SEA incidents come in many guises. A staff member may abuse another staff member; a staff member may be abused by someone unconnected to the organisation; a staff member may be accused of abuse by a beneficiary. Some incidents may be resolved relatively satisfactorily and quickly.

However, SEA is ultimately about the abuse of power and position, and a SEA incident can precipitate a crisis of governance and reputation for any organisation. In some circumstances, particularly when a board or executive leadership team (ELT) is involved or implicated, such a crisis can rapidly turn existential.

The report is available to download on the left.