Brothers of Charity. Relationships and Sexuality Policy- read it here.
Supported Loving toolkit
Writing a relationships and sexuality policy
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Having a relationships and sexuality policy is an essential foundation for building responsive practices that meet regulatory, legal, and ethical standards.
The aim of this page is to support providers in the quest to develop or review their organisational relationships and sexuality policy. When organisations do not have a policy, staff can be unsure about what is expected of them and how to respond to sensitive situations.
Not having an adequate policy can lead to staff fear and anxiety about tackling issues, resulting in information being withheld and needs remaining unmet. Similarly, without a specific policy, people being supported are unclear about what, if any, help will be offered to them in expressing their sexuality or having the opportunity to develop intimate relationships. People with a learning disability and autistic people think that this information should be readily available in an accessible and meaningful format.
Why have a policy?
These are the benefits of having a relationships and sexuality policy:
- There is consistency of approach to situations.
- People understand their rights and responsibilities.
- Staff are assisted to feel confident in addressing issues.
- Best practice and up-to-date approaches are promoted.
- People are provided with support and backing in decision-making.
- Actions will comply with legal standards.
- It shows that the organisation values and recognises loving relationships and sexuality as fundamental human needs.
- Creates safe conditions for people to explore positive relationships, sexuality and sexual health in a secure and non-judgmental environment.
A relationships and sexuality policy should assist all those involved with the agency, including people using services, family members and support staff, to clearly understand how the organisation will approach and deal with sexuality and relationship needs. There should be a focus on people’s rights to enjoy personal and sexual relationships, helped by staff who are secure, knowledgeable, and positive enablers.
Legislative and regulatory guidance
A relationships and sexuality policy produced by English social care providers should be informed by the following key legal documents:
- Care Act 2014
- Human Rights Act 1998
- Mental Capacity Act 2005
- Sexual Offences Act 2003.
In addition, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) has provided guidance for providers, (Relationships and sexuality in adult social care services, 2019) which underlines the importance of clear directives for staff. For instance, a key question that may be asked during an inspection, to indicate a commitment to supporting intimate and personal relationships is, “Does the organisation have a relationships and sexuality policy, including an easy read version?” Similarly, it is noted that providers’ policies and procedures should clearly direct staff to the action they must take in response to incidents of a sexual nature.
What are the most common challenges faced by people in this area?
Often people are hesitant about writing a policy because the subject appears vast and daunting. There is also fear about being legally accurate and creating expectations that may be met with resistance or opposition once the policy has been published.
Many of these concerns can be allayed by undertaking thorough prior research, including reading a range of other organisations’ policies, and attending legal training. It is also useful to involve staff at all levels of the organisation, alongside people who use the service, family members and relevant external agencies.
What should be included in a policy?
The policy should reflect the organisation’s unique values, including plans to embody them in practice. It should set out roles and responsibilities - who does what, when and how. Crucially, what is expected and acceptable, in terms of behaviour and boundaries, ought to be included. So, whilst each organisation might have different priorities and values, some key elements to include in a policy might be:
- Values - These are the principles on which the organisation is based and will state its commitment to supporting relationships.
- Rights and responsibilities - This section may need to identify the different rights and responsibilities of people supported by the organisation, family members and staff/managers.
- Relationships - Reference should be made to people having a choice about the relationships that they are involved in, including diverse sexual and gender expression and practices.
- Legal framework - A brief explanation of each of the relevant laws (Human Rights Act 1998, Mental Capacity Act 2005, Sexual Offences Act 2003, Care Act 2014) and how they relate to sexuality, intimacy, and wellbeing.
- Sexuality and sexual practices - The main part of the document will have information about how to support people to express their sexuality and engage in sexual relationships. This will cover areas such as: masturbation, pornography, pregnancy, social media, intimate care, and menstruation. Clear standards of practice should be provided, with details of what is expected and how to deal with situations.
- Sexual health and staying safe - This should reference proactive strategies for sexual abuse prevention and link to the organisation’s safeguarding processes. It should also include information and advice in relation to contraception and sexually transmitted infections.
- Training and support - This is vital to the introduction of the policy and should outline the training, information and support that will be provided, particularly for staff and people who use the service.
- References/sources of information - There should be information included about documents and organisations, both local and national, that can provide additional advice and support.
Watch Sue Sharples talk about developing an inclusive organisational relationships and sexuality policy and procedure.
Do...
- ensure that the policy is regularly reviewed in order that it remains up to date with case law and relevant policy changes
- make sure that the policy is inclusive of everyone in society
- provide training about the policy for staff, family members and people who use the service
- make the format and style readable and accessible, so it is a usable reference document
- think about empowering practices that focus on education, information, and autonomy.
Don't...
- just copy a policy from the internet, as this will not reflect your organisation’s values and will not be owned by the people involved
- fail to share your policy widely – how you promote and share the policy will have an impact on its effectiveness
- just leave the policy in a cupboard - make sure that it is regularly referenced and used
- be too risk averse in your approach, as this may just result in fear and inertia.
Case study
In 2014, The Brothers of Charity Services in Lancashire did not have a relationships and sexuality policy. They did not have any information about friendships and relationships to help people with disabilities and support staff. So, Voice for All, their advocacy group, wrote their very first easy read booklet called: “How best to support me with friendships and relationships.”
Voice for All says: “We wanted our staff teams to know what they needed to do to best support us and to make relationships happen for us. In 2015, we started receiving training from the U-Night Group, who gave us really good information and helped us learn about relationships, sex, sexuality and staying safe.
“In 2016, we were invited to write a national relationships and sexuality policy for the Brothers of Charity Services. We made sure that self-advocates, staff, and managers were involved in this process. The U-Night Group also served as consultants.
Voice for All advocates continue, “The policy is called: Love, Sex and Relationships and we have also produced an easy read version, so that people using the Brothers of Charity services know what they can expect from their support workers. It took us quite a long time to put this together, but we were pleased with it in the end. Both documents help everyone concerned to be clear about the importance of relationships in people’s lives. Being involved has given us the confidence to improve opportunities for friendship and sexual relationships.”
Top tips
- Involve a range of interested people, including those using the service, family members, trustees, staff at all levels and volunteers. Collaboration in this way is more likely to lead to everyone accepting and using the policy. This may be via a series of meetings in the form of a working group, individual discussions, or conducting surveys.
- Consult external sources for up-to-date examples of good practice and policies, but do not be tempted to copy the whole thing.
- Use known sources of expertise to check that your policy meets local and legal requirements, such as adult social care representatives, solicitors, sexual health staff and colleagues in the Supported Loving network.
- The draft policy should be shared widely, including an accessible format, before being finalised.
This toolkit page was produced by Voice for All - the advocacy group of Brothers of Charity and the U-Night Group, a user-led training organisation, both based in Lancashire
The views expressed in the Supported Loving toolkit are not necessarily those of Choice Support.
Resources
Brothers of Charity - Relationships and Sexuality Policy
Shropshire joint policy - Personal Relationships and Sexuality
Shropshire joint policy-Personal Relationships and Sexuality read it here.
West Sussex Adult Services - Personal Relationships for Adults with a Learning Disability
West Sussex Adult Services. Personal Relationships for Adults with a Learning Disability - read it here.
Open University/Together for Short Lives - Guidance and standards
Open University/Together for Short Lives. Talking about sex, sexuality and relationships: For those working with young people with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions. Guidance and Standards.
Guidelines for Implementing a Policy on ‘Sexuality and Relationships for Disabled Adults’ in the Voluntary Sector
SHADA. Guidelines for Implementing a Policy on ‘Sexuality and Relationships for Disabled Adults’ in the Voluntary Sector.
Care Quality Commission (CQC) has provided guidance for providers, (Relationships and sexuality in adult social care services, 2019) Microsoft Word - 20190110 Sexuality in Care V0.09 Clean for approval_PUBLICATION.docx (cqc.org.uk).
Supported Loving toolkit
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