Why the CIISA Standards Matter: Raising the Bar for Investigations and Workplace Conduct in the Creative Industries
Setting a New Benchmark for Behaviour in the Creative Sector
In February 2025, the Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority (CIISA) published a new framework aimed at improving standards of behaviour across the UK's creative industries. The CIISA Standards outline clear expectations for conduct in film, television, music, theatre, and other related fields. These are industries where informal cultures and freelance structures have often made it difficult to report or challenge poor behaviour.
This new framework signals a shift. Organisations are being called to move beyond policy statements and actively support the people and systems that uphold those values. That includes the way complaints, misconduct, and whistleblowing concerns are handled.
For teams working in workplace investigations, corporate misconduct response, and investigative training, this is a moment of real relevance.
The Four Pillars of the CIISA Standards
The CIISA Standards are built around four key principles:
Safe working environments — free from physical, psychological, or sexual harm
Inclusive working environments — where fairness, accessibility, and equity are embedded
Open and accountable reporting mechanisms — that allow concerns to be raised without fear
A responsive learning culture — where organisations treat complaints as an opportunity to improve
At EthicsVision, we’ve seen these themes reflected across many sectors. In the creative industries, they are particularly important. Work often happens at pace, with blurred lines between formal and informal conduct. When processes are unclear or untrusted, concerns are more likely to go unreported. That silence creates risk.
This sector also faces a persistent challenge that underpins many of the issues the CIISA Standards aim to address: power imbalance. Seniority, status, and personal reputation often carry significant weight, and in tightly networked environments, it can feel unsafe or even career-limiting to raise concerns. Where these dynamics go unacknowledged, harmful behaviour is more likely to be tolerated or excused.
The Role of Investigations and Culture Work
The launch of the CIISA Standards provides a useful point of reflection. It encourages organisations to assess how they handle:
Investigations into bullying, harassment, discrimination, or misconduct
Complaints and whistleblowing raised in freelance or informal settings
Concerns that involve well-known or senior individuals
Training for managers, HR professionals, and leaders responsible for resolution
The consistency and fairness of current case handling procedures
This is not just a broadcasting issue. Bodies such as BECTU, the Film and TV Charity, Time’s Up UK, and BAFTAhave been raising these concerns for years. Leading organisations including the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, and Sky have backed the development of CIISA and the adoption of these standards. The momentum is clear. So is the expectation: organisations need to be equipped, not just well-intentioned.
What to Ask Internally
The CIISA Standards offer a prompt for internal review. Relevant questions include:
Are our workplace investigations procedures reliable and fair?
Do line managers and HR professionals have the tools they need to handle complaints well?
Are reporting channels easy to access, and genuinely trusted by staff and freelancers?
Do we understand when to escalate a matter — and when to manage it locally?
Is our current culture backed up by capability and consistency, or only by documents?
At EthicsVision, we support organisations to ask these questions and act on the answers. Through corporate and workplace investigations training, tailored support, and strategic guidance, we help teams build the confidence and skill to respond effectively to difficult situations.
Supporting the Creative Sector
We work across many industries, but our background includes significant experience in media, entertainment, and broadcasting. We understand the reputational pressures, the challenges of informal working structures, and the risks that arise when issues are handled inconsistently.
We support clients with:
Training for HR teams, line managers, and internal investigators
Conducting and advising on workplace and corporate investigations
Reviewing whistleblowing systems and supporting triage
Strengthening case handling and oversight frameworks
Designing and delivering investigative interviewing courses for production settings
This work is grounded in lived experience, not generic toolkits. Clients come to us when the reputational, legal, or organisational stakes require care, competence, and clarity.
Moving Forward
The CIISA Standards provide useful direction. But having a framework is only part of the picture. To build and maintain cultures of trust and accountability, organisations need the skills and structures to respond well when something goes wrong.
In a sector where reputation matters, action carries weight. Creating safe, fair, and consistent working environments takes more than values — it takes preparation.
📩 Contact us to explore how we can support your team with workplace investigations, corporate investigations training, and broader integrity-focused solutions for the creative industries.
