Legal and Regulatory Landscape

The University Secretary is the University Lead for Prevent and responsible for:

• Ensuring appropriate arrangements are in place to meet the prevent duty;
• Convening the Prevent Safeguarding Panel as and when required;
• Sharing information, on concerns raised, with external agencies when appropriate;
• Representing, or ensuring representation, for the University at the Scottish Higher Education Prevent Working Group and similar forums.

The Director of People acts as the single point of contact (SPOC), for the University, for all Prevent duty related requests for information, processing these as described in the Grampian Prevent Information Sharing protocol. 

Do not respond to the request but forward it to the Prevent mailbox as soon as possible.

The underpinning principle of the Prevent strategy is to safeguard individuals from harm, and for higher education institutions this presents a challenge – to balance the principles of academic freedom with their statutory duties, while safeguarding students and staff. With this in mind, the University of Aberdeen has worked to ensure the adoption of measures under Prevent strikes an appropriate balance between academic freedom and student and staff welfare.

Our proportionate approach has included consultation with our student and staff community to ensure full consideration of all of the issues at hand, and reference to relevant guidance from sources including the Scottish Higher Education Prevent Working Group and the UK Government’s Prevent Duty Guidance for Scottish Higher Education Institutions.

Staff or students should be aware that any concerns they might have over the safety and wellbeing of a student (regardless of what the issue may be) can be raised in confidence with a member of staff in Student Support. Should anyone have a concern over a member of staff then this should be raised in the first instance with a line manager and support will be offered from HR.

Staff who are engaged in the provision of advice to students and staff, who have serious concerns over the welfare of an individual that they think should be shared with a third party, should raise these with the University's Safeguarding Panel.

More detail is given in the policy and the Appendix A (for students) and Appendix B (for staff) and Appendix C (flowchart of the processes).

The Safeguarding Panel is responsible for deciding whether concerns should be shared with relevant external agencies, and acts as the final ‘check’ in the safeguarding process for serious concerns. This process includes multiple checks to ensure careful and detailed consideration of the matter at hand.

The Safeguarding Panel has three permanent members including the University Secretary, the University’s Prevent Coordinator, and the Senior Vice-Principal. Other members are co-opted on a case-by-case basis, depending on the matter being discussed.

Where someone is concerned about a student or staff member, they may wish to share personal information about this individual with relevant staff whose role it is to provide support in such circumstances.

Higher education staff can generally disclose information about a student to enable another member of staff to do their job, in line with the institution's Data Protection Policy. Whenever in doubt, advice should be taken from the institution's Data Protection Officer.

Similarly, an institution may wish to share personal information about a student or member of staff with a third party because of concerns regarding the person's wellbeing.

Decisions to share information with a third party should be taken by the University’s Safeguarding Panel, in line with the institution's Data Protection Policy. Again, in this instance, advice will be sought from the University's Data Protection Officer.

All staff are encouraged to complete the online awareness course. You are strongly encouraged to complete this if you have a front-line service delivery role or are a line manager, so you know what to do if you have concerns about a student or a member of staff you manage.

Designated Safeguarding Officers and some other specific post holders are also expected to complete the referrals course.

Any queries about staff training can be raised in the first instance by emailing prevent@abdn.ac.uk.

No. The new online courses, rolled out across the UK in 2023, take into account the recommendations from the review. They are not expected to change soon, although some new in person courses for specific roles will follow in due course.

The University is required to provide guidance on access to terrorist related material. See the Guidance for working on terrorism related material.

Any researcher who needs to access or store such material as part of their legitimate research should notify the University so that guidance can be issued and secure storage for research data and materials can be provided.

Researchers should notify their Business Development Officer in Research & Innovation if they are applying for external funding or an Ethics Officer if their research requires ethical approval. If neither of these routes apply please notify prevent@abdn.ac.uk.

Our aim is not to stop people looking at or learning about terrorism or extremism as part of legitimate academic study. Through the Prevent legislation we are required to offer some advice and support to researchers who require access to these materials.

The University already has robust policies in place with regards to information security; however the conditions for using IT Facilities and their associated Guidance Notes have been updated to take account of our statutory Counter Terrorism duty.

The University already has a web-filtering tool in place to prevent staff and students accessing any websites considered to contain harmful material without the necessary permissions.

See also the Guidance for working on terrorism related material.

The Counter Terrorism and Security Act 2015 is the legislation under which the Prevent strategy has been introduced.

This places responsibility on higher education institutions and other public bodies to ‘have due regard to the need to prevent people being drawn into terrorism’.

Other relevant legislation includes The Terrorism Act (2000) which makes it an offence for an individual to collect or make a record of information of a kind likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism; or to possess a document or record containing information of that kind (e.g. a terrorist training manual).

In addition, the Terrorism Act (2006) makes it an offence to disseminate terrorist publications in order to encourage others to engage in terrorism.

Our approach to Prevent is not about detecting criminal activity, but encouraging people who have concerns over the safety and wellbeing of an individual to make contact with our support services in order to offer appropriate support if required.

We have robust checks and balances in place to ensure that any concerns are carefully considered and treated with the utmost sensitivity, with the welfare of the individual as our top priority.

Ultimately, our goal is to increase levels of safety and security for our students and staff, and we are confident that the measures being introduced achieve this in a balanced and proportionate manner.

The University is a member of the Scottish Higher Education Prevent Working Group. This group was established by the Scottish University Secretaries in 2015 and is comprised of appropriate representatives from across all Scottish higher education institutions.

The group meets frequently throughout the year and reports directly to the Secretaries Group. Its remit is to develop guidance to assist the Scottish universities in meeting their statutory duties, and act as a forum for sharing best practice.

The University is also a member of other local, multi-agency groups, like the Prevent Delivery Group, which is comprised of representatives from a number of public bodies in the Aberdeen region.

The group meets frequently throughout the year and acts as a forum for sharing best practice, and for assisting public bodies in meeting their statutory duties.

We are committed to open dialogue with our student and staff community to ensure we take full account of their views as we implement these procedures.

Anyone with any concerns regarding this process should contact prevent@abdn.ac.uk in the first instance.

Consultation

The consultation period is now closed. Thank you for your feedback. 

The University of Aberdeen is to hold a consultation period to inform its second Gaelic Language Plan.

Under the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act of 2005, public bodies were required to produce a Gaelic Language Plan to assist the national effort to secure the status of Gaelic as an official language of Scotland.

The University’s first plan, developed in 2013, outlines a series of commitments the University made as part of its efforts to promote the use and acquisition of the Gaelic language.

Individuals and organisations are also invited to comment on the Plan at a number of consultation meetings:

• Public meeting: 19 April 2018, 6-7pm Linklater Rooms, King's College.

  • Consultation Tickets

• Staff and students: 25 April 2018, 10.30-11.30am, Seminar Room 224, Sir Duncan Rice Library 

Language Act

Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005

The Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005 was passed by the Scottish Parliament with a view to securing the status of the Gaelic language as an official language of Scotland commanding equal respect to the English language.

One of the key features of the 2005 Act is the provision enabling Bòrd na Gàidhlig, the national public body responsible for the preservation of Gaelic, to require public bodies to prepare Gaelic Language Plans. This provision was designed to ensure that the public sector in Scotland plays its part in creating a sustainable future for Gaelic by raising its status and profile and creating practical opportunities for its use.

Through its Gaelic Language Plan, the University looks to contribute to the national effort to put in place the necessary structures and initiatives to ensure that Gaelic has a sustainable future. The University’s Gaelic Language Plan was launched on 26 April 2013.

Language Plan

University of Aberdeen Gaelic Language Plan 2019-2024

The University of Aberdeen has prepared its first Gaelic Language Plan to promote the use and acquisition of Gaelic under the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005. It has also developed and adopted a Gaelic Language Policy to affirm its commitment to Gaelic. Both the Plan and Policy are available in English or Gaelic here: Policy Zone. Please contact Janine Chalmers for a hard copy of the Plan. 

Advisory Group

Gaelic Language Plan Advisory Group

To assist in developing and implementing the University’s Plan, we have established a Gaelic Language Plan Advisory Group under the convenership of Vice-Principal Professor Marion Campbell. This Group is responsible for monitoring the implementation of the Plan and for reporting internally to the University Management Group and externally to Bòrd na Gàidhlig, on an annual basis, on progress made against the commitments it contains.

For further details on the Advisory Group, please contact the Clerk, Janine Chalmers.

Are you studying Gaelic? Keep up to date with all Gaelic events at the University and around Aberdeen by signing into My Aberdeen- just click on 'Gaidhlig aig Oilthigh Obar Dheathain'.

Gaelic Room

The Gaelic Common Room is a great place to go if you want to practice your Gaelic in a social setting and meet new people who are learning Gaelic. It is located in the Language Reading Room in Taylor A and is open to all every Wednesday 1-5 PM.

New STAR roles have been created for the Gaelic Room Coordinator and Assistants. Find out more about STAR roles and the STAR scheme through Careers Services.

Conversation/Singing Circles

Conversation and Singing Circles/Cearcaill Còmhraidh is Seinn:

Keep your Gaelic in tune or simply join us for a caper at one of our Conversation or Singing Circles! This is a weekly opportunity to practice speaking Gaelic. All levels of fluency are welcome.

• Sessions take place every Wednesday 1-2 PM

There are a number of resources and websites available if you want to learn more about Gaelic or are interested in learning the language. Just click on the links below to find out more.

Gaelic at the University

• To learn more about courses and programmes in the Gaelic language, culture, and literature, and to find out about some of the research projects currently underway, visit the Gaelic Department webpages. 
• The School of Education offers some degree programmes in Gaelic and Education. If you are interested in teaching Gaelic, or through the medium of Gaelic, visit their website to learn more.
• One of the University's oldest societies is the Celtic Society. Visit their webpages to learn more about the events they run throughout the academic year.
• Find out about some of the events and research currently underway at the Research Institute for Irish and Scottish Studies.
• The Literary magazine Causeway / Cabhsair regularly features the poetry and short stories of new and established and writers. Visit their website to find out how to subscribe or submit for publication.
   

Other Gaelic Websites and Classes

• If you're interested in learning the Gaelic language, visit learngaelic.net, which features a number of resources, including a list of all available Gaelic classes in Scotland.  
• Visit Bòrd na Gàidhlig's website to learn more about the body responsible for implementing the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005 throughout Scotland.
• Find out more about the origins and history of the Gaelic language by visiting The Open University webpages.
• Aberdeen Gaelic Club runs a number of Gaelic classes and events. Visit their website to find out how you can get involved.
• Gaelic education is available for a variety of ages in Aberdeen, including nursery, primary, and secondary. To learn more about Gaelic education provision in Aberdeen, visit Aberdeen City Council's Gaelic Education pages.
• Learn more about Gaelic careers from the new Skills Development Scotland web-resource on Gaelic.
• Learn more about Gaelic education from Teagasg, the dedicated website for Gaelic teaching. There is information for all including pupils and students currently considering careers in Gaelic education, as well as current teachers thinking of switching to Gaelic medium education.

Co-chomhairleachadh

Tha an co-chomhairleachadh dùinte a-nis. Tapadh leibh airson ur beachdan.

Tha Oilthigh Obar Dheathain gu bhith a’ cumail co-chomhairleachadh agus iad a’ sireadh bheachdan gus cuideachadh le bhith a’ dealbh an dàrna Plana Gàidhlig aca.

Fo Achd na Gàidhlig (Alba) 2005, bha aig cuid a bhuidhnean poblach ri Planaichean Gàidhlig ullachadh mar thaic don iomairt nàiseanta gus inbhe na Gàidhlig a dhèanamh tèarainte mar chànan oifigeil ann an Alba.

Ann an ciad phlana an Oilthigh, a chaidh fhoillseachadh ann an 2013, bha sreath de gheallaidhean a rinn an t-Oilthigh mar phàirt den obair a bhios iad a’ dèanamh gus cleachdadh is ionnsachadh na Gàidhlig a chur air adhart.

Thathar a’ toirt cothrom do luchd-obrach, oileanaich agus don mhòr-shluagh beachdan a thoirt seachad air a’ Phlana aig diofar choinneamhan co-comhairleachaidh:

• Coinneamh phoblach: 19 Giblean 2018, 6-7f, Seòmraichean Linklater, Colaiste an Rìgh. Tiocaidean: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/university-of-aberdeen-draft-gaelic-plan-2018-2023-public-consultation-tickets-44631943344

• Luchd-obrach is Oileanaich: 25 Giblean 2018, 10.30m – 11.30m, Seòmar Seimineir 224, Leabharlann Sir Duncan Rice

Achd na Gàidhlig

Achd na Gàidhlig (Alba) 2005

Ghabh Pàrlamaid na h-Alba ri Achd na Gàidhlig (Alba) 2005 gus inbhe na Gàidhlig a dhaingeneachadh mar chànan oifigeil na h-Alba leis an aon urram agus a tha aig a’ Bheurla.

’S e aon de na nithean as cudromaiche ann an Achd 2005 an t-ullachadh gum faod Bòrd na Gàidhlig iarraidh air buidhnean poblach Planaichean Gàidhlig a dheasachadh. Chaidh an t-ullachadh a chur ri chèile airson dèanamh cinnteach gun gabh an roinn phoblach ann an Alba pàirt ann an cruthachadh seasmhachd airson na Gàidhlig san àm ri teachd, le bhith a’ togail a h-inbhe is a h-ìomhaigh agus a’ cruthachadh chothroman phragmatach airson a cleachdadh.

Tron Phlana Ghàidhlig aige, tha an t-Oilthigh an dùil ri cuideachadh a thoirt don oidhirp nàiseanta gus structairean agus tionnsgnadh riatanach a chur air dòigh a bhith cinnteach gum bi Gàidhlig seasmhach san àm ri teachd. Bha Plana Gàidhlig an Oilthigh air a chur air bhog air 26 April 2013.

Plana Gàidhlig

Plana Gàidhlig Oilthigh Obar Dheathain 2019-2024

Dh'ullaich Oilthigh Obar Dheathain Plana Gàidhlig gus cleachdadh is ionnsachadh na Gàidhlig a bhrosnachadh fo Achd na Gàidhlig (Alba) 2005. Leasaich is ghabh an t-Oilthigh cuideachd ri Poileasaidh Gàidhlig a dhearbhadh a dhleastanas ris a' Ghàidhlig. Tha am Plana Gàidhlig agus am Poileasaidh ri fhaighinn sa Bheurla no Gàidhlig an-seo: Policy Zone. Cuiribh p.d. gu Janine Chalmers son lethbhreac cruaidh fhaighinn. 

Buidheann Chomhairleachaidh Plana Gàidhlig

Gus cuideachadh ann a bhith a’ leasachadh agus a’ cur an gnìomh Plana Gàidhlig an Oilthigh, chuir sinn air bhonn Buidheann Chomhairleachaidh Plana Gàidhlig le Iar-Phrionnsapal An t-Àrd Ollamh Marion Chaimbeul air a ceann. Bidh uallach air a’ bhuidhinn seo airson sgrùdadh is buileachadh a’ Phlana agus airson cunntas a thoirt air ais taobh a-staigh do Bhuidheann Stiùiridh an Oilthigh agus taobh a-muigh gu Bòrd na Gàidhlig gu bliadhnail air adhartas a th’air a dhèanamh a thaobh dleastanasan a’ Phlana.

Cuiribh ur ceistean mun bhuidheann chomhaireleachaidh gu Janine Chalmers.

‘Bheil sibh ag ionnsachadh Gàidhlig? Faighibh an naidheachd às ùire mu thachartasan Gàidhlig aig an Oilthigh is mun cuairt Obar Dheathain bho My Aberdeen! Dìreach clìogaibh air ‘Gàidhlig aig Oilthigh Obar Dheathain'.

Seòmar Gàidhlig

'S e deagh àite a th’ ann an seòmar-suidhe na Gàidhlig ma tha sibh airson ur cuid Gàidhlig a chleachdadh gu sòisealta no son choinneachadh ri duine eile a tha ag ionnsachadh na Gàidhlig. ’S ann ann an Common Room, Taylor A59 a th’ ann an Seòmar-Suidhe na Gàidhlig, is tha e fosgailte don h-uile duine Diciadain 1-5F.

Tha duaisean STAR ùra ann cuideachd son Co-òrdanaichte is Luchd-Cuideachaidh Seòmar-Suidhe na Gàidhlig! Cuiridh p.d. gu star@abdn.ac.uk airson barrachd fios air a bhith a’ clàradh son nan dreuchdan.

Cearcaill Còmhraidh/seinn

Cùmaibh ur Gàidhlig air ghleus is thigibh còmhla rinn son beagan spòrs aig na Cearcaill Còmhraidh no seinn! ’S e cothrom seachdaineach a th’ anns na cearcaill gus ur cuid Gàidhlig a chleachdadh, is tha fàilte air a h-uile ìre fileantais.

Tha seiseanan air an ruith gach feasgar Ciadain 1-2F

Tha àireamh ghoireasan agus làraich-lìn ann le fiosrachadh air a’ Ghàidhlig is clasaichean Gàidhlig. Dìreach cliogaibh air na ceanglaichean sìos an-seo airson barrachd fiosrachaidh.

Gàidhlig aig an Oilthigh

• Airson barrachd ionnsachadh mu chùrsaichean is prògraman ann an cànan, cultar, agus litreachas, agus airson barrachd ionnsachadh mu chuid de na pròiseactan rannsachaidh a tha a’ ruith an-dràsta, theirigibh do dhuilleagan Roinn na Gàidhlig.
• Tha Sgoil Foghlaim a’ tabhainn phrògraman ann an Gàidhlig agus Foghlam. Ma tha ùidh agaibh ann a bhith a’ teagasg na Gàidhlig, no tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig, theirigibh don làrach-lìn aca airson barrachd ionnsachadh.
• ’S e fear de na comainn as sine an Oilthigh a th’ann an Comann Ceilteach. Theirigibh do na duilleagan aca airson barrachd ionnsachadh mu na tachartasan a ruitheas iad tron bhliadhna acadaimeagaich.
• Faighibh a-mach barrachd mu chuid den rannsachadh is tachartasan a tha a’ ruith an-dràsta aig an Institiud Rannsachaidh Eòlais na h-Èirinn is na h-Alba.
• Tha an iris sgrìobhaidh Causeway / Cabhsair gu cunbhalach a’ foillseachadh bàrdachd agus sgeulachdan goirid le sgrìobhadairean ùra is stèidhichte. Theirigibh don làrach-lìn aca gus faighinn a-mach ciamar is urrainn dhuibh ballrachd fhaighinn no obair a chur a-steach airson foillseachadh. 

Làraich-lìn Ghàidhlig is clasaichean eile

• Ma tha ùidh agaibh ann an Gàidhlig ionnsachadh, theirigibh gu learngaelic.net, far a bheil mòran ghoireasan, a’ gabhail a-steach liosta de gach clas Gàidhlig ann an Alba.
• Theirigibh do làrach-lìn Bòrd na Gàidhlig airson barrachd ionnsachadh mun bhuidheann air a bheil uallach airson Achd na Gàidhlig (Alba) 2005 a chur an gnìomh air feadh na h-Alba.
• Ionnsaichaibh barrachd mu thùsan is eachdraidh na Gàidhlig aig duilleagan The Open University.
• Tha àireamh chlasaichean is tachartasan air an ruith le Club Gàidhlig Obar Dheathain. Theirigibh don làrach-lìn aca airson faighinn a-mach ciamar is urrainn dhuibh a bhith an sàs sa chlub.
• Tha foghlam Gàidhlig ri fhaighinn airson caochladh aoisean ann an Obar Dheathain, a’ gabhail a-steach sgoil-àraich, bun-sgoil, agus àrd-sgoil. Airson barrachd ionnsachadh mu fhoglam Gàidhlig ann an Obar Dheathain, theirigibh do na duilleagan Foghlam Gàidhlig aig Comhairle Baile Obar Dheathain.
• Ionnsaichibh barrachd mun Ghàidhlig is cothroman cosnaidh bhon ghoireas Gàidhlig ùr aig Leasachadh Sgilean na h-Alba.
• Ionnsaichibh barrachd mu fhoghlam na Gàidhlig aig Teagasg, an làrach-lìn airson teagasg na Gàidhlig, le fiosrachadh airson a h-uile duine, a’ gabhail a-steach sgoilearan is oileanaich a’ beachdachadh air dreuchdan ann am foghlam Gàidhlig, is cuideachd tidsearan a’ beachdachadh air gluasad gu foghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig.

Airson ceistean choitcheann mun Phlana, sa chiad dol a-mach cuiribh p.d. gu Clàrc a' Bhuidheinn Chomhairleachaidh Plana Gàidhlig