 

What is being done to prevent hate crime / prejudice/ discrimination on campus? 

Our priority is your safety and wellbeing. We encourage and expect respectful behaviours from everyone in our community. Our Race Equality Charter action plan contains a number of actions designed to tackle racism, including through educational talks, training and informative events and activities throughout the academic year on racial and intercultural issues.   

How can I report an incident?

You can use our online ‘Report and Support’ tool to report an incident or seek support or speak to your line manager or another senior colleague in your department/college.  

We also have a network of advisors who can provide support in cases of bullying, harassment or other causes for concern. They act as a first point of contact for those who feel they have experienced a hate incident. 

What can I do in the moment if I witness or am subject to a hate crime? 

If a hate crime is in progress on campus and immediate action is required, our SafeZone app enables you to send an emergency alert if anyone is in danger.

The app is free to download and as a user you will be directly connected to the University security team who will find and assist you as quickly as possible when an emergency alert is issued. Off campus, SafeZone will connect you directly to the emergency services. 

You can also contact University Security directly on +44 (0)191 334 2222. 

What action will be taken in the event of such incidents? 

We do not tolerate any form of prejudice or discrimination and will take swift action. We condemn in the strongest possible terms any incidents targeting individuals or groups for their religious, political, or cultural beliefs. Any criminal matters will be reported to the Police. 

We have stringent policies in place to deal with any incidents reported, including our Staff Concerns Policy. 

We also have an emergency response plan to prepare for and deal with any incidents. 

What advice is being given to enable debate and discussion on campus which remains within the law? 

As a university community, we uphold freedom of speech within the law and expect and require all our community to do so.  

We encourage the pursuit of knowledge and the exchange of ideas, but this must be done in a tolerant manner. Anything less will not be accepted. As set out in our Code of Practice, any activity, including meetings, demonstrations or the distribution of materials, must be notified in writing to the University Secretary at least seven days before the activity is due to take place.  

Our response is in line with our legal and compliance requirements, including the Prevent Duty, Government guidelines and our own Purpose and Core Lived Values.  

Are there any other sources of support if I experience discrimination?

Our Anti-Semitism Support Guide provides useful information for responding to experiences of Anti-Semitism and details support available for our Jewish Students.

The Community Security Trust (CST) has published a number of resources on their social media feeds, including guidance on how to communicate about Israel in a non-antisemitic way. CST also has a national emergency number which should be used to report antisemitic attacks, alongside contacting the police via 999: 0800 032 3263.  

Tell Mama is a confidential support service for those suffering from anti-Muslim hate and discrimination across the UK. Their website features a number of different ways to report anti-Muslim incidents, including via phone or WhatsApp.