Headley v Northern Health and Social Care Trust [2026]
Decision Number: NIIT 4023/24 Legal Body: Northern Ireland Industrial Tribunal
Published on: 08/10/2026
Issues Covered:
Article Authors The main content of this article was provided by the following authors.
Jason Elliott BL Barrister & Associate Head of School of Law, Ulster University
Jason Elliott BL Barrister & Associate Head of School of Law, Ulster University
Jason elliott new
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Jason Elliott was called to the Bar of Northern Ireland in 2013 and is the Associate Head of School of Law at Ulster University.  As a practising barrister, he has developed a largely civil practice representing individuals, companies and public bodies in litigation. This covers a wide range of areas including personal injuries, wills and employment law. In terms of employment law, he has represented both applicants and respondents in the Industrial Tribunal.   At Ulster University, Jason lectures extensively on the civil areas of practise such as Equity and Trusts and delivers employment law lectures for both undergraduate and postgraduate students.

Claimant:
Andrea Michelle Headley
Respondent:
Northern Health and Social Care Trust
Summary

The claimant issued sex discrimination claims in relation to alleged sexual assaults in the workplace.  It was found the first was out of time and the second had been investigated and steps put in place were proportionate.  

Background

The claimant was employed by the respondent as a Band 5 Staff Nurse.  She alleged that she was sexually harassed and assaulted by a male agency worker in October 2021.  The claimant alleged that she had informed three managers of this at or around that time.  However, the respondent stated it was not until May 2022 that they were informed and this was accepted by the Tribunal.   No safeguarding incident was logged at either time.

The claimant made two allegations in

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Disclaimer The information in this article is provided as part of Legal Island's Employment Law Hub. We regret we are not able to respond to requests for specific legal or HR queries and recommend that professional advice is obtained before relying on information supplied anywhere within this article. This article is correct at 08/10/2026