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A Lead Investigator will be appointed to the case who will be your main point of contact. This will usually be an internal staff member at GSU and may be allocated from another area of the organisation so as to mitigate conflicts of interest. They will contact the complainant to explain the complaints process as well as the limitations of the Union’s ability to act. Please note, while GSU is an independent organisation from Goldsmiths University, if the complaint goes beyond the Union’s ability to act, we will offer to refer the incident to the University with the complainant's consent. The complainant will also be advised that the Union has a responsibility and duty of care to report an incident to the University if they feel that it is serious and believe that the University must be informed, for example if there is a safeguarding concern.
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The Lead Investigator will contact the complainant to verify an account of the incident and all the relevant facts. The complainant may be asked to send any further needed evidence within a specific time frame (usually 1 to 2 weeks). Please note, the complainant must reply to the Lead Investigator within the time frame provided. If they do not, then GSU has the right to withdraw the complaint.
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The complainant has the right to ask for reasonable desired outcomes of the investigation. However, whilst these will be considered to ensure positive outcomes for all parties, please be aware these may not be able to be upheld.
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The Lead Investigator will also advise them to relieve themselves of Union activities (i.e. sports training or club meetings) for their own wellbeing until the investigation has been completed. This, however, is not mandatory for the student to do so.
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The complainant has the right to remain anonymous if wanted. This will be confirmed with the Lead Investigator. However, please be advised that GSU may not be able to investigate anonymous complaints as thoroughly as it investigates other complaints and this may affect the outcome of the complaint.
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The Lead Investigator will liaise with any relevant GSU staff members in the Union to confirm as much accurate information about the accused as possible.
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The Lead Investigator may at this point determine that another relevant staff member, or external party, needs to be involved in leading some areas of the investigation. This would be due to matters such as investigating GSU staff members. Complainants will be informed if there is determined to be a need for this to occur.
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If deemed necessary, CCTV footage held by GSU will be reviewed by staff with the delegated authority to do so, as per our Data Protection Policy. In certain instances, it may be required that staff roles that don't already have the necessary permissions are permitted to view the CCTV if they are appointed Lead Investigator. This would be a decision for GSU’s Data Controller and any decision made in this regard would be made taking into account the aims of the investigation and would only provide access to the CCTV system in a limited and controlled manner.
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The Lead Investigator will contact the accused student(s) and/or staff member(s) and explain the general nature of the complaint and any other relevant details.
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The accused student(s) and/or staff member(s) may be asked to temporarily suspend their role or certain responsibilities. This will depend on the nature of the case.
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The accused will be given the opportunity to make representation in writing or during a meeting (which will be minuted). If the accused is a student, they are able to request the support of a Sabbatical Officer who will attend the meeting with them and act as a student representative. In this representative role, Sabbs will be able to ensure that the meeting is fair, that the Lead Investigator is being clear and communicative with the student, speak out about anything deemed inappropriate or unfair, and provide 1 to 1 support to the student.
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Depending on the nature and severity of the complaint, a member of GSU’s HR team may also be present to take minutes and/or to ensure fairness.
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After all parties have been consulted and spoken to, the Lead Investigator will gather all the information and decide whether the allegations are Upheld, in full or in part, or Dismissed..
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The Lead Investigator will then consider all relevant aspects of the investigation, including any requests the complainant has made and decide which resolutions are necessary.
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The Lead Investigator is entitled to consult with a member of the Senior Management team at GSU (excluding the CEO) to discuss any outcomes and/or to seek advice, as well as any resolutory action.