Managing harassment, bullying and inappropriate behaviour complaints

About the course

This training course will provide you with a clear, practical framework for handling complaints of harassment and bullying in line with legal, regulatory, and professional obligations. With a focus on your responsibilities as a leader, the course equips heads of chambers and chambers leaders to respond confidently and appropriately to concerns, while fostering a culture of respect and accountability within chambers.

Join us for a practical facilitated session where you’ll work through how to manage different scenarios. Preparation reading will be shared ahead of the training. There’ll be a maximum of 24 people in any session.

What will you learn?

Understanding harassment, bullying, and inappropriate behaviours
Clarifying definitions and recognising behaviours that may breach professional standards or chambers’ expectations.
Legal, regulatory, and policy obligations
Including the duty to take reasonable steps to prevent, and duty to report under BSB rules and the Equality Act 2010.
Setting yourself up for success
Proactive leadership to build a respectful culture, reduce risk, and ensure chambers are prepared to respond effectively.
Responding to an incident
- Best practice for responding to concerns raised by pupils, barristers, or staff with empathy and discretion
- Informal v formal responses
- Carrying out an investigation
- Ensuring fairness, confidentiality, and appropriate support for all parties during the process
- Implementing interim measures
- Managing difficult conversations and maintaining impartiality

Why attend?

Understand your professional and legal responsibilities as head of chambers or a leader within chambers
Gain confidence in managing sensitive and high-stakes situations
Protect the wellbeing of all members and staff
Reduce reputational and regulatory risk
Take away practical tools and templates for immediate use in chambers

Who should attend?

Heads of Chambers
Chambers directors and leaders
Equality and diversity officers (EDOs)/members of EDI Committee/ManCom

CPD

2.5 hours

Prices

Online

Full price: £225 (plus VAT)
Bar Representation Fee member price: £180 (plus VAT)

In-person

Full price: £250 (plus VAT)
Bar Representation Fee member price: £200 (plus VAT)

Training for barristers and chambers staff

See our tackling harassment, bullying and inappropriate behaviours training for barristers, clerks and other chambers' staff

The duty to prevent sexual harassment at the Bar

Read our blog - our equality team explore what the Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023 means for the Bar.

Stop it – the duty to prevent sexual harassment and what it means for the Bar

The Annual Chambers Management package

This training session is available as part of the Bar Council's Annual Chambers Membership package. Chambers membership gives you access to a range of training and support throughout the year, chosen to suit your needs. Find out more about the package.

In-chambers training

We can offer this training in-chambers, including at chambers on the circuits. Please contact our Training and Events team for information on dates and pricing.

Paperless training packs

To minimise environmental impact and the amount of paper you have to carry with you, Bar Council training packs are paperless. As a delegate you will receive the materials you need for the training by email in advance, which you can access on your laptop or tablet or print in advace if required.
Throughout the training, there will be references to various Bar Council guidance or external documents which are included as a hyperlink within the attendee workbook.