Protecting students from harassment and sexual misconduct

In April 2021, the Office for Students (OfS) published a ‘Statement of Expectations’ identifying the processes, policies and systems providers should have in place to prevent and respond to harassment and sexual misconduct. 

In February 2023, a new condition of registration was proposed, to introduce mandatory training, ensure transparent reporting processes and ban non-disclosure agreements. The consultation closed in May 2023, and we anticipate regulatory focus in this area to intensify as a result. Recent legal action also highlights the importance of robust and appropriate handling of incidents in universities.

With our provider clients, we have undertaken 18 internal audit reviews, where we have assessed their overarching framework for ensuring compliance with the OfS Statement of Expectations. Across the reviews, 62 management actions were agreed. 

Our analysis paper highlights those areas where we have agreed management actions with clients and where we are seeing good practice.