Reading List

A curated Reading List to support and extend learning from Sexual Harassment for Residential Care Staff.

This course is written for UK residential care staff. Great Britain workplace sexual harassment law and EHRC and Acas prevention guidance are used for the legal prevention-duty examples; Northern Ireland signposting is included because equality law differs there. Care-home safeguarding sources include CQC and NICE examples, plus devolved adult-safeguarding signposting.

1. Core Law and Prevention Guidance

• EHRC - Employer 8-step guide: Preventing sexual harassment at work
  A clear official guide to the employer duty to prevent sexual harassment. It is particularly useful for care-home managers because it sets out practical steps on culture, risk assessment, reporting, training, leadership and third-party harassment.
  https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/employer-8-step-guide-preventing-sexual-harassment-work

• EHRC - Sexual harassment and harassment at work: technical guidance
  Detailed legal guidance on definitions, employer duties, third-party harassment, prevention, complaints and investigations. Useful for further reading and for staff with managerial responsibilities.
  https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/sites/default/files/sexual_harassment_and_harassment_at_work.pdf

• Acas - Preventing sexual harassment
  Practical guidance on the reasonable-steps duty, with examples on reporting routes, anonymous reporting, staff surveys, conduct at work events, and action on third-party behaviour.
  https://www.acas.org.uk/sexual-harassment/steps-for-employers-to-prevent-sexual-harassment

• Acas - Handling a sexual harassment complaint
  Practical advice for managers on what to say, what to avoid, keeping an open mind, when formal action may be needed, and protections from 6 April 2026 relating to whistleblowing and NDAs.
  https://www.acas.org.uk/sexual-harassment/handling-a-sexual-harassment-complaint

• Legislation.gov.uk - Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023 explanatory notes
  The official explanation of the employer duty to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment and the tribunal uplift where that duty is breached.
  https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/51/notes/division/6/index.htm

2. Care-Home and Adult Social Care Context

• GOV.UK - Adult social care workforce and work-related quality of life: executive summary
  Government survey findings showing that violence, harassment, bullying and abuse are common in adult social care, including incidents from people supported, family members and members of the public. Useful context for why care-home employers must take staff safety seriously.
  https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/adult-social-care-asc-workforce-and-work-related-quality-of-life/executive-summary-adult-social-care-workforce-and-work-related-quality-of-life

• NICE - Safeguarding adults in care homes (NG189)
  Relevant for care-home safeguarding, including indicators of sexual abuse, immediate actions, concerns about people in positions of trust, and overlap between staff safety and resident protection.
  https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng189

• CQC - Issue 11: Promoting sexual safety
  A CQC learning resource that encourages adult social care providers to build an open culture around sexuality and sexual safety. Helpful for understanding how silence and closed cultures increase risk for staff and people using services.
  https://www.cqc.org.uk/guidance-regulation/adult-social-care/learning-safety-incidents/issue-11-promoting-sexual-safety

• CQC - Regulation 13: Safeguarding service users from abuse and improper treatment
  CQC guidance for England on preventing abuse, taking prompt action, and protecting people from degrading treatment, unlawful restraint and related harm in care services.
  https://www.cqc.org.uk/guidance-regulation/providers/regulations-service-providers-and-managers/health-social-care-act/regulation-13

3. Nation-Sensitive Signposting

• GOV.WALES - Safeguarding adults at risk of abuse or neglect
  A Welsh entry point for staff and services that must follow Wales-specific adult safeguarding guidance rather than England's CQC and local authority framework.
  https://www.gov.wales/safeguarding-adults-risk-abuse-or-neglect

• Scottish Government - Adult support and protection
  Scotland-specific adult protection information. Scotland uses different adult protection law and processes from England and Wales.
  https://www.gov.scot/policies/social-care/adult-support-and-protection/

• Equality Commission NI - Grievance, harassment and bullying procedure
  A Northern Ireland procedural resource for workplace grievances and harassment. Useful because Northern Ireland has separate equality legislation from Great Britain.
  https://equalityni.org/workplace/workplace-guidance/guidance-library/grievance-harassment-and-bullying-procedure

Use this list to review sexual harassment law, reasonable prevention steps, complaint handling, third-party risk, care-home safeguarding links, and the nation-specific frameworks that may apply in your setting.