Somebody may wish to talk to you about their experiences, which is called a disclosure. This can be a daunting experience as we all want to be as supportive as possible, and you may understandably be afraid of “saying the wrong thing”. These are some “do’s” and “don'ts” which can help you in this conversation.

Do's and don'ts

Do

• Tell them what they experienced is not okay
• Listen to understand, rather than respond
• Believe them and take action
• Know it’s not their fault
• Recognise how tough it might have been to disclose
• Let them stay in control
• Take your time – don’t rush them
• Give them choices
• Respect their boundaries
• Maintain confidentiality but ensure they understand you may need to share information (for example if a safeguarding concern is outlined)
• Safely signpost them to support 
• Ask them if they want support to report their experience

Don't

• Ask why they didn’t say anything sooner
• Make judgements
• Tell them about your experiences or what you would’ve done differently
• Ask why they didn’t stop it, run away or fight back
• Judge them for how they’ve responded to sexual harassment or abuse
• Tell anyone else without their permission
• Impose your views on their experience 
• Share their information with others unless they explicitly give you permission to do so, or there are safeguarding concerns

Remember if you don’t know what to say, that’s okay. Just listening can be helpful and show your support.

Complete the training to find out more.

• Understanding sexual misconduct in the workplace

Guidance on how to take a trauma informed response to a disclosure of Sexual Misconduct can be found online.

• https://online.fliphtml5.com/uxpjp/mefi/#p=6

Advice and Guidance for Managers

It is important as a manager that you are aware of the role you play in creating a safe work environment for our staff and protecting them from sexual misconduct.

Promoting a positive culture 

You have a key role in influencing the culture within your team. This begins with behaving in a way that lets your team see that you act and manage issues fairly and with compassion. Laughing at an inappropriate joke makes it look like you condone that behaviour.

It is important to recognise inappropriate behaviour and act as early as possible. This means you need to challenge behaviours that are inappropriate and be aware of situations that might be harassment. Not challenging a member of your team’s inappropriate comments makes it look like you condone that behaviour.

You should never force someone to confront a colleague or try to resolve things together if they do not wish to. You need to show you support their choices and show them what options they have.

Ensure that you and your team attend the training to understand what sexual misconduct is and how to make a report. You need to encourage your team to understand how they can support UHB’s zero tolerance culture to sexual misconduct.

Receiving a report about sexual misconduct 

• It is a lot of responsibility to receive a report of sexual misconduct. 
• Your openness, ability to listen and take actions will show that sexual misconduct is taken seriously. 
• You should let them know you take their report seriously and you are there to help. 
• You should check if they wish to have anyone present to support them during the conversation, and that they are aware that you may need to share information if there are any safeguarding concerns.
• Ask them about what they want to happen next. It is important that you understand their needs and expectations and are clear with them about the actions you are going to take. This might be difficult if they are feeling emotional or anxious and it might help to follow up later to check understanding. 
• They might be very upset or need more time to think about what to do, it might be helpful to give them some time and meet again at another time. Always check they have support and take actions to put support in place. Remember they can access the Trust Support Services.
• During the conversation, collect as much information about what happened as possible and ensure they have time to discuss their views about their experience.
• Get advice from a member of the People Advisory Service, or other professionals as soon as you can. They will support and help you to set up a review group.

Getting advice and support 

• Receiving information or a report about sexual misconduct can be worrying and you might not have experienced this before. 
• Seek advice and support from your manager, a member of the People Site Team, or the safeguarding team as soon as possible, especially if you are worried about safety. 
• You can do this without mentioning names in the first instance, to maintain confidentiality. 
• It is important to remember that sometimes you may have a responsibility to escalate the report to ensure the safety of others, even if you have been asked to keep it confidential. 
• It can be difficult to hear reports of sexual misconduct. It may bring up feelings and emotions you weren’t expecting. Remember you can access the Trust Support Services.

For more information complete the E-learning on understanding sexual misconduct in the workplace