Office for Students (OfS) Condition E6
From August 2025, the Office for Students' Condition E6 introduced new expectations for how Higher Education Institutions prevent and respond to harassment and sexual misconduct affecting students. The regulation requires institutions to take significant and credible steps to protect students from harassment, sexual misconduct and abuses of power, including risks arising from staff-student relationships. It sets a higher standard for how universities communicate policies, support students, manage reporting and evidence action.
What is the OfS E6 Regulation?
The OfS E6 Condition of Registration requires Higher Education providers to demonstrate a proactive, institution-wide approach to preventing and addressing harassment and sexual misconduct. This includes:
- Clear reporting and support mechanisms
- Accessible information for students and staff
- Robust case management and record keeping
- Appropriate training and communications
- Policies addressing staff-student relationships
- Support for students regardless of whether a formal complaint progresses
- Compliance with freedom of speech obligations
- Ending the use of NDAs in harassment and sexual misconduct cases
The regulation is designed to improve accountability, increase transparency and reduce the prevalence of harmful behaviour across higher education.
Create a single source of information
Institutions must provide a prominent, accessible single source of information explaining how students can report incidents, what behaviours are unacceptable, what support is available, relevant policies and procedures, and how cases are handled. This is commonly delivered as a dedicated webpage linking to supporting resources.
- Prepare your single source of information webpage
- Ensure information is accessible and regularly updated
- Communicate information to students and staff at least annually
- Follow OfS prominence principles with ongoing awareness campaigns
Put clear staff-student relationship policies in place
HEIs must minimise risks linked to personal relationships between staff and students, including potential abuses of power.
- Develop a clear staff-student relationship policy
- Define disclosure and management procedures
- Communicate expectations to staff and students
- Include policies within your single source of information
Review your reporting mechanisms
Institutions must provide safe, accessible and effective ways for students and staff to report concerns.
- Offer both online and in-person reporting options
- Enable anonymous reporting
- Reduce barriers to reporting
- Protect confidentiality and sensitive information
- Align reporting processes with freedom of speech principles
Ensure adequate capacity and resources
The OfS requires providers to demonstrate they have sufficient resources to facilitate compliance.
- Assess staffing and operational capacity
- Ensure teams can manage reports, investigations and support
- Invest in sustainable prevention and response measures
- Explore innovative ways to increase efficiency and oversight
Deliver mandatory training
Training is a central part of E6 compliance. The OfS strongly indicates training should be mandatory for both staff and students.
- Deliver mandatory harassment and sexual misconduct training
- Train staff handling disclosures and investigations
- Provide bystander intervention training
- Increase communications and awareness campaigns
Strengthen student support provision
Students should be supported regardless of whether a complaint progresses formally or meets institutional thresholds.
- Ensure staff understand available support pathways
- Signpost students appropriately
- Offer or outsource specialist support services
- Provide access to counselling and external referrals
- Deliver appropriate academic support where needed
Improve record keeping and case management
Institutions must evidence the steps they are taking to protect students and manage cases appropriately.
- Maintain secure and centralised records
- Document case decisions and actions taken
- Demonstrate significant and credible steps
- Improve oversight and reporting processes
Balance Freedom of Speech and student safety
Universities must uphold freedom of speech while preventing behaviour that causes harm.
- Review policies and definitions
- Align disciplinary and complaints processes
- Clarify decision-making frameworks
- Ensure harmful behaviour is appropriately addressed
End the use of NDAs
Since September 2024, NDAs relating to harassment, bullying and sexual misconduct are no longer permitted under the Higher Education Freedom of Speech framework.
- Audit existing agreements and processes
- Remove non-compliant confidentiality arrangements
- Update policies in line with current legislation
Resources & toolkits
Practical guidance, templates, and support materials designed to help you improve campus culture, strengthen reporting processes, and meet expectations of Condition E6.
OfS Condition E6 guide
The Office for Students (OfS) Condition E6 sets clear regulatory requirements for Higher Education providers to prevent and respond to harassment and sexual misconduct. This guide explains what Condition E6 requires in practice, where institutions are most exposed, and how to move beyond minimum standards towards meaningful cultural change.
University of York case study
“There’s no reputational risk in admitting that things happen. The only risk is not knowing.” Discover how the University of York uses Report + Support™ to give students and staff a clear route to report concerns, surface insights, and take meaningful action to tackle harassment and discrimination.
Our solution
Meet (and exceed) Condition E6 requirements
Culture Shift has partnered with Higher Education providers since 2016, when we first launched ™ with The University of Manchester. Today, universities across the UK trust us to stay compliant and create safer campus environments for students and staff alike.
Hotspot Analysis
Quickly see where incidents are occurring most often across your campus. Identify higher-risk groups, locations, or environments so you can focus preventative action where it will have the greatest impact.
Behaviour Insights
Track patterns in bullying, harassment, discrimination, and other forms of misconduct. Understand how behaviours evolve over time and use the insight to inform culture initiatives and prevention strategies across campus.
Your partner for compliance and culture change
Regulators won't just ask what you have in place, they'll ask what you've done. Book a demo to see how Culture Shift helps you evidence compliance, reduce harm, and build a campus culture where issues are prevented, not just managed.