Social safety

Confidential counselor
Undesirable behaviour can occur in an educational environment or a private situation, like domestic violance. In both cases, students and staff can discuss these situations with special Fontys Confidential advisors. They work conform the code Domestic violance and child abuse. These rules help professionals to react appropriately to signals of undesirable behaviour.
Confidential counselor procedure

Within an educational context

Within the educational context, we mean the environment provided by one of the Fontys programmes, such as lessons, activities in learning communities or a practical.

  • Make sure the student knows about the Fontys confidential counsellors. Inform them that they are independent and have an autonomous position within Fontys. The student's story is, therefore, completely safe with them. Students are free to choose a specific confidentia counsellor. They listen and discuss the situation and possible next steps. The student is in the lead the whole way.
  • As a student coach, you can always ask for advice from a confidentional counsellor about an anonymous case.
  • If you, as a student coach, notice (structural) insecurity in the educational context, this must also be addressed to the managers. You can also choose to discuss it first with the Fontys confidential counsellors. They can help by discussing what follow-up steps are possible.

Ensure prevention is a topic of discussion in, for example, a (teachers') team meeting. In this way, social safety receives regular attention, and it remains clear how you deal with these kinds of cases within the institute.

For meetings like this, a student coach, someone from the guidance team or one of the confidential counsellors can join or provide input. It is essential to share experiences and that everyone is competent to act.

During internships/minors

As part of every study programme, our students, among other things, work on practical assignments, have (graduation) internships, or study in hybrid learning environments. In all cases, the student works and learns in different environments.

Information in addition to the points mentioned in section 'Within the educational context':

    • You can always inform the student about the Fontys confidential counsellor in this situation.
    • Fontys confidential counsellors can think along in situations like this. It is important to know that confidential counsellors are not authorised to do anything at internship companies, but the integrity code provides a bridge to open the conversation.
    • The organisation where the student works (usually) also has a structure where you can report undesirable behaviour.
    • Discuss the situation (anonymously) with your supervisor. Suppose several signals about this practice environment come in to your study programme. In that case, it is essential for the study programme to start the conversation with the practice environment and to take appropriate steps if necessary.
Many of our students go abroad for a minor at another educational institution. It may be that a student there ends up in a socially unsafe situation and confides in you. The primary advice is: "Every educational institution" has similar support with confidential counsellors. Suppose a student informs you about a socially unsafe situation. In that case, it is wise to work together to see who the student can turn to at the educational institution and refer to them.

Abroad

Students may have to deal with socially unsafe situations at a (partner) university or during a trip abroad. It is good to be aware of:

  • Partner universities (in case of study abroad minors) often have similar support with confidential counsellors. Some institutions refer students to a practice in the city externally.
  • If a student reports a socially unsafe situation, informing the Fontys coordinator internationalisation or coordinator (international) internships is wise thing to do.
  • Students can also contact Fontys deans or psychologists from abroad for an online appointment.
  • If the student is abroad on an Erasmus+ scholarship, there is the possibility of returning home early. The student may retain (part of) the scholarship depending on the situation. Whether there is a right to this will be dealt with by team Study Abroad studyabroad@fontys.nl. The student can get information about the possibilities after returning home. So, there is no need to prioritise this type of administrative action.

Polarisation in the classroom

Fontys is at the centre of society. And so the debate and its associated contradictions can also seep into our work environment or classrooms. Not everyone will experience this equally intensely everywhere, but inevitably, we as education professionals must also relate to this. Time and again, the trick is to take a position, choose a stance, be aware of what to say or say nothing for a while to listen. Because this is far from easy, we want to support you with the toolkit Building Social Cohesion, which the experts at OnPurpose developed.