developing_skills section heading

Checklist for employers


Can you answer all these questions with a clear YES? If not you need to identify the actions required so that you can.

Legal: Are you aware of your legal responsibilities in relation to violence and abuse to your workers?

Policy: Does your organisation have a written policy statement in relation to violence and abuse against your workers? Are managers and workers (staff and volunteers) familiar with the policy?

Risk Assessment: Has your organisation undertaken an assessment of the risks of violence and abuse facing your staff and volunteers? Remember you need specific risk assessment for each situation where a concern has been raised or risk identified. Have the relevant workers been fully involved in the risk assessment process?

Action to take: Have you prepared an action plan to deal with deficits identified in the risk assessment? Does this cover:

  • the working environment?
  • the person or people who use services?
  • other people who live with the person who uses the service or who may be present when service is provided, whether in the home or in other settings, including offices?
  • social care workers (staff and volunteers)?
  • training?
  • periodic review?

Post-incident responses: Does your policy and procedure inform workers, victims, colleagues and managers about what they should do after a violent or abusive incident:

  • in terms of an immediate response?
  • in terms of follow-up?

Organisational culture: Is there a positive culture across the organisation that takes the issue of staff safety seriously? Is there visible and active leadership on health and safety issues from the top of the organisation?


Checking and reviewing agreed actions: Are you monitoring and reviewing implementation of your action plan, and taking corrective steps where necessary? Do your procedures expect and enable managers to regularly check that your arrangements are effective and working?


For examples of policies, procedures, training and arrangements for responding to incidents, please see the examples section.

 

To go back to the guide for employers click here