Understanding the OFS Guidelines

The OfS currently has 425 English higher education providers. A condition of remaining a registered institution with the OfS is that they need to comply with the guidance published and respond appropriately to these measures by 1^st August 2025 , giving institutions one year to implement. Ideally, they “expect universities and colleges to be working towards meeting the requirements now, including working with their students to update their policies.”

Amongst other key recommendations, which include banning non-disclosure agreements in cases of harassment and sexual misconduct, and preventing abuse of power in relationships between students and staff, the new regulations require higher education institutions to provide:

• Clear definitions of harassment and sexual misconduct
• Evidence of training to all students and staff on harassment and sexual misconduct
• Training for staff and first responders on how to handle disclosures

“Students have told us clearly that they want to see more active regulation to tackle harassment and sexual misconduct in higher education. We’ve heard them, and our new regulation will help ensure they are better protected and better able to succeed on their courses.” – Susan Lapworth, Chief Executive, OfS

For a more detailed breakdown, you can read a full statement from the OfS website.

Our Epigeum Prevention and Response Programmes

We’d like to introduce our Prevention and Response suite of flexible online programmes. These courses are specially designed to equip students and staff with practical skills to build a supportive higher education community.

A survey published by the OfS found that 20% of students have experienced unwanted sexual behaviours.

Our courses provide evidence-based online training on sexual consent, bystander intervention and effective first response to disclosures, therefore safeguarding students and fulfilling the recommendations set out in the OfS statement.

Programmes we offer

• Consent Matters

An online course with blended learning resources to provide current, inclusive and scalable training on sexual consent, communication and bystander training.

Join the 50,000 users in the UK who are already accessing Consent Matters on the Epigeum Learning Platform! With 81 institutions currently subscribed, this is one of our most popular courses.

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• Tackling Harassment

Combines best practice with expert learning design to counteract barriers to reporting and intervention, encouraging positive social and cultural change.

All of our online programmes are designed to complement in-person initiatives. We have a dedicated implementation team who provide blended learning resources to guide each institution’s approach! This programme benefits from an update on 30^th July 2024.

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• Responding to Disclosures

Equips staff with the practical knowledge and skills needed to provide an effective, survivor-centred first response and signpost to potential sources of further support.

We realise that it’s vital to upskill staff on the steps to take when a disclosure is made. Our training is online, fully flexible and can be accessed at the point of need. Users can revisit the training as many times as they like to refresh and stay clued up on appropriate measures and responsibilities.

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A step forward for safer university communities

Hans Anders, Head of Academic Partnerships at Epigeum, reacted to the news:

“These regulations published by the OfS mark a significant step forward in addressing the serious issues of harassment and sexual misconduct in higher education. Epigeum’s Prevention and Response programmes offer a proven, easy-to-implement, and scalable route for institutions to demonstrate their commitment to creating safe, more supportive environments for their university communities and respond to the proposed measures.”

We recognise that higher education institutions now have important plans to create and implement in order to fulfil the proposed criteria from the OfS. With 95% of students who responded to the OfS consultation supporting these new conditions for registered institutions (in order to tackle harassment and sexual misconduct), we hope that our Prevention and Response programmes – which are created with real student voices and testimonials – play a part in these initiatives.

What do you think about the new measures?

Get in touch with us today to discover what we can do for you, and request a free trial to start your institution’s journey with Epigeum.

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