Depending on the nature of your report when you access support you will either meet with am SVMLO or a bullying and harassment adviser.
The staff member that you meet with will be trained in taking disclosures and supporting people who have been affected by gender based or sexual violence or bullying and harassment. They will listen empathically to you without judgement and will provide you with information on your options if you have been affected in any way, even if it wasn't you that was directly affected.
They will speak with you either via MS Teams or face-to-face depending on what is your preferred option. Should you be meeting via MS Teams it is important to be in a safe, quiet and confidential space, ideally with your camera on.
The role of the staff member is primarily to listen. They will be empathic, supportive and non-judgmental. They will ask you what you want to happen next and will provide you with information about your options.
They will take a brief note of the meeting which they will put into a secure electronic report within a password-protected system. The notes of the meeting will normally be seen only by you, the staff member you are with and the Coordinator (unless the Coordinator identifies that you or someone else is at risk of harm). Before the end of the meeting, the staff member will go over the notes they have taken to ensure you are happy they are accurate. They will also confirm with you any follow-up actions which were agreed upon between those present during the conversation.