Workers Protection Act & Office for Student Compliant Training

Training and consultancy to help organisations and Universities stay compliant with the WPA and latest OfS Guidance.

About our Workers Protection Act & Office for Student Compliant Courses

Through our specialist consultancy and training services, we support organisations in meeting their legal responsibilities under the Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act, introduced in October 2024. Our approach ensures that employers can effectively recognise, respond to and prevent workplace sexual harassment, fostering a safer, more inclusive work environment.

The Office for Students (OfS) has released new guidance on tackling harassment and sexual misconduct in higher education, setting out clearer expectations for universities. This marks a powerful step forward in transforming survivor experiences, creating safer campuses, and ensuring student wellbeing. Our approach isn’t just about compliance – it’s about embracing cultural change, fostering more respectful, inclusive, and safe spaces, and building a future where every student feels supported.

Workers Protection Act & Office for Student Compliant Courses

Frequently Asked Questions

  • How We Can Support Your Organisation with Workers Protection Act Training

    We offer a comprehensive review of your organisation’s policies, procedures, reporting, and support mechanisms for sexual harassment. Our expert team can:

    • Conduct an independent review of your organisation’s current policies, procedures, and workplace culture.
    • Work with leadership teams to identify key areas for improvement and develop a tailored action plan.
    • Embed lasting cultural change through anonymous climate surveys, risk assessments, policy and procedure development, and a monitoring and evaluation frameworks. 

    We provide expert-led workplace training courses to equip leaders and employees with the knowledge and skills to notice workplace harassment and act. Our courses are fully compliant with the Worker Protection Act and tailored to your organisation’s needs. They include:

    • Sexual Harassment in the Workplace for Leadership and Senior Managers
    • Sexual Harassment in the Workplace for Staff
    • Being an Active Bystander: Preventing Workplace Harassment.

     

    All our courses build confidence in addressing workplace harassment by creating open conversations. Participants will explore their own views, societal attitudes, and understand their legal responsibilities, raising awareness of the challenges faced by those who experience harassment.​ Through interactive exercises, real-life scenarios and reflective practice, attendees will develop the skills to recognise indicators of harassment, intervene effectively, and uphold organisational policies and procedures. ​The goal is to create a safer, inclusive, and harassment-free workplace where everyone feels supported and respected.

  • How We can Support Universities with Office For Student Guidance Training

    We can support universities in developing survivor-centred, trauma-informed policies and governance. These clear, transparent, and survivor-centred policies and procedures align with the OfS Guidance and trauma-informed best practices. Our approach ensures that:

    • Risk governance frameworks are proactive, accountable, and effectively manage safeguarding concerns.
    • Policies are easily accessible, widely advertised, and actively communicated to students and staff.

     

    We can work with universities to strengthen reporting mechanisms and support. Effective reporting systems are critical for trust and accountability. We:

    • Review and refine existing reporting mechanisms to ensure students and staff can confidentially and effectively report harassment and misconduct.
    • Provide guidance and hands-on support for strengthening these processes and embedding them across the institution.

     

    With our context-specific training we equip staff and students with the right knowledge and tools to respond to and prevent harassment and misconduct. We offer specialist training, that is compliant with the OfS Guidance, including:

    • Harassment and Sexual Misconduct for University Staff.
    • Harassment and Sexual Misconduct for University Students.
    • Sexual Violence Liaison Officer (SVLO) Training: Responding, Supporting, and Empowering Survivors.
    • Sexual Misconduct Disciplinary Proceedings Training.

    Each course is tailored to the higher education context, ensuring staff and students are confident, informed, and prepared to uphold safe campus environments.

     

    We can offer monitoring and evaluation for continuous improvement. We help universities:

    • Collect and analyse data on harassment reports to assess trends and gaps.
    • Establish a clear, transparent system for managing and resolving reports.
    • Embed a culture of ongoing evaluation, ensuring that policies and training remain effective and responsive to student and staff needs.

     

    Get in touch to explore how we can support your university in implementing the OfS guidance and creating a safer, more inclusive campus.

  • What is the main objective of the Worker Protection Act 2023?

    The primary objective of the Worker Protection Act (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) is to shift the legal responsibility of sexual harassment from a reactive stance to a proactive, preventative framework.

    This legislation completely changes how organisations must approach workplace safety:

    Anticipating Risk: Employers can no longer wait for a complaint to be made before taking action. They are legally required to actively anticipate scenarios where harassment could occur and put measures in place to prevent it.

    Protecting All Staff: The duty applies across the entire workforce, meaning employers must implement robust safeguards that protect full-time staff, part-time workers, contractors, and interns alike.

    Significant Financial Penalties: Tribunals have the power to increase financial compensation by up to 25% if an employer loses a sexual harassment case and is found to have breached this preventative duty.

    Culture over Policies: The law moves beyond simple “tick-box” compliance, demanding that organisations evidence active training, regular risk assessments, and a lived culture of workplace respect.

  • Who needs to attend Worker Protection Act compliance training?

    To build a legally compliant, preventative culture, Worker Protection Act training should be rolled out across all levels of an organisation, though the focus shifts depending on the role.

    An effective training strategy splits the learning objectives to match workplace responsibilities:

    All-Staff Training: Every employee needs to understand what constitutes harassment, how to report it, their rights under the new law, and how to act as an active bystander to support their colleagues.

    Managers and HR Leaders: Leaders require advanced training focused on conducting compliant risk assessments, identifying subtle workplace vulnerabilities, and handling disclosures using a trauma-informed framework.

    Board and Executive Level: Senior leadership must understand their governance duties, the financial risks of non-compliance, and how to measure the effectiveness of their internal safety culture.

“Thank you again for today’s training. I can’t remember the last time I came out of training so inspired and ready for action.”

This learner took our train the trainer – Talking to Children about Consent course
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    Get In Touch

    Use the form to the right to contact us and we’ll get back to you within two working days.

    Please note that we are not a frontline organisation. If you or someone you know needs urgent help following a sexual assault, visit the Rape Crisis website for a list of services that will be able to help you.

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