The UK’s new anti-bullying reporting body for TV and film has unveiled the standards it will uphold when it becomes fully operational.
The Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority (CIISA) will work from four standards, which were drawn up after an eight-week consultation that concluded last month. The body is in the process of securing its financial future in order to become fully operational.
The standards are: ‘Safe Working Environments’, ‘Inclusive Working Environments’, ‘Open and Accountable Reporting Mechanisms’ and ‘Responsive Learning Cultures’.
The first standard stresses that those working in the TV and film industries should be “free from exposure to psychological, sexual and physical harm,” while the third notes that “everyone should feel confident that any concerns they raise will be taken seriously and resolved at the earliest opportunity without a fear of being victimised.” The final one stresses it should “enable those working in the creative industries to see concerns raised as an opportunity not just to address harmful behaviour, but also to capture learning and to act on it.”
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The standards were put together following in-depth chats with contributors from the industry between December 2 and January 27, during which time high-profile allegations made against the likes of Gregg Wallace were put out in the open (Wallace denies he engaged in behavior of a “sexually harassing nature”).
CIISA boss Jen Smith said: “CIISA’s work is a collective endeavour with leading organisations across the creative sectors coming together to support the inception of a much-needed independent body that will give impartial advice and support to those facing bullying, harassment and discriminatory behaviours across all of the creative sectors, starting with in film, TV, music and theatre. Setting out clear and very practical Standards for our sector to socialise and embed is an important first step as we move towards providing CIISA’s full range of services such as mediation, dispute resolution and safely and confidentially being able to report behaviours of concern.”
CIISA is yet to launch properly several years after it was first floated, with a long-term funding model still yet to be secured although it does have financial backing from big players. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy is a fan and recently said she takes a “dim view” of big TV industry players who are not financially backing CIISA. Nandy is considering enshrining into law a requirement for UK broadcasters to regularly fund CIISA.
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