Action 11 of the ‘Ending Sexual Violence and Harassment in Higher Education Institutions Implementation Plan’ (ESVH Implementation Plan)’ published in 2022, developed with the support of the HEA Advisory Group on Ending Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment in Higher Education Institutions, called for a feasibility study to be conducted in relation to the formation of a panel of trained and skilled external investigators to investigate cases of sexual violence and harassment against staff and students.
The HEA established a working group to undertake this feasibility study in January 2023. The report produced by this working group recommended the establishment, for and by the sector, of a shared service entity (SSE) investigations unit which would recruit a team of investigators which could be deployed by HEIs to investigate formal complaints of SVH arising in a HEI. The resulting report was shared with HEIs.
This completed action 11, however the Working Group report noted that in order to advance a more specific SSE proposal a separate piece of work was required to further develop the design options. The HEA subsequently established an Implementation Working Group, chaired by the IUA, to discuss the appropriate design and operational criteria for the shared service, and a process to advance its establishment. The report of the Implementation Working group was shared with HEIs in September 2024.
Following this feasibility study, an allocation of seed funding was made available in 2024 by DFHERIS and HEA to support an Expression of Interest process to identify a HEI or representative body to undertake the foundational work described in the Implementation Working Group’s report as prerequisites for the establishment of a Shared Service Entity for the advancement of the project. Thereafter it was expected that the institutions would manage and finance investigate services.
An Expression of Interest (EOI) call to establish a Shared Service Entity was launched by the HEA in October 2024 but no applications were received.
In the absence of the identification of a HEI or representative body to coordinate the development of central investigations unit, in September 2025 the HEA launched a call to support HEI collaboration to develop guidelines or standards for investigations of breaches of institutional sexual violence and harassment policy.
Following a competitive process, a proposal led by the Technological University of the Shannon (TUS), in collaboration with 15 other higher education institutions, was approved in December 2025 and formally commenced in February 2026. Its objective is to develop a robust framework of trauma-informed investigation guidelines. This collaborative initiative aims to develop consistent approaches across institutions to the investigation of breaches of institutional policies relating to SVH across higher education. The work is ongoing and is expected to result in the development of agreed guidance for the participating HEIs upon completion of the project.
