Sexual Safety Charter Briefing

In 2023, NHS England launched a Sexual Safety Charter in collaboration with key partners across the healthcare system. Signatories to this charter, of which we are signed up to as an organisation, commit to taking and enforcing a zero-tolerance approach to any unwanted, inappropriate and/or harmful sexual behaviours within the workplace. NHS England commit to the following principles and actions to achieve this:

 

1. We will actively work to eradicate sexual harassment and abuse in the workplace.
2. We will promote a culture that fosters openness and transparency, and does not tolerate unwanted, harmful and/or inappropriate sexual behaviours.
3. We will take an intersectional approach to the sexual safety of our workforce, recognising certain groups will experience sexual harassment and abuse at a disproportionate rate.
4. We will provide appropriate support for those in our workforce who experience unwanted, inappropriate and/or harmful sexual behaviours.
5. We will clearly communicate standards of behaviour. This includes expected action for those who witness inappropriate, unwanted and/or harmful sexual behaviour.
6. We will ensure appropriate, specific, and clear policies are in place. They will include appropriate and timely action against alleged perpetrators.
7. We will ensure appropriate, specific, and clear training is in place.
8. We will ensure appropriate reporting mechanisms are in place for those experiencing these behaviours.
9. We will take all reports seriously and appropriate and timely action will be taken in all cases.
10. We will capture and share data on prevalence and staff experience transparently. 

 

As a first step to help support you, a working group of colleagues from HR, safeguarding, Freedom to Speak Up, health and safety, security and communications have worked to bring together information to guide you.

 

The first step will be to access learning on the Learning Hub which can be accessed here : Learning Hub – Home you will need to set up an account if you have not already done so. The most updated training can be found here : Resource

 

They also ask that you complete the form from NHS England on this link: Sexual safety in healthcare – Organisational Charter sign up – Primary Care as many have already completed or are in progress with the training.

 

In light of new legal duties to prevent sexual harassment that come into force in April under the Employment Rights Act 2025, NHS England is asking all primary care providers to take the following steps:

 

• Sign up to the 10 principles of the Sexual Safety Charter

• Complete the primary care self-assurance checklist to evidence awareness and compliance with legal duties to prevent sexual harassment
• By 31^st March, confirm via this national online form that the provider is signed up to the Charter and has completed the checklist

 

NHS England met with ICBs on 22^nd January to ask that they support primary care providers with these requests. By 31st March, NHSE and ICBs would like an understanding of how many primary care providers have signed up to the Sexual Safety Charter, and how many have completed the checklist. Completing the form above is the simplest way of doing this. ICBs will be following up with providers where NHS England inform them that a provider has not completed the form and noted they have completed the checklist.