OIA Good Practice Framework: new section published 15 September 2026
Is your institution ready for the OIA’s new guidance on harassment and sexual misconduct?
On 15 September 2026 the OIA published “Handling reports about harassment and sexual misconduct”, a new section of its Good Practice Framework for higher education providers in England and Wales. It sets out what the OIA regards as good practice at each stage of a provider’s response, and it will inform how the OIA considers student complaints about the handling of these cases. The OIA describes it as good practice guidance rather than a complete operational guide to regulatory or legal requirements.
We offer an independent review of how well your existing policies and practice align with the new guidance, so you can act early and with confidence.
The areas the guidance covers
The guidance is detailed. It covers:
- setting clear expectations about behaviour, and the language used in policies
- working with partner institutions and student representative bodies
- welfare and support for reporting and responding students
- making a disclosure or report, and the initial response
- risk assessment and precautionary measures
- the options after the initial response, including informal resolution
- the investigation and information gathering stage
- disciplinary hearings and the role of decision-makers
- concluding the process, appeals, and the reporting student’s route to request a review
- learning from reports and complaints
Two ways we can help
Option 1, Policy Review: your written policies, assessed against each area of the new guidance.
Option 2, Policy and Practice Review: your policies and the related practice around them, assessed together.
Scope, pricing and timeframes
| Item | Option 1: Policy Review | Option 2: Policy and Practice Review |
|---|---|---|
| What is reviewed | Your written policies, assessed against each area of the new guidance | Your policies and the related practice around them, assessed together |
| Up to 5 policies | £1,500 | £2,850 (including related practice) |
| 6 to 10 policies | £2,250 | £4,275 (including related practice) |
| Timeframe | 4 to 6 weeks | 6 to 8 weeks |
| Optional add-on: Action Plan | £1,200 for up to 5 policies £1,550 for 6 to 10 policies | £1,500 for up to 5 policies £1,750 for 6 to 10 policies |
Included in both options: a 90-minute Teams or remote meeting to present and explain the findings.
How this fits with our wider review service
This is a focused, fixed-price review tied to the new OIA section. If you want a broader review of your investigation, conduct, appeals, or complaints frameworks, or support with redrafting policies, our Policy & Practice Review service sets out four levels of review to suit different starting points.
Let’s talk about what you need
If you’d like to discuss which option suits your institution, or simply find out more, please contact us. We’ll be happy to talk it through. Email info@campusresolve.co.uk or use our contact form.
Get in touchAbout this service
This service does not constitute legal advice. The provider remains responsible for its own compliance. VAT is not currently chargeable.