Exceptional cases when your disclosure is shared externally
When you submit a disclosure through Report + Support, the University will, in most cases, only share this information with an external third party, such as Police Scotland, with your consent.
However, there are certain circumstances in which the University may be required to share your disclosure without consent. These circumstances are outlined below.
Please note that the list provided is not exhaustive. The University’s response will be guided by the specific context and details of each individual disclosure.
If there is a concern regarding child safeguarding
Children and Young People have a legal right for protection from harm.
The University may need to report a concern to the police and/or social care services, where a child, which is a person up to the age of 18 years, is in immediate danger, life is at risk or is at risk of harm.
If there is a concern regarding adult at risk
In Scotland, an “adult at risk” is a person aged 16 years or over who:
(a) is unable to safeguard their wellbeing, property, rights or other interests
(b) is at risk of harm, and
(c) because they are affected by disability, mental disorder, illness or physical or mental infirmity is more vulnerable to being harmed than adults who are not so affected.
If on the basis of the information available, it appears to the University that all three criteria are met, the University may need to refer the matter to adult social care and/or police, if an adult at risk is in immediate danger or is at risk of harm, a crime is in progress, has occurred or may occur, or life is at risk.
Disclosures relating to individuals age 18 and over
While it is generally the reporting person’s choice whether to report a crime to Police Scotland, the University may do so in certain circumstance to protect the University community or the wider public. For example, if significant violence or harm has occurred and there is an on-going risk to the reporting person or others, the University may decide to report the matter, taking into account any potential harm to the person reporting that could result from sharing the information.
Except in exceptional cases – such as when reporting is necessary to prevent serious harm – The University will seek to respect the reporting individual’s wishes.
Anonymous Reports
If a report is received anonymously by the University, then we may decide to take any of the above actions on a “no names” basis.