I have been confided in, I have heard or seen something | Social safety help guide

Sometimes you notice that something is not right. Maybe someone has told you something in confidence or you have yourself seen or heard something that touches you. It is important to take that feeling seriously. When someone confides in you, your attention and support can make a big difference. Just listening, being there and showing that you are prepared to think things through with them can be enormously valuable to that person.

At the same time, it is important that you also take good care of yourself. It can be hard to be a party to such information. It's totally okay to seek support, advice, or a listening ear if you need it. You don't have to handle this alone.

Are you unsure about the right step?

Maybe you don't know exactly what happened, or you wonder if you can or should do something about it because someone shared it in confidence. These kinds of doubts are quite normal. Every situation is different, and you don't have to figure it out alone. It can help to talk about it with someone you trust and who can think things through with you.

Is it about something that is happening now?

Is there an unsafe situation at the moment?

Yes

No

What you can do:

Direct – Talk to someone if it's safe to do so: "Hey, that doesn't feel right."
Distract – Interrupt the situation: ask a question, invite someone to do something else.
Delegate – Get help from someone who can intervene.
Delay – If immediate intervention is not possible, stay present and check in later.
Document (Register) – Write down what you see or hear so that there is clarity later (without adding personal opinions).

By choosing one of these steps, you are already helping. Just being present and supporting can make a big difference.

Call 112 or the national emergency services if you are not at UT.

What choices do I have?

Make a choice:

I have been confided in

Someone has told you something or you're worried about someone. You want to know how you can be there for that person.

I have seen or heard something

You are unsure what to do with what you have seen or heard. You would first like to talk to someone who can think along with you about the situation, without making a report.

I would like something to change about the situation.

You are concerned about a situation and would like to know which steps can be taken to improve it.

I would like to make an (anonymous) report

You would like to report a situation and share information about it, possibly anonymously. The report will be read and carefully assessed. The signals you provide may give reason for a follow-up investigation or a conversation with those involved.

Reporting anonymously means that you do not provide your name or contact details. We therefore do not know who you are. That is the core principle. The report will still be read and carefully assessed. Please note: in most cases, we are unable to take further action based on an anonymous report. You will not receive further updates.

IP addresses are stored for technical purposes only; they are not accessed or viewed by the staff handling the form or by any other parties involved in the processing of a submitted form.

Someone confided in me

When someone tells you something about a difficult or unsafe situation, it often shows that they trust you. That can be valuable, but it is a responsibility that can weigh you down. The most important thing you can do is listen and take the other person seriously. You don't have to solve the problem.

What can be helpful?

Listen without judgment. Show that you take the other person seriously.
Ask what the other person needs. Everyone deals with a situation differently.
Respect the speed with which the other person reacts. Not everyone wants to take action right away.

Think about yourself

Only if you feel okay about yourself can you help someone else. Being a party to such information can be hard. You can also ask for advice yourself. This can often be done without naming names.

What do you want to do?

Several possibilities:

I'm not sure what's the best thing to do

I would like to refer someone for support

I would like to make an (anonymous) report

You would like to report a situation and share information about it, possibly anonymously. The report will be read and carefully assessed. The signals you provide may give reason for a follow-up investigation or a conversation with those involved.

Reporting anonymously means that you do not provide your name or contact details. We therefore do not know who you are. That is the core principle. The report will still be read and carefully assessed. Please note: in most cases, we are unable to take further action based on an anonymous report. You will not receive further updates.

IP addresses are stored for technical purposes only; they are not accessed or viewed by the staff handling the form or by any other parties involved in the processing of a submitted form.

I'm not sure what's the best thing to do

It is normal to have doubts when someone tells you something about a difficult or unsafe situation. Maybe you don't know what is expected of you, or you are afraid of doing something wrong. It's important to know that you don't have to know what to do right away. It can mean a lot that you have listened to someone and taken them seriously.

What can you do in such a situation?

Take the time to think
You don't have to act immediately. Sometimes it helps to take a step back and think calmly about what you have heard.

Stay in touch with the other person
If it feels like the right thing to do, you can let them know that you are there to listen. You don't have to have solutions to offer support.

Discuss what the other person wants
Ask what their preference is. Some people mainly want to tell their story, while others are looking for advice or help.

Ask for advice if you feel uncertain. If you are not sure what is the best thing to do, you can ask for advice yourself.

Asking for advice

If you're not sure what's the best thing to do, you can ask for advice yourself.

HR adviser or study adviser
You can confide in an HR adviser (if you are an employee) or a study adviser (if you are a student) to tell your story. They can think things through with you and can sometimes help you directly or refer you if necessary.

Ombuds officer
The ombuds officer is there to listen, think things through with you and give advice. They can also help solve problems. Everything you share remains confidential. This applies to both the report and the contact afterwards. The independent and impartial ombuds officer is there for employees and students of all levels and handles your story with care.

Dr. H.G. Warmelink (Han)

Confidential adviser
You can discuss the situation with a confidential adviser. They are trained to have confidential conversations. And they know what options exist and can give you advice.

I am

employee

student

PhD/EngD

Confidential counsellors for employees

The confidential advisors are independent and not faculty-related. You can choose who you want to contact.

If you prefer to make contact with someone who is not affiliated with UT, you can contact our external confidential advisor for undesirable behaviour:
Mrs mr. M.C.P (Margreet) van Dongen
Telephone number: 06 12 69 62 37
Mail: Vertrouwenspersoon.vandongen@gmail.com

In addition, an external confidential advisor for abuse has been appointed through the CAOP Foundation:
Mrs drs. L. (Lucette) van der Est
Telephone number: 070 – 37 65 746 (office hours)
Mail: integriteit@caop.nl
Post: CAOP, P.O Box 556, 2501 CN The Hague

Confidential counsellors for students

Would you prefer to talk to a UT student?

In that case a Confidential Contact Person (CCP) is your point of contact. They are trained to listen to colleagues and will treat everything you share with complete confidentiality. They support you if you are struggling with something, no matter how big or small. Let’s talk about it.

The confidential counsellors are independent and not affiliated with any specific study programme. You can choose yourself who you would like to contact.

You can schedule a meeting in whichever way feels most comfortable for you:

The secretariat (Vrijhof, room 316)
By phone (+31 53 489 2035)
Via the online planner: confidential.planner.utwente.nl/

PhD/EngD counsellors

All PhD and EngD candidates at the University of Twente (UT), including external PhD students and scholarship recipients, can contact a counsellor:

You can make an appointment with the counsellors in whichever way suits you best:

At the secretariaat (Vrijhof, room 316)
By phone (+31 53 489 2035)
Via the online planner: phdeng.planner.utwente.nl

I want to refer someone for support

If someone tells you about a difficult or unsafe situation, it can be helpful to point suggest to them to supportseek support. You don't have to solve this yourself. Within the organiszation there are people who can think alongthings through, give advice or offer support. Discuss it together. Ask if the other person is open to seeking support. Not everyone is ready for that right away, respect the pace of the other.

HR adviser of study adviser

You can confide in an HR advisoer (if you are an employee) or a Sstudy adviseor (if you are a student) together to tell the story. They think along things through with you and can sometimes help you directly or refer you if necessary.

Manager or teacher

ogether you can confide in a manager (if you are an employee) or teacher (if you are a student) in what is going on. Together you look at what is needed to improve the situation and prevent recurrenceit from recurring.

Ombuds officer

he ombuds officer is there to listen, think along things through with you and give advice. They ombuds officer can also help solve problems. Everything you share remains confidential. This applies to both the report and the contact afterwards. The independent and impartial ombuds officer is independent and impartial and handles your story with carethere for students of all levels and handles your story with care. The ombuds officer is there for employees, students, PhDs and EngDs.

Confidential Counsellor
A confidential counsellor listens to your story, thinks along with you, and supports you without judgement and in complete confidence. A confidential counsellor will never share your story with anyone else without your permission. You always decide for yourself which steps you want to take.

Make a selection below if you would like to see which confidential counsellor you can contact.

I am

employee

student

PhD/EngD

Confidential counsellors for employees

The confidential advisors are independent and not faculty-related. You can choose who you want to contact.

If you prefer to make contact with someone who is not affiliated with UT, you can contact our external confidential advisor for undesirable behaviour:
Mrs mr. M.C.P (Margreet) van Dongen
Telephone number: 06 12 69 62 37
Mail: Vertrouwenspersoon.vandongen@gmail.com

In addition, an external confidential advisor for abuse has been appointed through the CAOP Foundation:
Mrs drs. L. (Lucette) van der Est
Telephone number: 070 – 37 65 746 (office hours)
Mail: integriteit@caop.nl
Post: CAOP, P.O Box 556, 2501 CN The Hague

Confidential counsellors for students

Would you prefer to talk to a UT student?

In that case a Confidential Contact Person (CCP) is your point of contact. They are trained to listen to colleagues and will treat everything you share with complete confidentiality. They support you if you are struggling with something, no matter how big or small. Let’s talk about it.

The confidential counsellors are independent and not affiliated with any specific study programme. You can choose yourself who you would like to contact.

You can schedule a meeting in whichever way feels most comfortable for you:

The secretariat (Vrijhof, room 316)
By phone (+31 53 489 2035)
Via the online planner: confidential.planner.utwente.nl/

PhD/EngD counsellors

All PhD and EngD candidates at the University of Twente (UT), including external PhD students and scholarship recipients, can contact a counsellor:

You can make an appointment with the counsellors in whichever way suits you best:

At the secretariaat (Vrijhof, room 316)
By phone (+31 53 489 2035)
Via the online planner: phdeng.planner.utwente.nl

I have seen or heard something

Have you seen or heard something that didn’t feel right? It can be difficult to know what you can or should do in a situation like this. You do not have to figure it out on your own. As a bystander, you can play an important role, for example by taking signals seriously or by asking for advice about what you can do. At the same time, it is completely understandable if you are unsure about what is appropriate in a situation. You do not have to deal with this alone.

START WITH A CONVERSATION WITH THE PERSON INVOLVED

If it feels safe and appropriate, you can ask the person involved how they are doing or what happened. Without judging, you can share what you saw or heard. Sometimes, an open and respectful conversation can help create space to share concerns or gain more clarity.

Asking for Advice

Are you unsure about what you want to do? You can ask for advice to discuss possible next steps together. This could be a friend or colleague, but also one of the options below.

HR adviser or study adviser
You can confide in an HR-adviser (if you are an employee) or study adviser (if you are a student) to tell your story. They can think things through with you and can sometimes help you directly or refer you if necessary.

Manager or teacher
Together you can confide in a manager (if you are an employee) or teacher (if you are a student). Together you look at what is needed to improve the situation and prevent it from recurring.

Ombuds officer
The ombuds officer is there to listen, think things through with you and give advice. They can also help solve problems. Everything you share remains confidential. This applies to both the report and the contact afterwards. The independent and impartial ombuds officer is there for employees and students of all levels and handles your story with care.

Confidential adviser
You can discuss the situation with a confidential adviser. They are trained to have confidential conversations. And they know what options exist and can give you advice.

I am

employee

student

PhD/EngD

Confidential counsellors for employees

The confidential advisors are independent and not faculty-related. You can choose who you want to contact.

If you prefer to make contact with someone who is not affiliated with UT, you can contact our external confidential advisor for undesirable behaviour:
Mrs mr. M.C.P (Margreet) van Dongen
Telephone number: 06 12 69 62 37
Mail: Vertrouwenspersoon.vandongen@gmail.com

In addition, an external confidential advisor for abuse has been appointed through the CAOP Foundation:
Mrs drs. L. (Lucette) van der Est
Telephone number: 070 – 37 65 746 (office hours)
Mail: integriteit@caop.nl
Post: CAOP, P.O Box 556, 2501 CN The Hague

Confidential counsellors for students

Would you prefer to talk to a UT student?

In that case a Confidential Contact Person (CCP) is your point of contact. They are trained to listen to colleagues and will treat everything you share with complete confidentiality. They support you if you are struggling with something, no matter how big or small. Let’s talk about it.

The confidential counsellors are independent and not affiliated with any specific study programme. You can choose yourself who you would like to contact.

You can schedule a meeting in whichever way feels most comfortable for you:

The secretariat (Vrijhof, room 316)
By phone (+31 53 489 2035)
Via the online planner: confidential.planner.utwente.nl/

PhD/EngD counsellors

All PhD and EngD candidates at the University of Twente (UT), including external PhD students and scholarship recipients, can contact a counsellor:

You can make an appointment with the counsellors in whichever way suits you best:

At the secretariaat (Vrijhof, room 316)
By phone (+31 53 489 2035)
Via the online planner: phdeng.planner.utwente.nl

Report the situation

Have you seen or heard something that may not have been right? Then you can report the situation. You may choose to leave your contact details, but you also have the option to report anonymously. Whatever you choose, your report will be taken seriously and handled with care.

When submitting an anonymous report, you do not provide your name or contact details. We do not know who you are, and that will remain the case. Every report is read, taken seriously, and carefully assessed. Please note that with an anonymous report, it is not possible to provide a substantive response or feedback. In most cases, we are also unable to take further action based on the report.

I would like to make an (anonymous) report:

Met een (anonieme) melding geef je een signaal af die aanleiding kunnen zijn voor een vervolgonderzoek of gesprek met betrokkene.

I want something to change about the situation

Have you seen or heard something and would you like action to be taken regarding the situation? Then you can discuss it or report it. This allows the situation to be assessed and helps determine which steps may be possible to improve or address it.

START WITH A CONVERSATION WITH THE PERSON INVOLVED

If it feels safe and appropriate, you can ask the person involved in the situation how they are doing or what happened. An open conversation with those involved can help make the behaviour you witnessed discussable or clarify the impact the situation had, without immediately passing judgement. Sometimes, such a conversation can already contribute to positive change,

tALK ABOUT IT

You can also discuss the situation with someone who holds responsibility within the organisation. They can help assess the situation and take action where necessary.

HR adviser or study adviser

You can confide in an HR adviser (if you are an employee) or study adviser (if you are a student) to tell your story. They can help you to think through the situation and can sometimes help you directly or refer you if necessary. 

Manager or teacher
You can confide in your manager (if you are an employee) or teacher (if you are a student). Together you look at what is needed to improve the situation and prevent it from recurring.

report the situtation

You want to report a situation and share information about it, possibly anonymously. The report is read and carefully assessed. Any signals you give may lead to a follow-up investigation or conversation with those involved.

Reporting anonymously means that you do not provide your name and contact details, and so we don't know who you are. The report is still read and carefully assessed. Please note: in most cases we cannot follow up on this. You will not receive any further information.

IP addresses are stored for technical purposes, they are not consulted or viewed by the persons handling a form or other interested parties in a completed form.

I want to report the situation (anonymously)

(Anonymous) report

With this form you can share your experience or concerns in a way that suits you. You can choose to leave your details, but you also have the option to report anonymously. Whatever you choose, your report will be taken seriously and handled carefully.

In the case of an anonymous report, you do not provide a name or contact details and so we don't know who you are. Every report is read, taken seriously and carefully assessed. In the case of an anonymous report, it is not possible to provide a substantive response or feedback. Please note: in most cases we cannot follow up on this.

IP addresses are stored for technical purposes, they are not consulted or viewed by those dealing with a form or other interested parties in a completed form.

I want to remain anonymous

Name

Email