University College London joins student security and safety initiative

On 31 January 2020, University College London (UCL) was announced as the latest Founder Member of ProtectED, a non-profit community interest company and membership organisation, aiming to raise standards in student safety, security and wellbeing across the higher education sector.

As an early adopter, UCL is now the sixth ProtectED Founder Member institution. The first 12 universities joining ProtectED are awarded Founder Member status and will help steer the development of the initiative over the coming years.

Other Founder Member institutions include Brunel University London, Teesside University, University of Central Lancashire, Coventry University and the University of Salford.

As one of the largest higher education institutions in the sector, UCL’s membership brings the experience of over 40,000 students from 150 different countries within the remit of ProtectED. It is also the first of the Russell Group of leading UK research universities to join ProtectED.

ProtectED is rooted in the belief that universities have a wide role to play in supporting the safety, security and wellbeing of their students, not only when on campus, but throughout their student experience. ProtectED membership makes it easier for prospective students and their parents to identify universities that endorse this holistic approach.

ProtectED member institutions work towards accreditation under the initiatives Code of Practice, a process assessed and validated by independent experts. Accreditation requires institutions to have in place appropriate policies, procedures and practices that address institutional security; student wellbeing and mental health; international students; student harassment and sexual assault; and the student night out.

Read more about ProtectED in our in-depth article on the student safety initiative.

ProtectED membership is a good fit for UCL, which has a history of being at the forefront of progress within higher education. UCL was the first university in England to welcome women, and the first to welcome students of any religion or social background.

Mark West, Security Manager at UCL, said:

“The safety, security and wellbeing of students is of paramount importance to us at UCL. We are proud to be a Founder Member of ProtectED, demonstrating our commitment to achieving our security objective to provide a safe and secure working environment for all students, staff and visitors. We look forward to working with ProtectED over the coming months to attain full ProtectED Accreditation”.

Andrew Wootton, ProtectED Director, also commented: “We are proud to welcome University College London as our newest ProtectED Founder Member. I know that UCL is an excellent source of good practice and am delighted that their values and priorities align with the student-centred ethos of ProtectED. With the support and commitment of this great university and all our Members, we can help ensure the safety, security and wellbeing of students at ProtectED institutions.”

Brian Nuttall, ProtectED Director, added: “I’m absolutely delighted to welcome UCL as a Founder Member to ProtectED. Having met with the team over the last couple of months and listened to their passion for ProtectED, I can’t wait to start working with them in the future. Welcome on board!”

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