Hospital pledges commitment to tackling sexual abuse of staff

The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH) said that by signing up to the Sexual Safety Charter, SaTH, it has committed to a "zero-tolerance" approach to any unwanted, inappropriate and/or harmful sexual behaviours towards staff.

The trust runs the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and the Princess Royal Hospital, Telford.

Sexual safety covers a range of inappropriate sexual behaviour with different legal and operational definitions and processes. It includes language of a sexualised nature, sexual harassment, sexual assault, and rape.

As part of the work, SaTH says it is making it easier for staff to recognise, report and prevent abuse happening by providing them with clear reporting mechanisms, training and support.

The trust said it is also developing a staff sexual misconduct policy and an online reporting tool.

Jo Williams, SaTH chief executive, said: “No one should experience sexism, sexual abuse or assault at work. We are committed to ensuring that any member of staff who has experienced inappropriate or harmful sexual behaviours at work is supported by our organisation and that everyone has the tools to support disclosures of sexual misconduct in the workplace appropriately.”

Rhia Boyode, Chief People Officer, said: “By signing the NHS Sexual Safety Charter, we are creating a safe place where staff can come to work every day to provide compassionate care and support to others. For anyone who has experienced sexual abuse or misconduct at work, it is an extremely distressing and isolating experience, and so we must do everything in our power to ensure our staff feel able to speak up, and have absolute confidence that they will be given the support they need when they do.”

The ten core principles and actions of the NHS Sexual Safety Charter are as follows

We will actively work to eradicate sexual harassment and abuse in the workplace.

We will promote a culture that fosters openness and transparency, and does not tolerate unwanted, harmful and/or inappropriate sexual behaviours.

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.

We will provide appropriate support for those in our workforce who experience unwanted, inappropriate and/or harmful sexual behaviours.

We will clearly communicate standards of behaviour. This includes expected action for those who witness inappropriate, unwanted and/or harmful sexual behaviour.

We will ensure appropriate, specific, and clear policies are in place. They will include appropriate and timely action against alleged perpetrators.

We will ensure appropriate, specific, and clear training is in place.

We will ensure appropriate reporting mechanisms are in place for those experiencing these behaviours.

We will take all reports seriously and appropriate and timely action will be taken in all cases.

We will capture and share data on prevalence and staff experience transparently.