This policy is for everyone working, volunteering and learning at Mersey Care. It will help you to:
- Understand your rights and responsibilities
- Recognise, respond and report sexual misconduct at work
- Get advice and support.
Sexual misconduct is any unwanted behaviour of a sexual nature. It can happen anywhere, including at work events and online. It could include:
- Flirting, gesturing or making sexual advances of suggestions
- Sexual comments about someone’s body, clothing or appearance
- Asking questions or making comments about someone’s relationships or sex life
- Asking questions or making comments about someone’s sex or gender
- Telling sexual jokes
- Showing or sharing sexual pictures
- Touching someone when they don’t want to be touched
- Sexual assault or rape.
- If you can, record what happened including dates, times and details of any witnesses
- You can talk to someone about what happened and what to do next. This could be someone you trust at work, like your manager or a colleague
- We encourage you to report the behaviour. You can do this by talking to your line manager, contacting HR, speaking with a Freedom to Speak Up Guardian, contacting the Safeguarding Team or by reporting the incident on Radar
- In any conversation about the misconduct, you can bring someone with you for support.
- Your report will be taken seriously
- HR will request a group to review the report and decide on next steps, including investigation
- The group will be independent. Experts may be asked to support the group if there is a specific need
- Support will be offered to everyone involved
- The safeguarding team might need to provide advice
- The police may need to be told. If possible, we will tell you before we tell the police
- You will receive information about what will happen next.
You can read the full version of the national policy and supporting framework here: NHS England » National people sexual misconduct policy framework