1.7.3 Staff Safety |
Contents
- Assessment of Risk
- Management of Risk
- Recording of Risk
- Lone Working
- Abuse, Aggression or Violent Incidents
1. Assessment of Risk
If there is any indication that a planned contact with a service user may place a member of staff at risk of abuse, aggression or injury, and in any case where a lone home visit is being planned, a risk assessment form (called Risk Assessment Form – Dangerous Incidents) must be completed. (The form can be found on the intranet under Family Services>A-Z of Forms). Indicators may come in the form of previous history (past violence is the best predictor of future violence) – such risk factors are called static because they do not change. Previous history of violence should be recorded on ICS and may be the reason for a warning on the Person Index (PI). Indicators may also be dynamic – changeable factors such as current emotional state, substance use or stressors. The staff member and their manager will agree an assessment of risk and a plan to manage the risk.
2. Management of Risk
If the level of risk overall (i.e. the combination of seriousness and likelihood) is assessed as medium or high, the manager must agree a plan that is intended to decrease the risk of danger to their staff. This may include:
- Consideration of two workers attending the contact
- Consideration of diversity issues (for example the gender and/or ethnicity etc. of staff)
- Location and timing of contact
- Request for uniformed police assistance
- Request for mental health assessment
- Use of personal alarms, mobile phones
- A plan about how to conduct the contact
- Contingency plans for violence occurring despite precautions
The plan needs to be proportionate to the assessed risk, bearing in mind the importance of the proposed contact.
3. Recording of Risk
If on completion of the assessment there is thought to be a significant (medium or high) risk to staff then a warning indicator to the Person Index (PI) and manual records (See Use and Management of Warning Indicators Guidance) and the completed Risk Assessment form should be attached as a Word document to the relevant Case Overview Sheet (COS) on ICS.
4. Lone Working
If a lone home visit is planned, whatever the assessed level of risk, staff must inform their line/duty manager and complete details on the movement board (service user name, time of departure, estimated time of return, mobile phone number). Council mobile phones will be made available and a phone must be carried, and must be switched on. If following the visit(s) the staff member is not returning to the office, they must agree a method of informing their manager when
the visit is completed as appropriate, depending on the level of assessed risk.
If staff fail to return from a visit on time they should be contacted by phone;
Should they not be contactable, the manager must contact the police to request they investigate, unless there is a good reason for not doing so (which should be recorded).
5. Abuse, Aggression or Violent Incidents
Where abuse, aggression or violence are encountered staff should:
- leave the premises as soon as possible
- contact their manager
- seek any necessary medical help
Their manager must:
- contact the police to request assistance
- ensure the Councils incident form (CF001) is completed
- inform the relevant head of service
- agree any subsequent action (pressing charges, application for injunctions etc.) to prevent any recurrence
- ensure the team is briefed and offered support (including counselling for the staff attacked if appropriate)
- add or revise (as appropriate) the warning on the case record (refer to Use and Management of Warning Indicators Guidance)
End