Universities Under Pressure: Meeting the OfS’s new standard for fair and trauma-informed investigations

From August 2025, the Office for Students’ new Condition E6 makes it compulsory for UK universities to have fair, transparent and trauma-informed processes for handling harassment and sexual misconduct. Institutions must publish clear policies, ban NDAs, train investigators, and provide student support. This blog explores the challenges of running investigations that are both credible and compassionate, and how universities can prepare to meet OfS requirements.