Confidential Counsellor

The Confidential Counsellor is a figure established at European level, as foreseen in the European Recommendation 92/131, on the Protection of the dignity of women and men at work, and in the Resolution A3-0043/94 on the Appointment of a Confidential Counsellor or a Company Counsellor.

On 1 July 2008 the University of Trento released the Code of Conduct against sexual harassment and the Regulation for the prevention and protection of employees against mobbing, with the creation of the figure of the Confidential Counsellor.

In order to safeguard the neutrality, privacy and independence on the analysed cases, the Confidential Counsellor will be appointed out of the University.

The Confidential Counsellor of the University of Trento, appointed in April 2011, is Barbara Giovanna Bello, who has been active for years in the field of the safeguard of human rights, of the European legal norms against discrimination and fostering equal opportunities, in cooperation with various authorities and NGOs, at national and European level. She has also written many articles in these fields

Functions and tools

The Confidential Counsellor is entrusted with the prevention, management and solving of sexual harassment and mobbing cases, taking place in the work- or study place, brought to her attention. To this end, she carries out the following functions:

Hearing and protection of the presumed victim of such harassment or mobbing, also in relation with possible formal and non-formal conflict solution procedures;

Information and training activities, aimed at raising the awareness of the existence of mobbing and sexual harassment cases and the measure to implement to prevent such cases;

The activity of the Confidential Counsellor is marked by independence, privacy and respect of the will of the involved person, targeted at the best strategy to manage and solve difficult situations.

The Confidential Counsellor can be addressed, in order to obtain further information, counselling, support and intervention by all University students and staff (art. 3 of the Code of Conduct and art. 7.7 of the Regulation on mobbing) when the person believes to have suffered acts or behaviours prejudicial to his/her dignity or causing psychological unease at work, or maybe ascribable to mobbing or sexual harassment.

Please be informed that the Confidential Counsellor meets people individually. Her intervention is free of charge.

How to contact the Confidential Counsellor

She manages the Helpdesk, in the Rector’s house of the University of Trento, in Via Belenzani 12 (third floor, on the right when coming out of the lift).

The opening hours will be scheduled soon.

The Counsellor only meets people upon appointment. Please be informed that you need to agree on date and time, by phone or by email.

Possible changes in the schedule will be published on this web page, in the "News" info-box.

Telephone: 0461 281295 (with an answering machine); mobile phone 366 50538096, on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays from 1.30 pm till 2.30 pm; Email: any time.consiglieradifiducia@unitn.it. Further, you may always contact the Counsellor, after making an appointment on the phone or via email, on a different date, time and location. In order to guarantee the full privacy of users, you will be told the location of the meeting on the phone or via email.

Considering international features of the University of Trento Barbara Giovanna Bello is able to meet users in Italian, English or German.