Resolve and evaluate incidents of violence in the workplace

This standard is about resolving and evaluating incidents of violence in the workplace. It includes taking immediate and appropriate action when an incidence of violence occurs to reduce risks to yourself and other employees. It is also about recording events and reviewing your actions and actions of other employees to help prevent further similar incidents.

This standard is for anyone who may need to resolve and evaluate a violent incident.

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1. identify all individuals involved in the incident
2. identify and prioritise actions to control the incident and de-escalate the situation
3. maintain calm and supportive attitude towards everyone involved
4. maintain safety to yourself and other employees throughout the incident
5. assess whether further assistance is required
6. arrange the hand over control of the incident to the relevant person
7. use physical intervention or reasonable force, which is justifiable and proportionate to control the incident
8. minimise injury to yourself and other employees during intervention
9. assess whether individuals require first aid or medical treatment and organise it
10. reassure individuals where they have become stressed and anxious
11. remain alert to the possibility of danger still being present at the scene of the incident
12. secure safety of the scene of incident
13. assess behaviours of everyone involved in the incident in accordance with relevant legislation and organisational procedures
14. discuss the incident with relevant employees and establish actions to prevent further recurrences
15. complete records about the circumstances and triggers of the incident
16. summarise all actions taken by everyone involved and which precautionary measures were used
17. provide support and advice to help reduce incident-related health problems
18. prepare a report with relevant details of the incident, including witness statements, physical interventions and level of force used
19. arrange relevant support for everyone involved and follow the required actions

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1. the procedures for safeguarding confidentiality in accordance with data protection regulation
2. your legal duties for ensuring your and other employees’ well-being, safety and health in the workplace
3. the channels of communication within your organisation
4. the relevant procedures for reporting injuries, diseases, near misses and dangerous occurrences
5. the job roles and responsibilities of all employees for whom you are responsible
6. the employees most at risk and those with a specific responsibility for security
7. the methods of handling sensitive situations
8. the principles and types of risk assessment
9. the legal implications of an incident of violence at work
10. your organisation’s procedures in relation to dealing with incidents and strategies for handling violent situations
11. the relevant safety procedures to follow during violent incidents
12. the rights of service-users and the legal consequences of your actions
13. the circumstances when physical interventions, restraint and reasonable force are necessary
14. the relevant training for using the physical interventions, restraint and reasonable force
15. the legal and professional implications of physical interventions, restraint and reasonable force
16. the responsibilities following physical interventions, restraint and reasonable force
17. the ways of reducing risk of harm during physical interventions, restraint and reasonable force
18. the risk factors involved with utilising physical interventions, restraint and reasonable force
19. the first aid practices and when to summon assistance for first aid
20. the sources of additional support and expertise
21. the reporting and recording procedures for violent incidents
22. the range of other factors for reporting, such as subject users’ mental state, age, gender, physical stature, resources, bystanders, potential weapons
23. the risk assessments which are appropriate to your work
24. the relevant legislation for health and safety at work
25. the legal responsibilities and your organisation’s policy and procedures

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Aggressive behaviour
Any behaviour or actions aimed at harming a person or damaging physical property.

Aggressive communication
A style of communication in which individuals express their feelings and opinions and advocate for their needs in a way that violates the rights of others.

Conflict
A state of opposition and disagreement between two or more people or groups of people, which is sometimes characterised by verbal abuse, threatening behaviour or physical violence.

Conflict Management
The practice of identifying and handling conflict in a sensible, fair, and efficient manner. Conflict management requires such skills as effective communicating, problem solving, and negotiating with a focus on common interests and safeguarding all concerned.

Dynamic Risk Assessment
This is a continuous assessment of the risks faced in a situation as it unfolds to ensure the safest and most effective response is being employed.

Equipment
These could include equipment such as pagers, mobile phones, walkie-talkies, panic buttons, public address systems, etc.

Evaluation
The process of determining whether an item or activity meets specified criteria.
It can include comparing the adequacy of policies and procedures with current practice or professional standards to manage work-related violence.

Generic Risk Assessment
It is:

• an examination of the work and workplace activities to identify what could cause harm to people (a hazard); and
• an assessment of the chance, high or low, that somebody could be harmed by the hazards identified, together with an indication of how serious the harm could be (the risk).

On the basis of this assessment a decision is made as to what prevention or control measures should be taken to prevent the possibility of harm.

Physical Intervention
This should include personal safety techniques to reduce the impact of hazardous behaviours, protective stances, disengagement and breakaway techniques” (when responding to physically threatening behaviours or defending oneself or another) or “restraint techniques” (when physically restricting a person’s movement).

Positive Working Environment and Culture
A working environment and culture which does not tolerate any violent behaviour.

Procedures
A series of steps following in a regular definite order that implements a policy.

Precautionary Measures
These could include: protective barriers, protective clothing, security responses, working in pairs or teams instead of lone working, etc.

Responsible Person
A person named in the organisation’s procedures as having responsibility for incidents of violence at work.

Risk
A risk is the likelihood of potential harm from that hazard being realised.
The extent of the risk depends on:

• the likelihood of that harm occurring;
• the potential severity of that harm, i.e. of any resultant injury or adverse health effect; and
• the population which might be affected by the hazard, i.e. the number of people who might be exposed.

Source: HSE “Management of health and safety at work –Approved Code of Practice & Guidance”.

Safe Working Practices
Established safe methods of carrying out activities, procedures or techniques used in carrying out your job or work activities to deliver a service with levels of quality and efficiency required by the organisation.

Service Users
Examples are: school students, patients, clients, passengers, customers, detainees, the public, parents, volunteers and carers.

Triggers of Violence
Factors that might cause violence to occur. They can be categorised in four different types:

• temporary personal factors for example, the service-user being uncomfortable from a lack of food, warmth, light, or presenting challenging behaviour whilst under the influence of drink or drugs, or
• persistent personal factors such as deteriorating mental health, having a difficulty or disability, which prevents normal communication, movement or behaviour, or
• temporary environmental factors such as a hot, noisy, crowded room, poor work dynamics in terms of furniture layout, etc., or
• persistent environmental factors such as too much being expected of the service-user, or the quality of the service offered consistently failing to meet the required standards of the user.

Work-related Violence
The Health and Safety Executive’s definition of work-related violence is: “Any incident in which a person is abused, threatened or assaulted in circumstances relating to their work‟.

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ACAS https://www.acas.org.uk/
Equality and Human Rights Commission http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/
Institute of Conflict Management https://instituteofconflict.management/
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) http://www.hse.gov.uk/
Trade Union Congress http://www.tuc.org.uk/
Victim Support www.victimsupport.org

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1

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2030

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Current

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Original

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Instructus

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CFAPMVW7

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Managers and Senior Officials, Personnel, Training and Industrial Relations Managers , Trade Union Representatives and Professionals, Personnel and industrial relations officers

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1135

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Prevention; Management; Resolve; Evaluate; Work-related

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