ESAS Considerations

As schools engage with Equally Safe at School (ESAS) it’s important to think about how this work might affect staff who have personal experience of gender-based violence (GBV).

In general, we know that survivors often welcome proactive measures from organisations and workplaces to tackle the issues, as this recognises and validates their experience and demonstrates a commitment to preventing violence and supporting those affected. However, it’s important to recognise that talking about GBV can bring up difficult feelings and memories for those with personal experience, and the following steps can be taken to help staff affected feel more comfortable engaging in the work:

• Informing staff of inputs and training sessions in advance, scheduling in breaks and reminding staff of support options.
• Allowing staff to determine their own engagement with the work, for example by inviting them to volunteer to take forward work, rather than appointing them.
• Signposting to support services when communicating with staff about ESAS.
• Outlining what steps a member of staff can take if they have any concerns about engaging with ESAS work.