Core Managers: Sexual Safety in Healthcare

Create safer, more respectful workplaces in healthcare

Nearly one in 10 NHS staff in England reported experiencing sexual harassment at work in 2023.

This five-week online course equips healthcare professionals with the knowledge and skills to recognise, respond to, and prevent sexual misconduct in healthcare settings.

You’ll explore key concepts of sexual safety, understand historical and systemic influences, and develop practical strategies to support colleagues and patients.

Understand sexual misconduct and legal responsibilities

You’ll begin this course by defining sexual harassment, misconduct, and discrimination in healthcare, and exploring the key legislation and policies designed to prevent it.

You’ll examine real examples of workplace incidents, reflect on your own experiences, and consider how prevention and reporting can make a tangible difference in your team.

Explore history, inequality, and intersectional experiences

On the second and third week of this course, you’ll examine the historical and systemic factors behind sexual misconduct and gender inequality in healthcare.

You’ll review reports like Surviving Healthcare, consider how power, culture, and institutional practices contribute to risk, and explore how intersecting identities—such as gender, race, age, and disability—affect experiences of harassment and barriers to disclosure.

Support survivors and create inclusive teams

During the final week, you’ll focus on domestic abuse, trauma-informed care, and positive workplace culture. Practical exercises will help you respond effectively to disclosures and embed inclusive policies in your team.

By the end of the course, you’ll be able to implement allyship, promote diversity, and contribute to a safer, more respectful environment for both colleagues and patients.

This course is designed for healthcare professionals and managers, particularly those within the NHS system and continuing their learning and development through the NHS Leadership Academy’s Core Managers courses.

This course is designed for healthcare professionals and managers, particularly those within the NHS system and continuing their learning and development through the NHS Leadership Academy’s Core Managers courses.

• Develop leadership skills and understanding of sexual harassment and misconduct in healthcare by recognising workplace behaviours, applying legal responsibilities, and implementing prevention strategies.
• Investigate systemic and historical factors behind sexual misconduct and gender inequality.
• Evaluate how intersecting identities influence experiences of sexual safety and disclosure.
• Apply frameworks like the Power and Control Wheel and trauma-informed approaches to support those who disclose sexual harassment.
• Create inclusive, respectful team cultures that promote diversity and equality as foundations for sexual safety in healthcare.