Call for ProtectED Peer Reviewers

Safeguarding the student experience

ProtectED is a not-for-profit membership organisation and national accreditation scheme that aims to drive up standards in student safety, security and wellbeing in the university sector.

ProtectED adopts a student-centered approach, with the ProtectED Code of Practice addressing issues across the whole student experience, both on and off-campus.

The Code of Practice comprises five parts — the Core and four issue-focused instruments, as follows:

• Core Institutional Safety and Security

• Instrument 1: Student Wellbeing and Mental Health

• Instrument 2: International Students

• Instrument 3: Student Harassment and Sexual Assault

• Instrument 4: The Student Night Out

ProtectED Accreditation

Examining policies, procedures and practices, ProtectED Accreditation assesses the extent to which an applicant university provides the services and structures that enable students to avoid problems and focus on their success.

ProtectED Member universities undertake a process of self-assessment and when ready, may apply for ProtectED Accreditation.

ProtectED confers the ProtectED Accredited Institution Award on member universities that are able to demonstrate — through independent assessment — that they meet all requirements in the ProtectED Code of Practice.

Universities successfully achieving accreditation may display the ProtectED Accredited Institution mark. The mark offers a clear way for prospective students and their families to identify universities prioritising student safety, security and wellbeing.

Independent Peer Review

ProtectED is now seeking to recruit Peer Reviewers to assess the first round of applications for the ProtectED Accredited Institution Award by ProtectED member universities.

Every application for ProtectED Accreditation is reviewed by a Peer Review Panel of five individuals, each with expertise in one of the five areas that form the Code of Practice:

• Institutional Safety and Security

• Student Wellbeing and Mental Health

• International Students

• Student Harassment and Sexual Assault

• The Student Night Out

Findings of the Peer Review Panel inform the Verification visit and are presented to the ProtectED Accreditation Board.

Peer Reviewer applicant profile

Eligible applicants for the ProtectED Peer Reviewer role will have experience working with or for a UK higher education institution to support students in at least one of the five areas of the ProtectED Code of Practice, as outlined above.

Peer Reviewer applicants should be currently engaged in this work, or have been engaged in such work within the last 12 months. Applicants may belong to the following groups:

• Suitably experienced academic and non-academic staff

• Student services and support staff with experience of working in a university environment

• Industry specialists with experience of working with or for universities. For example:

– Members of HE sector bodies and agencies

– Expert consultants that have worked closely with universities

– Staff of relevant charities working with universities

– Police or security officers working closely with universities.

Commitment and compensation

ProtectED Peer Reviewers are paid for their time at the rate of £350 per day. It is anticipated that Peer Review of an application will take 2.5 days. In addition, ProtectED will reimburse second class rail travel to attend the Peer Review Panel meeting in Manchester.

Training requirements

Successful applicants must complete an online training course (around 4–6 hours) and attend a one-day classroom-based training course in Manchester. The details of approved ProtectED Peer Reviewers will be listed on the ProtectED website.

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For more information on how to apply to become a ProtectED Peer Reviewer, please contact Dr Lucy Winrow at l.winrow@protect-ed.org