Exceeding Regulation: Office for Students (OfS) Condition E6
The Office for Students (OfS) Condition E6 sets clear regulatory requirements for Higher Education providers to prevent and respond to harassment and sexual misconduct. With the regulation now in force, institutions must demonstrate not just compliance, but a clear, proactive approach to creating safer environments for students and staff. 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. Download the guide to:
Understand what OfS Condition E6 requires from Higher Education providers
Identify gaps in reporting, prevention and institutional accountability
Learn how to evidence compliance through systems, data and governance
Build a whole-institution approach to tackling harassment and sexual misconduct
Higher Education misconduct in numbers
Harassment and sexual misconduct remain a significant issue across UK Higher Education, with a clear gap between student experience and formal reporting. These figures highlight the scale of the challenge institutions face under OfS Condition E6 and why building trust in reporting and prevention systems is critical.
25%
experienced sexual harassment
A quarter of final year students report experiencing sexual harassment during their time at university.
14%
experienced sexual violence
14.1% of students report experiencing sexual assault or violence while studying.
13.2%
formally reported
Only 13.2% of those affected went on to formally report their experience to their institution.
More about Exceeding Regulation: Office for Students (OfS) Condition E6
Higher Education is at a pivotal moment. The introduction of OfS Condition E6 reflects increasing pressure on universities to take meaningful action against harassment and sexual misconduct, following years of inconsistent approaches across the sector. While many institutions have made progress, the regulation now sets a clear baseline for what is required, with a strong emphasis on prevention, transparency and accountability.
Condition E6 requires institutions to take a structured and evidence-based approach to tackling harassment and sexual misconduct. This includes establishing accessible reporting mechanisms, providing clear and consistent definitions of unacceptable behaviour, delivering role-specific training for staff and students, and ensuring sufficient resources are in place to respond effectively to reports. It also requires institutions to publish data on incidents and outcomes, manage risks such as staff-student relationships, and ensure that non-disclosure agreements are not used to silence complaints of harassment or misconduct.
However, regulation alone does not create lasting change. One of the key challenges facing the sector is moving from policy compliance to cultural transformation. This means understanding the behaviours that drive harm, addressing barriers to reporting, and building environments where students and staff feel safe to speak up. It also requires institutions to take a whole-community approach, recognising that misconduct affects all members of the university environment, including staff, postgraduates and professional services teams.
The guide explores these challenges in detail, alongside the practical steps institutions are taking to respond. It highlights how leading universities are using data to understand prevalence, publishing outcomes to build trust, and acting on anonymous reports to identify patterns of behaviour that might otherwise go unseen. It also examines how institutions balance freedom of speech with the need to protect individuals from harassment, using clear frameworks to distinguish between lawful expression and harmful conduct.
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FAQs
Questions? We've got answers.
OfS Condition E6 is a regulatory requirement introduced by the Office for Students that sets out how higher education providers must prevent and respond to harassment and sexual misconduct. It establishes clear expectations around reporting, prevention, training, transparency and institutional accountability.
Condition E6 applies to all Higher Education providers registered with the Office for Students in England, including universities, colleges and other institutions delivering higher education courses.
The regulation requires institutions to provide accessible reporting mechanisms, define harassment and sexual misconduct clearly, deliver appropriate training, publish data on incidents and outcomes, and ensure sufficient resources are in place to respond effectively.
Institutions must maintain a central, accessible hub where students, staff and prospective applicants can easily find information on policies, reporting procedures, support services and behavioural expectations, without barriers such as login requirements.
Anonymous reports play an important role in identifying patterns of behaviour and cultural risks. Institutions should use this information to inform prevention strategies, targeted communications and risk assessments, even where formal action is not possible.
Publishing data on reported incidents and outcomes demonstrates transparency and accountability. It helps build trust with students and staff and provides insight into whether prevention measures are effective over time.
Culture Shift supports universities through its Report + Support™ platform, enabling accessible and anonymous reporting for students and staff, structured case management, and data-driven insights to identify trends and risks. It also helps institutions meet requirements around transparency and communication through centralised information hubs, while supporting prevention through targeted training and campaigns, making it easier to evidence compliance and build a safer campus culture.
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The ever-changing regulatory landscape can be tricky to navigate - we're here to guide you through what your organisation needs to do to stay compliant and protect your people.
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Misconduct rarely starts as a headline issue - it starts with something small that goes unaddressed. Culture Shift helps organisations surface concerns early, respond consistently, and embed long-term cultural change through our Report + Support™ platform, trauma-informed training programmes, and community-led best practice.
