Survey carried out by Ulster University and the University of Galway describes staff experiences, knowledge, engagement, and perceptions in Higher Education institutions North and South Call for greater collaboration between Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland Higher Education sectors to enhance protections for staff and support for change   The COSHARE North-South survey report outlines key findings from the first all-island study of Higher Education staff members’ experiences of consent, sexual violence, and harassment in Higher Education in Northern Ireland (NI) and the Republic of Ireland (RoI). The survey was responded to by staff members in HEIs in the North and South of Ireland with 236 (45%) of respondents in an HEI in NI and 285 (55%) in ROI. Some 75% of respondents identified as female. The research found that, of the 364 staff who opted to respond to questions on their experiences of sexual violence and harassment, 43% have experienced some form of this behaviour in their work or personal lives in the last year and 66% in the last five years. In the context of this research, SVH is a collective term that includes physical contact or non-physical conduct of a sexual nature that occurs in the absence of clear, knowing and voluntary consent. This collaboration by Ulster University and the University of Galway seeks to understand these experiences and bring workplace culture and wellbeing into the conversation by assessing knowledge of policies and confidence in their institution.  Funded by the Higher Education Authority under the North-South Research Programme, COSHARE survey asked Higher Education staff about consent and sexual violence and harassment (SVH) attitudes, knowledge and experience, their awareness of how their institutions address consent, and mental wellbeing. Participants answered questions about themselves, their campus, their experiences of SVH and perpetration, the extent to which this impacted their mental wellbeing and ability to work, and their engagement with information and education or training initiatives on the subject. Questions on SVH included staff members’ experience of sexist harassment, unwanted sexual attention, unwanted/uncomfortable touching, sexualised comments, and attempted non-consensual sexual activities. COSHARE Findings Campus Culture and Climate: 14% of those surveyed agreed that SVH among staff was a problem at their HEI, 40% had a neutral opinion on these issues or said that they did not know whether SVH was a problem, while 46% disagreed that it was a problem. Policy: less than half (46%) of the participants agreed their HEI proactively addressed issues of SVH, while one third (36%) saw their HEI senior management as visible on this issue. A clear majority of survey participants agreed that they were aware of staff policies (76%), and agreed that these were clear and explicit (60%) with 35% agreeing that they were effective. Training and Awareness: 30-40% of staff said that they had received particular forms of information from their HEI relevant to consent, sexual violence and harassment. The rate of engagement was notably higher for seeing posters on consent / SVH (78%). Two thirds (65%) of respondents agreed that they felt a responsibility to engage with SVH at their HEI. There are encouraging signs that staff want to contribute through being involved in training: 80% displayed willingness to support initiatives and 65% said they would take an active role in delivery.   Survey respondents were presented with questions referring to their experiences in both their personal and professional lives, not just within the HEI where they worked, across the past 12 months, five years, and more.   Sexual harassment: Almost two thirds of 364 participants (64%) had experienced sexual harassment in the past five years. This included 57% who had experienced sexist hostility in last 5 years (27% in last year), 23% with an experience of electronic or visual sexual harassment (last 5 years, 11% in last year), 34% who experienced sexualised comments (last 5 years, 19% in last year), 31% who had experienced unwanted sexual attention (last 5 years, 13% in last year, and 5% with an experience of sexual coercion.   Sexual violence: One quarter of 364 participants (26%) experienced some form of sexual violence in the past five years, in their personal or professional lives: almost a quarter of staff participants had been touched in a way that made them feel uncomfortable,16% indicated unwanted attempts of stroking or kissing; and 10% had been made to touch, stroke or kiss someone when they did not want to do so.   Professor Pádraig MacNeela, Co-Lead of the Active* Consent programme, University of Galway, said: “The qualitative responses that staff gave in the COSHARE survey make for interesting reading. Some staff said that significant progress had been made in the Higher Education sector, citing more resources, education and training that have been put in place. Others saw progress as more mixed, and as trying to remedy a low baseline in the past when harassment was relatively acceptable.” “The final group of staff said that things had not changed – they were worried that students and staff do not seem to have access to investigations that are fit for purpose, the career impact of bringing a complaint, and continuing nature of everyday sexist harassment.”   “We also found that staff want to get involved in helping to create culture change in their universities. The vast majority (over 80%) said they were willing to take part in training on bystander intervention, disclosure skills, and consent, while 65% agreed that they would take an active role in delivering such training”.   Dr Susan Lagdon, Senior Lecturer in Psychology (Mental Health) at Ulster University said: “Sexual violence and harassment is pervasive in all walks of our lives but it should not be.  These findings demonstrate concerning patterns of sexual violence and harassment experienced by staff in higher education in both their personal and professional lives. While this behaviour should never be tolerated, we are grateful to our own Higher Education Institutions Ulster University and the University of Galway for their support and encouragement to progress with this important work. “We’re pleased that our institutions already proactively work with us on a range of initiatives that look to end violence and harassment in the workplace and are looking at the recommendations from this research. We are also grateful to our wider Higher Education colleagues who supported and facilitated dissemination and awareness raising of this research, ensuring that those who wished to contribute, had their say.” The full COSHARE report is available to read here: https://www.consenthub.ie/research/coshare-north-south-survey-report-2024/ The research follows the Irish Government’s ‘Safe, Respectful, and Positive: Ending Sexual Violence and Harassment in Irish Higher Education Institutions’ framework, launched in 2019 to set a culture change across HEIs by engaging individuals at all levels. Comparatively, in Northern Ireland, recent years have seen a surge of statutory agency activity, with the launch of The Executive Office’s Ending Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy, the Ministries of Health and Justice’s Domestic and Sexual Abuse Strategy, and the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s Tackling VAWG Action Plan.  Ends

Active* Consent and Galway Rape Crisis Centre report shows disclosure management skills training enhances confidence in supporting survivors   An evaluation of the ‘First Point of Contact’ Disclosure Management Skills Training has been published today, demonstrating how universities and other education providers can enable staff and students to receive informal disclosures of sexual violence or harassment (SVH). The training is a collaboration between the Active* Consent programme at University of Galway and Galway Rape Crisis Centre. First Point of Contact is a 12-hour psychotherapist-led training programme that prepares participants to receive disclosures of sexual violence and harassment and to signpost to relevant supports and services. It teaches people how to create a safe, informed, and supportive space for disclosures to be made. The 2021 Higher Education Authority (HEA) national survey of staff in the sector showed that only about one fifth agreed that they were well informed about how to respond effectively to a disclosure. Approximately 300 participants from the Higher Education, Further Education & Training (FET) sectors, and other organisations have completed the training so far.  Gemma MacNally, Clinical and Therapeutic Lead of the Active* Consent programme, University of Galway, said: “The training was valued as a source of knowledge and skills by participants with minimal previous experience as well as those with previous training. First Point of Contact disclosure skills training sessions have hosted people across different backgrounds, from teachers, researchers and academics to students and professional support staff.”  Dr Helen Maher, Vice-President for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at University of Galway, said: “The training was flexible enough to be delivered online and in-person, to both our students and staff. Participants learned practical skills for how to respond to someone who is distressed, they felt safe during the training, and grew in confidence. We have had a sustained interest from people wanting to take part for three years now.” Key findings from the report include:  Skill Development: 98% of survey respondents said they felt prepared to receive and respond to a disclosure after the training, using empathic communication and trauma-informed skills.  Widespread Satisfaction: 97% of survey respondents recommended the training to colleagues, citing its confidence-building and empowering approach.  Sustainability Needs: The report outlines strategies to enhance support for participants post-training, including refresher courses, peer networks, and clearer institutional policies Recommendations for the future include maintaining psychotherapist-led delivery of the disclosure skills training; increasing the coverage of diversity, cultural change, and complex disclosure scenarios in the training; and formalising the First Point of Contact role in organisations so that young people and staff members can access informal support when they wish to make a disclosure of sexual violence or harassment.  Professor Pádraig MacNeela, Co-Lead of the Active* Consent programme, University of Galway, said: “On completing their training, participants felt prepared to receive disclosures within the boundaries that had been set out. Those who later received disclosures were able to describe their use of techniques learned during the training. Further to this, individuals who took part typically said that they would like to have a continuing role receiving disclosures."   Cathy Connolly, Director of the Galway Rape Crisis Centre, said: "The First Point of Contact programme places survivors’ experiences at the heart of its design. By equipping individuals with the tools to provide supportive, non-judgmental responses, this collaboration with Active* Consent ensures that victims and survivors are met with empathy and respect."  The full ‘First Point of Contact’ report is available to read here: https://www.consenthub.ie/research/first-point-of-contact-disclosure-management-skills-training-research-evaluation-study/   Ends  

Medtronic, the global leader in healthcare technology, and University of Galway, an internationally recognised leader in biomedical research and innovation, are proud to announce that their Signature Innovation Partnership has been named Best Collaboration at the prestigious MedTech Rising Awards 2024, hosted by the Irish Medtech Association.  This award celebrates the power of collaboration in driving impactful healthcare solutions. University of Galway spin-outs were also recognised with LUMA Vision winning Medtech Company of the Year and Galenband receiving the Digital Health Innovation of the Year award. The Medtronic Signature Innovation Partnership was launched in 2023, as an ambitious expansion to a long and trusted partnership between the University and the global healthcare technology company. Professor Peter McHugh, Interim President of University of Galway, said: “The MedTech Rising Awards celebrate the finest in the industry, and this recognition is a testament to the transformative impact of partnerships like ours. We have always had a rewarding relationship with Medtronic and the ambition in our strategic partnership takes this to a new level as we pursue greater excellence in teaching and learning, and research and innovation, all of which will ultimately benefit medtech, healthcare and people in the Galway region, Ireland and around the world.” Sean Salmon, Executive Sponsor of the Signature Innovation Partnership and Executive Vice President at Medtronic, added: “We’re honoured to receive this award. At Medtronic, we know that solving the world’s greatest healthcare challenges requires bold ideas and strong partnerships. The collaboration with the University of Galway enables us to achieve more than we could alone, combining the best of academic talent with industry expertise to further develop the world class medtech hub in the west of Ireland; broaden our STEM initiatives and partner on research that truly make a difference in patients’ lives.”   The 5 year €5 million Medtronic Signature Innovation Partnership with University of Galway has created unique opportunities for students, fostering a robust talent pipeline for the medtech sector.   Irish MedTech Association’s recognition for this collaboration demonstrates Ireland’s leadership in medtech, showcasing how strategic partnerships can position the country as a hub for transformative healthcare solutions.   Ends