Duty of Care
Duty of care exists where one individual's actions or inactions could reasonably be expected to affect another person. Therefore, the University owes to each of its students and staff a duty to take reasonable care for the health and safety of those students and staff. This includes both psychological and physical safety. The duty owed is not a duty to ensure that no harm will ever occur, but a duty to take reasonable care to avoid harm being suffered.
This does not mean that the University has to be perfect, but it must provide a reasonable standard of care. A reasonable standard of care is determined by factors such as:- The practicality of the situation.
- The need to meet the duty of care of all persons who might be involved.
- Legal requirements.
In order to make a complaint of negligence or breach of duty of care a student must be able to provide evidence that he/she has suffered harm because the University has acted without proper care.
Students who wish to make a complaint should read The Student Complaints Procedure which applies to all students of Northumbria University; the Complaints Procedure is set out in the Handbook of Student Regulations: Section 9.
If you need help or further information you can get advice from the Welfare & International Support team or the Students' Union.
