Health and Safety

Handling Violence and Aggression – General Principles

The Company

• Will endeavour to ensure that it can effectively respond to all personal safety and security incidents, including those involving violence or threats of violence to staff. This is achieved through the preparation of plans, management of incidents and reviews/actions, as deemed necessary.
• Will endeavour to ensure that personal safety of its workers is always a considered factor when planning individual care plans with service users. Taking into account regard for workers travelling to and from a care home, hospital etc. and, wherever possible, arrangements that involve workers travelling to and from houses alone in hours of darkness, in known areas of high crime or isolated areas should be avoided.
• Will be responsible for assessing threats to personal safety of its workers and investigating and initiating actions in response to any reported incidents.

Employees and Members

Personal security is the responsibility of every member of staff and the Company expects every member of staff to accept that responsibility and to:

• Behave in a manner so as to ensure their own safety and security at all times
• Behave in a manner so to ensure the safety and security of the service user and their property
• Ensure that they report all security and safety incidents, including violence or threats to themselves
• Ensure that they always leave information regarding their whereabouts with the office and ensure that if there is a change to those whereabouts the office is informed
• Try to always park in a well-lit, open area or, if walking to service users home, that you use a well-lit and populated route
• All workers are advised to carry a mobile phone with them.

Statement on Restraint

• All Members expected to work in areas that may require the restraint of violent or unpredictable persons must have received appropriate training in the Management of Aggressive Behaviour, including Peaceful Response Strategies
• Individual work places may have their own strategy on restraint and the management of aggression and these must be adhered to
• Risk Assessments should be read and used at each new assignment
• Members must not get involved in service user restraint unless they have received appropriate training and have been deemed competent by the Company to deal with situations requiring restraint
• Members are under no obligation to put their own personal safety at risk. They are advised to withdraw and seek assistance if attending a service user alone when a situation occurs
• If attending a service user where a clear risk of violence pre-exists, the Carer must first seek full information on the service user and support from the person in charge
• Physical restraint should always be a last resort to be used only when all de-escalation techniques have failed, and, where possible, the person in charge has given specific authority for an individual’s involvement in restraint. Use only safe and lawful techniques
• In the event of an injury to a Member, an Accident Report must be completed and accident procedures followed.