Safe contacts are members of LSE staff who have received training and can offer a confidential 'signposting' service for staff and students who have previously or are currently experiencing some form of discrimination, bullying, sexual violence or harassment.
Safe Contacts can support students and staff no matter someone’s gender identity, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, disability and more.
Safe Contacts are all volunteers, who are supported by the EDI office and who are committed to supporting LSE’s inclusive working, studying and social environment.
There are two different pathways for Safe Contacts:
1. Safe Contacts who can support with bullying, discrimination, and harassment.
2. Safe Contacts who can support with bullying, discrimination, harassment, AND sexual violence/harassment. These Safe Contacts receive additional training from Rape crisis on supporting people who have been subjected to sexual violence.
What support do Safe Contacts receive?
Safe Contacts are supported by the EDI team.
Each term Safe Contacts attend a hour-long meeting online with EDI and other Safe Contacts. This meeting is a space for peer support and reflection, as well as updates from EDI on any changes to School processes, procedures or policies.
Safe Contacts also have access to external clinical supervision with a qualified counsellor at any time.
What time commitment is involved in becoming a Safe Contact?
We cannot give an exact number of how much time you may spend providing frontline support to students and staff but some of our Safe Contacts are contacted 1-2 times per term.
Each term, Safe Contacts attend an hour-long meeting with EDI colleagues and other Safe Contacts.
How do I become a Safe Contact?
On this page you should see an option to apply to be a Safe Contact. This link will take you to our application form.
We run one recruitment process each academic year for new Safe Contacts. Applications can be sent any time during the academic year, up until the end of March. After we have received your application you will be invited to have a conversation with colleagues from EDI and HR to discuss the role in more detail.
Successful applicants are then invited to attend core Safe Contact training, which usually takes place in June.
Following completion of the training, new Safe Contacts are added to the webpage and begin their role at the start of the following academic year.