Your Safety and Security
Your Safety and Security
MHE cares for the safety of all its students and staff. We aim to provide a comfortable, welcoming space for everyone regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender, religion, physiological or psychological condition or orientation. You can be confident that anything which makes you feel unsafe or threatens your welfare on campus will be taken seriously.
MHE considers verbal, physical, or emotional abuse intolerable. We will never condone discrimination or hate speech. MHE has a thorough policy and procedure for investigating and acting on offensive speech or behaviour. Refer to our Anti-Harassment Policy and Procedure on the Policies, Procedures and Forms page.
At your Orientation, you will meet MHE’s designated Safety Officer, first aid officers, and Student Services Officer. MHE always has at least one first aid officer on campus. We will also show you our fire escapes and explain our evacuation procedure. MHE monitors its campus constantly to find and fix risks. If you spot a possible risk, we encourage you to tell staff.
We can help you find medical professionals, financial or tenancy help, counselling and legal services, and a list of vital contacts in those areas are set out below. We strongly encourage you to reach out to our Student Services Officer at sso@monaro.edu.au if you require any assistance, support or other services during your studies at MHE.
For advice for staying safe while studying in New South Wales, the NSW Police Force have produced this helpful series of videos: Stay Safe in NSW: Advice For International Students – NSW Police Force – YouTube.
Vital Contacts
Urgent Response
- Life-threatening emergencies: call 000 (police, ambulance, and fire brigade).
- Police Assistance Line (non-life-threatening): call 131 444.
- Burwood Police Station: 24 Burleigh Street, Burwood or call 9745 8499.
- State Government Domestic and Family Violence Support: call 1800 656 463 or go to Domestic, family and sexual violence | Communities and Justice (nsw.gov.au)
- Child Protection: call 13 21 11.
- Crime Stoppers: call 1800 333 111.
Medical Help
- Myhealth Medical Centre, Level 1 Burwood Plaza, 42-50 Burwood Road, Burwood, Phone: 9738 0040.
- Burwood Medical Centre: 3 / 36 Belmore Street, Burwood, Phone: 9744 9208.
- Burwood Westfield Medical Centre: 100 Burwood Road, Burwood, Phone: 9744 3330.
- Burwood Road Medical Centre: 85 Burwood Road, Burwood, Phone: 9747 4344.
- Strathfield Private Hospital: 3 Everton Road, Strathfield, Phone: 9745 7444.
Pharmacies / Chemists
- Amcal Chemist: Shop 46-47 Burwood Plaza, Railway Parade.
- Chemist Warehouse: 69 Burwood Road.
- Pikes Day and Night Pharmacy: 142 Burwood Road.
- Priceline Chemist: Shop 301, Westfield Burwood.
Mental Health
- Suicide Call Back Service, call 1300 659 467, Mental health counselling | Suicide Call Back Service.
- Black Dog Institute,Black Dog Institute | Science. Compassion. Action.
- Beyond Blue, 1300 22 46 36.
- Lifeline, 13 11 14.
- Head to Health, to find trustworthy digital mental health services go to https://www.headtohealth.gov.au/
- Reach Out, online mental health for young people, https://au.reachout.com/
- Men’s Line, 1300 789 978, Free help, referrals & counselling for men: MensLine Australia
- Alcohol and Drug Information Service, for free 24-hour support call 1800 250 015.
Legal Services
- Department of Home Affairs (information relating to visas, passports, immigration, permanent residency and citizenship), 9 Wentworth Street, Parramatta, go to Department of Home Affairs or call 131 881.
- Law Access NSW, 1300 888 529, Welcome to Law Access NSW.
- My Legal Mate (a free legal resource designed by the NSW State Government specifically for international students), My Legal Mate - Study NSW.
- Victims of Crime Support Services, Victims Services (nsw.gov.au).
- Service NSW (A range of State Government services, including driver’s licences and Working with Children Checks) call 13 77 88 or go to Ground Floor, 1 – 17 Elsie Street, Burwood.
- Fair Trading International students | NSW Fair Trading.
- International Students Ombudsman: email ombudsman@ombudsman.gov.au or call 1300 362 072.
Libraries
Monaro has its own library. The catalogue is accessible through the Learning Management System, Moodle. This includes access to physical books, journal articles and online resources through the EBSCO Database.
Other external libraries which you can join for free include:
- Burwood Library: 2 Conder Street, Burwood.
- Strathfield Council Library and Innovation Hub: 65 – 67 Rochester Street, Strathfield.
- Concord Library: Wellbank Street, Concord.
Critical Incidents
A critical incident is an event, or the threat of an event, which causes extreme stress, fear, or injury. Critical incidents may apply to just one person, one group of people or an entire community. Critical incidents include but are not limited to:
- Missing students
- Severe verbal, physical or psychological aggression
- Natural disaster
- Drug or alcohol abuse.
Your Responsibilities
All students, academics, ancillary staff, and contractors are expected to:
- Take reasonable care for the health and safety of everyone, including themselves.
- Report any critical incidents to the Designated Safety Officer, or else to a manager immediately.
- Comply with any instructions from the Designated Safety Officer.
- Understand and abide by all MHE policies, including the Critical Incident Policy and Procedures and their Code of Conduct.
Emergency Contacts
All students, academics, ancillary staff, and contractors are expected to:
- If the emergency is on campus: the Designated Safety Officer, email dso@monaro.edu.au.
- If the emergency is elsewhere: Call 000 for police, fire brigade and ambulance.
- State Emergency Service: 132 500.
- Myhealth Medical Centre, Level 1 Burwood Plaza, 42-50 Burwood Road, Burwood 9738 0040.
- Burwood Family Medical Centre, 3/36 Belmore Street Burwood, 9744 9208.
For further information on Critical Incidents, refer to MHE’s Critical Incident Policy and Critical Incident Procedure on the Policies, Procedures and Forms page.
Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault
Sexual harassment and sexual assault are unacceptable at MHE. Our Anti-Harassment Policy and Procedure explain how we promote an environment where everyone is treated with dignity and courtesy and where all relationships are trusting and respectful.
Sexual harassment and sexual assault are unacceptable at MHE. Our Anti-Harassment Policy and Procedure explain how we promote an environment where everyone is treated with dignity and courtesy and where all relationships are trusting and respectful.
Sexual harassment is a sexual advance, request for sexual favours or any other sexual speech or behaviour which is unwelcome or offends, humiliates and/or intimidates another person, where a reasonable person would anticipate that reaction. Sexual harassment can be physical, spoken or written. It can include:
- comments about a person’s private life or appearance
- sexually suggestive behaviour, such as leering or staring
- brushing up against someone, touching, fondling or hugging
- sexually suggestive comments, jokes or innuendo
- displaying offensive screen savers, photos, calendars or objects
- repeated unwanted requests to go out
- requests for sex
- sexually explicit posts on social networking sites
- insults or taunts of a sexual nature
- unflattering nicknames
- sending sexually explicit emails or text messages
- inappropriate advances on social networking sites
- accessing sexually explicit internet sites
- behaviour that may also be considered to be an offence under criminal law, such as physical assault, indecent exposure, sexual assault, stalking or obscene communications.
Sexual assault is an illegal act where a person is forced, coerced, or tricked into sexual acts against their will or without their consent.
Consent is free and voluntary agreement to engage willingly in sexual activity. Sexual activity may only take place where everyone involved gives consent clearly and enthusiastically. Consent is not valid where it is forced, given out of fear, or comes after coercion, threats, or manipulation. Anyone involved may withdraw their consent at any time.
Help for victims
Care and consideration for a person’s safety and wellbeing is our primary focus when responding to any disclosure, when seeking a resolution and when addressing any formal complaint of sexual assault or sexual harassment.
If you are a victim-survivor of sexual harassment or sexual assault on campus or elsewhere, we strongly encourage you to contact the Student Support Officer (SSO) who can provide you with assistance and support, including by arranging support under the Student Support Framework and referral to external services such as counselling.
The SSO or the Dean can provide support and assistance in relation to reporting the matter to police. MHE recognises that a victim-survivor of sexual harassment or sexual assault may not wish to report it to the police and respects a victim-survivor’s decision in this regard. Regardless of that decision, the SSO or Dean will continue to provide the victim-survivor with information, assistance and support as required.
The SSO can also provide support, guidance and assistance in relation to initiating a process under the Anti-Harassment Policy and Procedure in relation to an incident involving sexual harassment or sexual assault on campus. Our Anti-Harassment Policy and Procedure is available on the Policies, Procedures and Forms page.
If you witness sexual harassment or sexual assault or suspect that someone you know has experienced it, we encourage you to speak supportively, compassionately, and non-judgmentally, and listen actively to the victim-survivor. You may wish to outline available support services, including services provided by MHE’s SSO, to the victim-survivor so that they can make their own decision about next steps. If the victim-survivor gives you permission, you may also report the incident to the SSO on their behalf.
MHE keeps records of sexual harassment and sexual assault incidents, subsequent investigations and actions taken. We keep these records strictly confidential. They are only available to staff directly involved in the processes under the Anti-Harassment Policy and Procedure. We use anonymised versions of these records to improve our processes to prevent recurrence.
Relevant Contacts
Care and consideration for a person’s safety and wellbeing is our primary focus when responding to any disclosure, when seeking a resolution and when addressing any formal complaint of sexual assault or sexual harassment.
If you are a victim-survivor of sexual harassment or sexual assault on campus or elsewhere, we strongly encourage you to contact the Student Support Officer (SSO) who can provide you with assistance and support, including by arranging support under the Student Support Framework and referral to external services such as counselling.
The SSO or the Dean can provide support and assistance in relation to reporting the matter to police. MHE recognises that a victim-survivor of sexual harassment or sexual assault may not wish to report it to the police and respects a victim-survivor’s decision in this regard. Regardless of that decision, the SSO or Dean will continue to provide the victim-survivor with information, assistance and support as required.
The SSO can also provide support, guidance and assistance in relation to initiating a process under the Anti-Harassment Policy and Procedure in relation to an incident involving sexual harassment or sexual assault on campus. Our Anti-Harassment Policy and Procedure is available on the Policies, Procedures and Forms page.
If you witness sexual harassment or sexual assault or suspect that someone you know has experienced it, we encourage you to speak supportively, compassionately, and non-judgmentally, and listen actively to the victim-survivor. You may wish to outline available support services, including services provided by MHE’s SSO, to the victim-survivor so that they can make their own decision about next steps. If the victim-survivor gives you permission, you may also report the incident to the SSO on their behalf.
MHE keeps records of sexual harassment and sexual assault incidents, subsequent investigations and actions taken. We keep these records strictly confidential. They are only available to staff directly involved in the processes under the Anti-Harassment Policy and Procedure. We use anonymised versions of these records to improve our processes to prevent recurrence.
- MHE Student Support Officer sso@monaro.edu.au.
- NSW Police Force Sexual Assault Reporting Option Sexual Assault Reporting Option (nsw.gov.au).
- 1800 Respect (free, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to support people impacted by domestic, family, or sexual violence) Phone 1800 737 732 or Home | 1800RESPECT.
- NSW Sexual Violence Helpline 1800 424 017.
- Crime Stoppers 1800 333 000.
- Burwood Police Station: 24 Burleigh Street, Burwood 9745 8499.
- Police Assistance Line 131 444.
Safety Online
You will have to use the internet a lot in Australia for study, for social reasons and for business. It is generally safe, but there are safeguards to help you avoid becoming a victim of online fraud or other crime:
- Never post your personal contact details on an insecure website.
- Maintain your privacy settings.
- Change your passwords regularly and never write them down.
- Keep your anti-virus software updated.
- When spending money online, use a secure payment platform such as PayPal.
- Never reply to emails or text messages that ask for your personal details. If you get an email or text message from your bank, an insurance company, a government department etc, contact them (not using contact details in the email or message) to make sure that it’s genuine.
