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Sexual safety

This web page contains descriptions of sexual misconduct that some people may find distressing. Please take care when reading.

Sexual safety at OUH

Here at OUH, we have signed the sexual safety in healthcare organisational charter and are committed to a zero-tolerance approach to sexual misconduct in the workplace and creating a workplace where everyone feels safe.

As an employer, we have a legal duty to take reasonable steps to stop sexual misconduct and harassment in the workplace.

Sexual harassment is when a person engages in unwanted conduct of a sexual nature that has the purpose or effect of violating someone’s dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating, or offensive environment for them.

It can take place at any time and in any place - for example, at social or training events. It can take place in person or online, for example through chat messages, phone calls, voice messages, or on social media.

Sexual harassment can happen to anyone, and doesn’t just have to be physical. Other examples of sexual harassment can include:

Sexual comments or jokes
Suggestive looks, stares, or leering
Displaying sexually graphic pictures, posters, or photos, including on mobile phones
Intrusive questions about someone's private life, and inappropriate discussions about your own
Unwanted physical contact and sexual advances.

Support following sexual misconduct

Experiencing sexual misconduct is likely to be a distressing or isolating experience, and you may not know what to do next.

If you can, write down what happened as soon as possible. Include dates and the order that events took place, and how they made you feel.

If possible, speak to someone you trust for support. If you feel able to, you could speak to your line manager or the Designated Safeguarding Officer for Workforce.

Alternatively, you can speak to:

Wellbeing Champion - Guide to Health and Wellbeing
Staff Support Service (Psychological Medicine)
Occupational Health
Employee Assistance Programme (CareFirst)
OUH staff networks
Chaplaincy
Staff Side - Trade Unions (sharepoint.com)

Disclosures and reports

A disclosure of sexual harassment is different to a formal report.

Disclosure

If you experience or witness sexual misconduct, you may choose to tell someone at work about your experience. This may be your manager, supervisor, a colleague, or anyone else you trust including the Designated Safeguarding Officers for Workforce, a Freedom to Speak Up Guardian, a mental health first aider, or a trade union representative.

If you make a disclosure to someone, this doesn’t mean that you have made or must make a report.

A report

A report is different to a disclosure. A report involves telling someone who is in a position of responsibility or authority in the Trust about sexual misconduct that has happened, or that you have witnessed.

A report means that you are requesting that the Trust makes decisions and takes actions to stop it from happening again.

Reporting sexual misconduct

There are several ways to report an incident of sexual misconduct that you have experienced or witnessed.

WorkInConfidence is a completely confidential reporting platform from a leading provider of secure, anonymous communications systems in the NHS, which is completely independent of the Trust. No-one at OUH will know you have registered or used the service.

Alternatively, you can speak to your manager or another manager you trust, a member of the HR team, the Designated Safeguarding Officers for Workforce, a Freedom to Speak Up Guardian, or a trade union representative about making a report.

Our sexual misconduct toolkit for staff

Safeguarding colleagues have created a sexual misconduct toolkit for those who have experienced sexual misconduct, as well as those who may have a report made against them.

It gives information on: