The University recognises that some staff members may have pre-existing personal relationships with students.
Disclosure of a relationship is an important first step in ensuring that any actual, potential or perceived conflicts of interest can be appropriately managed.
This guidance is intended to help staff maintain professional boundaries whilst continuing to support both their personal relationship and their responsibilities as a University employee.
Why Boundaries Matter
Once a relationship has been disclosed, the focus shifts to ensuring that professional responsibilities remain separate from personal relationships.
Maintaining clear boundaries helps to:
- protect both parties;
- prevent conflicts of interest;
- maintain fairness and transparency;
- safeguard professional integrity;
- protect public confidence in University processes;
- reduce the risk of misunderstandings or allegations of favouritism.
Professional boundaries protect everyone involved.
Remember Your Professional Role
Whilst at work, your primary role is that of a University employee.
This means that professional responsibilities must take precedence over personal relationships when carrying out your duties.
You should avoid situations where your personal relationship could:
- influence professional judgement;
- influence decision-making;
- create an unfair advantage;
- undermine confidence in University processes;
- create safeguarding concerns.
Maintaining Appropriate Boundaries
Staff should seek to maintain a clear distinction between:
Personal Relationship Activities
and
Professional Responsibilities
Examples may include:
Appropriate Practice
- using University systems for University business;
- maintaining confidentiality;
- following established processes;
- treating the student in the same way as any other student;
- seeking advice when uncertain.
Situations Requiring Careful Consideration
- discussing confidential University matters at home;
- accessing information not required for your role;
- becoming involved in decisions affecting the student;
- advocating for the student in University processes where you have a conflict of interest;
- using your position to influence outcomes.
Confidential Information
Staff members must not access, use or share information about a student because of a personal relationship.
This includes:
- academic records;
- attendance information;
- disciplinary matters;
- safeguarding information;
- mitigating circumstances;
- placement information;
- personal data.
Access to information must always be based upon a legitimate professional need.
Professional Discussions at Home
It is natural for partners and family members to discuss aspects of their day-to-day lives.
However, staff should take care not to disclose:
- confidential student information;
- sensitive University business;
- information relating to other students;
- information gained through professional responsibilities.
Maintaining confidentiality remains a professional obligation regardless of personal relationships.
Social Media and Digital Communication
Staff should consider whether their online interactions could create actual or perceived conflicts of interest.
Questions to consider include:
- Would I communicate in this way with other students?
- Could this be perceived as preferential treatment?
- Could this create professional difficulties later?
Where uncertainty exists, seek advice.
Placements, Professional Programmes and Fitness to Practise
Particular care should be taken where students are enrolled on professionally regulated programmes.
Staff should not become involved in:
- placement allocation decisions;
- fitness to practise processes;
- conduct investigations;
- professional suitability decisions;
- assessment or progression decisions
where a conflict of interest exists.
Additional safeguards may be required in these circumstances.
When Circumstances Change
Disclosures should not be viewed as a one-off event.
You should seek advice if circumstances change, including where:
- your role changes;
- the student's programme changes;
- you become involved in new decision-making responsibilities;
- new conflicts of interest emerge.
New risks may require further consideration and updated management arrangements.
Recognising Boundary Drift
Boundary issues rarely emerge suddenly.
Sometimes professional boundaries can gradually become blurred.
Warning signs may include:
- becoming involved in decisions you should not be involved in;
- sharing confidential information;
- advocating inappropriately on behalf of the student;
- difficulty separating personal and professional roles;
- feeling pressured to use your position to assist the student.
If this occurs, seek advice promptly.
Seeking Advice
You are not expected to navigate these situations alone.
If you are unsure whether a situation may create a conflict of interest or boundary concern, advice is available from:
- your line manager;
- Human Resources;
- the Safeguarding Team.
Early discussion can often prevent difficulties from developing.
A Useful Reflection Tool
When faced with uncertainty, ask yourself:
Would I make the same decision if this student were not personally known to me?
Would I be comfortable explaining my actions to colleagues, students, a regulator or an external investigator?
Could another student reasonably perceive this as preferential treatment?
Am I acting as a partner, family member or friend, or am I acting as a University employee?
These questions can help identify situations where further reflection or advice may be required.
Remember
Disclosure is not an indication that anything is wrong.
It is a professional safeguard designed to support transparency and protect everyone involved.
The vast majority of disclosed relationships can be managed successfully through openness, appropriate boundaries and ongoing professional judgement.
Advocacy and Representation
It is natural to want to support somebody with whom you have a personal relationship, particularly when they are experiencing difficulties or challenges.
However, staff members should be mindful of the distinction between providing personal support and acting as an advocate within University processes.
What Is Advocacy?
Advocacy involves representing, influencing or acting on behalf of another person within a decision-making process.
Examples may include:
- contacting colleagues to influence an outcome;
- speaking on behalf of the student during University processes;
- seeking preferential treatment;
- challenging decisions where you hold a professional relationship with decision-makers;
- attempting to influence academic, disciplinary, safeguarding or support processes.
Why Can Advocacy Create Difficulties?
Even where intentions are entirely positive, advocacy may:
- create actual conflicts of interest;
- create perceived conflicts of interest;
- undermine confidence in decision-making;
- place colleagues in difficult positions;
- compromise professional boundaries;
- create unfairness for other students.
The risk is often not the relationship itself, but the influence that may be associated with a staff member's role within the University.
Appropriate Support
Staff may:
- provide emotional support as a partner, spouse, family member or friend;
- encourage the student to seek advice;
- signpost available support services;
- help the student understand University procedures;
- Encourage the student to access independent representation.
Support That Should Normally Be Avoided
Staff should not normally:
- contact academic colleagues on the student's behalf;
- seek to influence decisions affecting the student;
- participate in meetings where decisions are being made;
- access information they would not otherwise be entitled to access;
- use their position to obtain information or updates;
- attempt to expedite processes or secure favourable outcomes.
Independent Support and Representation
Students have access to a range of support services and representatives who can assist them appropriately and independently.
Depending on the circumstances, this may include:
- Student Life Services;
- the Students' Union;
- academic support services;
- safeguarding support;
- wellbeing services;
- independent advisers.
Where formal processes are involved, independent support is often preferable to involvement from a staff member with a personal relationship.
A Helpful Reflection Question
Before becoming involved, consider:
"Would I be taking this action if I were not a University employee?"
If the answer is no, there may be a risk that your professional position is influencing your involvement.
Seeking advice at an early stage can help avoid unintended conflicts of interest.
Remember
Supporting somebody you care about is entirely understandable.
However, maintaining professional boundaries sometimes means allowing University processes to operate independently and ensuring that support is provided through appropriate channels.
Protecting the integrity of decision-making protects both the student and the staff member.