(1) This Procedure defines the processes for: (2) This Procedure applies to student critical incidents involving University of Wollongong, Australia (The University) students. (3) This Procedure does not apply to: (4) The determining factors in defining a student critical incident is the nature, severity and impact of the incident, rather than the location of the incident. (5) The University will maintain written records of student critical incidents and any remedial action taken. All records relating to student critical incidents must be managed in accordance with the Records Management Policy. (6) For international students, records of the incident must be kept for whichever is the greater period of: (7) The critical incident register will be maintained and managed by Division of Student Life or Safe and Respectful Communities Team (SARC); as described in Section 7 of this Procedure. (8) The UOW Risk Consequence Rating Tool below must be used to determine if incidents meet the threshold for a student critical incident. Student events that are evaluated as level 3-5 on the UOW Risk Consequence Rating tool below are considered student critical incidents. Student events rated as 1-2 are not considered student critical incidents, though cumulative or repetitive lower level student events may lead them to being determined as student critical incidents. (9) Student events are unique. Assessing their severity may vary between staff. It may also be complex to assess the impact the events have on students. When assessing the severity of events or their impact it is worth considering: (10) Student critical incidents are defined as “a traumatic event, or the threat of such (within or outside Australia), which causes extreme stress, fear or injury”: (11) Insignificant or minor events may escalate to higher levels due to repetition and/or a cumulative impact in which they become a student critical incident. For example, failing an assessment may be considered to have a minor impact, but failing many may be considered to have a moderate impact. (12) The following incidents must be reported as student critical incidents, regardless of the impact they have on the student. This is a requirement of the Education Standards for Overseas Students framework: (13) Historical incidents may be deemed as student critical incidents if the student is still impacted by them. If so, the incident must be reported as per the severity rating given or the nature of the incident. (14) All student critical incidents must be reported. (15) Reports must be submitted as soon as possible, and via the most practical method for the reporter. (16) For staff outside of Division of Student Life, student critical incident reports must be submitted to one of: (17) For Division of Student Life staff, all student critical incidents are to be reported to their manager. (18) The Division of Student Life manager will review the the severity rating, and: (19) As new information is known, the severity rating may be updated. (20) Not all student critical incidents will require further action or further action outside of business as usual practices. (21) At times the student critical incident may have already occurred and been resolved with no further action required. (22) Staff must follow any relevant local protocols or procedures when responding to student critical incidents. Relevant documents include (but may not be limited to): (23) For incidents requiring immediate attention such as medical emergencies the Emergency Procedures Guide (UOW) must be followed. (24) In the absence of guiding documents or resources, the key priorities for responding to student critical incidents are: (25) The impact of a student critical incident may extend to other students, staff, or visitors. Such impacts must be considered when responding and supporting students during and after a student critical incident. (26) At times there may be additional requirements for incidents in certain circumstances, in which case the Director, Student Life will direct the course of action when needed as set out below. (27) The student’s family may need to be informed as per the University’s privacy obligations. (28) In the case of international students, the nominated guardian will be informed as well as those mentioned in ‘Incidents involving or significantly impacting international students’(see clause 29). (29) Liaise with Student Administration Services Division to confirm any additional reporting requirements to relevant authorities such as the Department of Home Affairs. (30) The overseas student’s parent or legal custodian may need to be informed. (31) Funds may be available for further assistance through the University’s insurance coverage Critical Incident Fund. (32) The incident will be referred to Safe and Respectful Communities Team. (33) Security and/or Safe and Respectful Communities Team will manage the incident and support the student in collaboration with the Division of Student Life and others as needed. (34) Refer to the Outbound Student Mobility procedure. (35) Campus Managers will be informed of an incident occurring on their campus. (36) While Division of Student Life will work with the units/faculties impacted, Division of Student Life will assign a key relationship manager to oversee the incident. In most cases the Campus Manager will be the relationship manager in these circumstances. (37) The Director, Student Life will decide when a student critical incident is finalised and requires no further action. (38) This decision will be communicated to the relevant Division of Student Life Associate Director, who will then provide that information to the relevant staff. (39) The Associate Director will update the Student Critical Incident Register. (40) On closing of a student critical incident a debriefing will occur with relevant staff to ensure: (41) Personal information and health information collected under the terms of this document is managed in accordance with the University’s Privacy Policy, Privacy Management Plan, the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998, and the Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002. (42) Records of student critical incidents will be securely stored to ensure the student’s privacy and confidentiality. (43) In limited circumstances, the University may disclose personal information or health information where permitted or authorised under an applicable law. For example, in the event of a student critical incident, information may be disclosed to Police, the student's next of kin, statutory services, the Department of Home Affairs, or other relevant agencies. (44) If a student explicitly requests anonymity as part of a student critical incident, the University will consider this request on a case by case basis taking into account the University’s duty of care responsibilities and ability to appropriately support students. (45) Non-identifiable student information will be used by the University for the purposes of reporting amalgamated data or to conduct statistical analysis of student critical incidents. (46) Student critical incidents should be managed at the lowest level practicable. (47) The Student Critical Incident Response Group (SCIRG) should only be formed to manage incidents that are beyond the scope of business as usual and need a coordinated response. (48) The purpose of the SCIRG is to provide leadership of the response to, and recovery from, a student critical incident. (49) The SCIRG will be stood down if the oversight of the incident is transferred to the Critical Incident Management Team or the Crisis Management Team. (50) The Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Academic and Student Life) is responsible for deciding to stand up the SCIRG, and will be guided by the UOW Risk Consequence Rating and Risk and Assurance Division for student critical incidents. (51) The SCIRG is responsible for: (52) Membership of SCIRG will be determined by the nature of the incident. As a minimum the team will include: (53) Other staff may required to join the SCIRG on a case by case basis to provide subject matter expertise. (54) The Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Academic and Student Life) will determine that the SCIRG can be stood down when the following conditions have been met: (55) A review of an incident managed by SCIRG must occur within one month of SCIRG being stood down. (56) The review will be completed by a member of SCIRG who was involved in the incident. (57) The review will examine the application and efficacy of guidelines, protocols, policies and procedures relevant to the student critical incident. (58) The Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Academic and Student Life) (DVCA) is responsible for: (59) The Director, Student Life is a standing member of SCIRG, and is responsible for: (60) Division of Student Life Associate Directors are responsible for: (61) Division of Student Life managers are responsible for: (62) Division of Student Life staff are responsible for: (63) The Chief Advancement and Communications Officer is responsible for: (64) All other University staff and affiliates are responsible for: (65) UOW Security is responsible for: (66) The Student Administration Services Division (SASD) is repsonsible for:Student Critical Incident Procedure
Section 1 - Purpose
Top of PageSection 2 - Application and Scope
Section 3 - Record keeping
Section 4 - Identifying and Assessing Student Critical Incidents
Guidance for Using the UOW Risk Consequence Rating Tool
Top of PageSection 5 - Reporting a Student Critical Incident
Section 6 - Responding to Student Critical Incidents
Section 7 - Additional Requirements for Incidents with Special Circumstances
Incidents involving or significantly impacting students under the age of 18
Incidents involving or significantly impacting international students
Incidents involving domestic and family violence or sexual harm
Incidents that occur overseas
Incidents involving students from (or occurring on) metropolitan and regional campuses
Section 8 - Closing a Student Critical Incident
Top of PageSection 9 - Student Privacy and Consent
Section 10 - Student Critical Incident Response Group
Top of PageSection 11 - Review of the Student Critical Incident Response Group
Section 12 - Roles and Responsibilities
Top of PageSection 13 - Definitions
Defined Term
Definition
Domestic and Family Violence
Usually refers to threatening, coercive, dominating, controlling or abusive behavior within families, kinship groups, guardians, and co-habitants (for example, house mates).
Relationship Manager
The staff member delegated to manage relationships with external people or organisations including student’s family members.
Student
A person enrolled to study or registered for a course.
Student Critical Incident
Student Critical Incident Response Group
The team responsible for the operational leadership of student critical incidents and direction given to local teams.
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UOW Risk Consequence Rating Tool
Consequence Severity Levels
1 - Insignificant
2 – Minor
3 - Moderate
4 - Major
5 - Severe
Student events
Impact is low and no additional support is needed. Student may be directed to existing services and information.
Example:
- student missing an exam
Minor impact on student/s and is managed as business as usual. Student may be directed to existing services and information.
May involve short term engagement with additional support and/or treatment. Brief and minimal disruption to daily functioning and participation in usual activities that is quickly and easily resolved.
Examples:
- hospitalisation due to minor incident off campus such as a broken arm
- lower level harassment, sexual or otherwise
Moderate impact on student/s and extra support or action may be needed. This may also include lower level events repeating and causing a cumulative impact.
May involve medium term engagement with additional support/treatment required. Temporary reorganisation of daily activities required, either social, study or extracurricular, and/or employment. Escalation of care and treatment may be required to external support services.
Examples:
- severe verbal or psychological aggression
- suicidal ideation requiring escalation of services
- hospitalisation due to incident on campus
Major impact on students. This may also include lower level events repeating and causing a cumulative impact.
May involve large scale and/or long term/ permanent disruption and reorganisation in some or all areas of student’s life. Escalation of care and treatment often required external to UOW support services.
Examples:
-missing student
- domestic and family violence, physical, sexual or other abuse
Significant impact on students. This may also include lower level events repeating and causing a cumulative impact.
Would usually result in large and permanent disruption to many areas of student’s life and activities.
Example:
- death, serious injury or any threat of these
Not required to be reported unless the impact on the student is extreme, or the cumulative impact of events, or repetition of events has increased the severity rating.
Deemed student critical incidents and are required to be reported (as indicated in Section 5).
Critical Incident
An event that is highly salient, unexpected, and potentially disruptive which can threaten UOW’s goals and may have profound implications for its relationships with stakeholders which demands immediate attention, intervention, and management across multiple UOW functions. (Business Continuity Management and Resilience Policy)
Crisis Management Team
The team responsible for the strategic leadership and direction of crisis management and keeping University Council and any subcommittee of University Council informed and updated. (Crisis Management Plan)
Critical Incident Management Team
The team responsible for the operational leadership of critical incidents and direction given to local emergency management teams. (Critical Incident Management Plan)
As defined by ESOS- “A traumatic event, or the threat of such (within or outside Australia), which causes extreme stress, fear or injury to a student”.
Student critical incidents are evaluated as level 3-5 on the UOW Risk Consequence Rating tool as found as part of the Enterprise Risk Management Policy.