Office for Students (OfS) Condition E6
From August 2025, the Office for Students' Condition E6 introduced new expectations for how Higher Education Institutions prevent and respond to harassment and sexual misconduct affecting students. The regulation requires institutions to take significant and credible steps to protect students from harassment, sexual misconduct and abuses of power, including risks arising from staff-student relationships. It sets a higher standard for how universities communicate policies, support students, manage reporting and evidence action.
What is the OfS E6 Regulation?
The OfS E6 Condition of Registration requires Higher Education providers to demonstrate a proactive, institution-wide approach to preventing and addressing harassment and sexual misconduct. This includes:
Clear reporting and support mechanisms
Accessible information for students and staff
Robust case management and record keeping
Appropriate training and communications
Policies addressing staff-student relationships
Support for students regardless of whether a formal complaint progresses
Compliance with freedom of speech obligations
Ending the use of NDAs in harassment and sexual misconduct cases
The regulation is designed to improve accountability, increase transparency and reduce the prevalence of harmful behaviour across higher education.
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Create a single source of information
Institutions must provide a prominent, accessible single source of information explaining how students can report incidents, what behaviours are unacceptable, what support is available, relevant policies and procedures, and how cases are handled. This is commonly delivered as a dedicated webpage linking to supporting resources.
Prepare your single source of information webpage
Ensure information is accessible and regularly updated
Communicate information to students and staff at least annually
Follow OfS prominence principles with ongoing awareness campaigns
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Put clear staff-student relationship policies in place
HEIs must minimise risks linked to personal relationships between staff and students, including potential abuses of power.
Develop a clear staff-student relationship policy
Define disclosure and management procedures
Communicate expectations to staff and students
Include policies within your single source of information
Review your reporting mechanisms
Institutions must provide safe, accessible and effective ways for students and staff to report concerns.
Offer both online and in-person reporting options
Enable anonymous reporting
Reduce barriers to reporting
Protect confidentiality and sensitive information
Align reporting processes with freedom of speech principles
Ensure adequate capacity and resources
The OfS requires providers to demonstrate they have sufficient resources to facilitate compliance.
Assess staffing and operational capacity
Ensure teams can manage reports, investigations and support
Invest in sustainable prevention and response measures
Explore innovative ways to increase efficiency and oversight
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Deliver mandatory training
Training is a central part of E6 compliance. The OfS strongly indicates training should be mandatory for both staff and students.
Deliver mandatory harassment and sexual misconduct training
Train staff handling disclosures and investigations
Provide bystander intervention training
Increase communications and awareness campaigns
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Strengthen student support provision
Students should be supported regardless of whether a complaint progresses formally or meets institutional thresholds.
Ensure staff understand available support pathways
Signpost students appropriately
Offer or outsource specialist support services
Provide access to counselling and external referrals
Deliver appropriate academic support where needed
Improve record keeping and case management
Institutions must evidence the steps they are taking to protect students and manage cases appropriately.
Maintain secure and centralised records
Document case decisions and actions taken
Demonstrate significant and credible steps
Improve oversight and reporting processes
Balance Freedom of Speech and student safety
Universities must uphold freedom of speech while preventing behaviour that causes harm.
Review policies and definitions
Align disciplinary and complaints processes
Clarify decision-making frameworks
Ensure harmful behaviour is appropriately addressed
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End the use of NDAs
Since September 2024, NDAs relating to harassment, bullying and sexual misconduct are no longer permitted under the Higher Education Freedom of Speech framework.
Audit existing agreements and processes
Remove non-compliant confidentiality arrangements
Update policies in line with current legislation
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Resources & toolkits
Practical guidance, templates, and support materials designed to help you improve campus culture, strengthen reporting processes, and meet expectations of Condition E6. Explore the full library here.
OfS Condition E6 guide
The Office for Students (OfS) Condition E6 sets clear regulatory requirements for Higher Education providers to prevent and respond to harassment and sexual misconduct. This guide explains what Condition E6 requires in practice, where institutions are most exposed, and how to move beyond minimum standards towards meaningful cultural change.
University of York case study
“There’s no reputational risk in admitting that things happen. The only risk is not knowing.” Discover how the University of York uses Report + Support™ to give students and staff a clear route to report concerns, surface insights, and take meaningful action to tackle harassment and discrimination.
Meet (and exceed) Condition E6 requirements
Culture Shift has partnered with Higher Education providers since 2016, when we first launched ™ with The University of Manchester. Today, universities across the UK trust us to stay compliant and create safer campus environments for students and staff alike.
Name Matching
Automatically detect when the same individual appears across multiple reports. This helps identify repeat behaviours earlier and gives Student Services and HR teams the evidence needed to take appropriate, informed action.
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Hotspot Analysis
Quickly see where incidents are occurring most often across your campus. Identify higher-risk groups, locations, or environments so you can focus preventative action where it will have the greatest impact.
Behaviour Insights
Track patterns in bullying, harassment, discrimination, and other forms of misconduct. Understand how behaviours evolve over time and use the insight to inform culture initiatives and prevention strategies across campus.
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 Culture Shift helps you evidence compliance, reduce harm, and build a campus culture where issues are prevented, not just managed.
