‘Looking out for each other’: a program about social safety (2022-2023)

Oog voor elkaar (‘Looking out for each other’) is the title of the social safety programme at WUR in 2022-2023. This programme will be used to develop and implement actions to strengthen and accelerate the integrated approach to social safety at WUR in the coming years. The programme focuses on the support structure at WUR, specific key positions within it and on employees, students and PhD's as in general.

The pillars

The programme focuses on four pillars that are necessary for a culture change aimed at strengthening social safety at WUR. An open culture is essential for social safety in organisations.

These are the four pillars:

  1. The manager must be able to create a safe environment, take preventive measures, adequately respond to signals and deal adequately with signals and reports.
  2. The notifier must be able to (openly or anonymously) file a report, such that the procedure following such a report is easy access. The notifier must also have tools at their disposal for preventive actions.
  3. Bystanders should know how to respond and take responsibility. Together, we can create a safe working environment by openly talking about what we see, and taking our responsibility. This includes colleagues, fellow students, lecturers and study advisers.
  4. The support structure should be strengthened with the above-mentioned measures, and where necessary, more and different types of capacity, such as confidential counsellors, should be deployed, structural meetings should be organised between relevant actors in the support structure and actors should be given opportunities to learn from each other.

Concrete actions

The following actions are planned for the short term:

‘Looking out for each other’ poster campaign has started

"Do you know what you can do if you experience undesirable behaviour?" The 'Looking out for each other' poster series is part of the social safety programme of the same name at WUR. The aim of the campaign is to make employees and students more aware of undesirable behaviour, the effect certain behaviour can have, and what options you have as an employee or student to do something about undesirable behaviour. The questions on the poster prompt the viewer to reflect, and the call to action refers to the recently launched Social Safety Contact Point at WUR and to help and give tips on how to approach it.

About the campaign

The poster campaign consists of six different poster images focusing on three questions:

  • Do you know what you can do to prevent undesirable behaviour?
  • Do you know what to do when you see undesirable behaviour?
  • Do you know what you can do if you experience undesirable behaviour?

Of course, a poster campaign alone is not enough to improve social safety; it is just one of the building blocks of the ‘Looking out for each other’ programme. Both students and staff will be organising a variety of activities around this theme in the coming period, including Mindlab performances performances for staff in late November to mid-December. For students, the performance 'Safe Space' by the Time-out theatre will follow next spring. More information about the programme Social Safety you can find on this page. Do you have any ideas or suggestions for the follow-up campaign or for improving social safety at WUR? Please e-mail socialsafety@wur.nl or joyce.vandervelde@wur.nl

Members of the Social Safety project group

Joyce van der Velde (manager of the Oog voor elkaar programme; a programme about social safety), Brigitte van Heerde, Astrid Mars, Jacqueline Schoone, Door van der Sloot, Stijn Heukels, Barbara Veltrop