NHS Sexual Safety Charter
The NHS Sexual Safety Charter sets clear expectations for how NHS organisations prevent, report and respond to sexual harassment and misconduct in the workplace. Launched in 2023, the charter outlines the NHS's commitment to a zero-tolerance approach to unwanted and harmful sexual behaviours. For NHS Trusts, this means ensuring staff can safely report concerns, incidents are managed effectively and leadership teams have clear oversight into workplace culture and behaviour.
The compliance challenge NHS Trusts face
Many NHS Trusts are still facing significant barriers to effective reporting, investigation and oversight of sexual misconduct.
Low confidence in reporting: Staff often lack clear, consistent and anonymous reporting channels, leading to underreporting. Where reports are made, there is frequently low confidence they will be taken seriously or acted on.
Fear of retaliation: A culture of blame and concern about repercussions continues to prevent staff from speaking up.
Ineffective reporting systems: Many Trusts rely on whistleblowing processes or adapted clinical incident systems that are not designed for reporting sexual misconduct, resulting in missed or poorly handled reports.
Lack of centralised case management: Without a dedicated system, reports can sit unresolved, with limited structure, ownership or communication back to the reporter.
Limited data and oversight: Many Trusts rely on annual survey data rather than real-time insights, limiting their ability to identify trends early or intervene before issues escalate.
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The Sexual Safety Charter: 10 Core Principles
Eradicate abuse: actively work towards eradicating abuse and sexual harassment in the workplace by setting clear standards of behaviour and enforcing policies.
Promote a supportive culture: clear plans to drive cultural change with a focus on prevention.
Adopt an intersectional approach: recognising certain groups will experience sexual harassment at a disproportionate rate. Ensuring equality impact assessments and tailored responses to ensure they are appropriate.
Provide support: confidential information and resources for those in the workforce who have experienced unwanted, inappropriate behaviour.
Set clear standards: define and communicate clear behavioural standards, included expected actions of those who witness sexual behaviour.
Implement clear policies: appropriate, specific and clear policies, including appropriate and timely action against alleged perpetrators.
Deliver appropriate training: training for all staff to recognise and report sexual misconduct and specialist training for those in specific support roles.
Establish reporting mechanisms: put anonymous reporting mechanisms in place and ensure reporting channels are widely communicated to ensure awareness.
Take reports seriously: clear actions and timeframes to ensure sexual misconduct is identified in a timely way and actioned in line with policies, with incidents being escalated appropriately.
Share data: transparently capture and share data on the prevalence of sexual misconduct, including board level reporting on cases.
Resources & toolkits
Practical guidance, templates, and support materials designed to help you improve reporting culture, strengthen processes, and meet evolving compliance expectations. Explore the full library here.
Complete Guide to NHS Culture & Compliance
The NHS Sexual Safety Charter sets a clear expectation for Trusts to take a zero-tolerance approach to harassment, sexual misconduct and harmful workplace behaviour. This guide explores what the Charter means in practice, how it aligns with broader legal duties, and what Trusts need to do to build safer, more accountable cultures.
Sexual Harassment & Speak-Up Compliance Toolkit
The Employment Rights Act raises the bar from "reasonable steps" to "all reasonable steps" to prevent sexual harassment, extending liability to third-party conduct and strengthening whistleblowing protections. This toolkit helps you identify organisational exposure, take required action, and evidence compliance in practice.
Your partner for compliance and culture change
Regulators won't just ask what you have in place, they'll ask what you've done. Book a demo to see how Report + Support™ helps you evidence compliance, reduce legal exposure, and build a workplace where issues are prevented, not just managed.
