At this stage, the statement of expectations is not connected to any initial or ongoing conditions of registration and the OfS will not, therefore, seek to use its enforcement powers in relation to the statement.
The statement is designed to support the prevention of, and effective response to, harassment and sexual misconduct in higher education. The statement has been developed through a review of effective practice, research and evidence and providers are encouraged to review and renew their systems, policies and processes in light of the statement.
As part of our wider work to review and reset our regulatory requirements we expect to consider, later this year, whether – and if so how – we need to update our regulatory requirements that relate to consumer protection law. There has been much discussion during the pandemic about students’ rights as consumers and we want to reflect on the lessons learned during this period.
As part of this process, we expect to consider how we set requirements relating to complaints-handling arrangements, together with options for connecting the statement of expectations to the requirements expressed in conditions of registration.
This would mean that we could use our enforcement powers where universities and colleges do not have robust, fair and effective complaints procedures in relation to harassment and sexual misconduct. Any such proposed changes to our regulatory approach, would be subject to further consultation.
