The Council recognises that it has an obligation to strive to eliminate both the dangers posed by threats of violence at work and risks posed to lone working employees; that suitable and sufficient assessments of risks in all work activities are carried out; and that adequate and sufficient training is given to employees to enable them properly to conduct this task.
2.1 | East Riding of Yorkshire Council has a "Code Of Practice On Violence And Challenging Behaviour Towards Employees and Guidelines On Working Alone In Safety", which should be referred to in conjunction with these guidelines. |
2.2 | The objective of all staff should be to prevent incidents of challenging behaviour arising, wherever possible; to effectively manage such incidents wherever they occur; to encourage good practice in dealing with the after effects of such behaviour; and to ensure that practice is compatible with Health and Safety procedures. |
2.3 | All staff should receive training in the use of Therapeutic Crisis Intervention - see Use of Restraint and Physical Intervention Procedure - and should apply its principles and methods when dealing with violent and aggressive behaviour. |
2.4 | The attached Good Practice Guide (Appendix 1: Violent and Challenging Behaviour Good Practice Guide in Children's Homes) should be referred to in addition to the above. |
Behaviour is a language, a medium through which people express their inner selves. Insofar as residential care and treatment is concerned, it is the underlying message which is often more important than actual behaviour.
Difficult behaviour is usually the symptom of a problem and not the problem itself
In order to effect change in behaviour, the staff group will need to develop individual and group strategies designed to anticipate and pre-empt certain behaviour rather than adopting a purely reactive stance to regularly exhibited behaviour patterns of young people.
Each individual staff member will have their own strengths and weaknesses, and it is important that they feel free to deal with situations as they occur without any additional problems created by inappropriate expectations or attitudes on the part of colleagues or managers.
It is essential that staff have regular time to discuss together their own roles, responsibilities and performance. This will also allow colleagues to be aware of what is on offer within the team as a whole and to exploit the strengths available in the work team.
Staff should be prepared to accept that they could get it wrong sometimes.
Admitting mistakes can be healthy and offer a positive model to young people,
Strength is about never being right all the time but rather about being able to respond intelligently and with control.
Young people do not need to be protected from knowing that adults also have irrational and aggressive feelings, provided that they know those adults can control those feelings and deal with them in an acceptable manner.
Staff members need to be aware that their work imposes upon them a duty of care for the young people living in our homes.
Many young people who are admitted to our homes may have experienced neglect or abuse.
Violent behaviour may have been reinforced for them as ways of dealing with problems.
The consequence of this experience is likely to include low self-esteem, poor self-control and lack of social and interpersonal skills.
One of the aims of behaviour management is to enable young people to interact with others more constructively.
A key task for all staff is to help young people understand and control their behaviour and to move on to more appropriate patterns of behaviour.
Fear - of noise or of people leading to desperation and a feeling that the only way out is to fight.
Paranoia - Feelings of being persecuted may be directed towards certain groups in society that may have resulted from previous contact with then.
Anger - At being provoked by other people.
Voices - Telling them to injure themselves or others.
If the challenging behaviour leads to violence, it is because the young people feel that they have lost control of their own situation.
Practical Tips to Avoid Violent Behaviour:If you think that someone is becoming unstable and distressed do not:
Warning Signs for Violent Behaviour:
Act Immediately to Stop Challenging Behaviour turning to Violence
More Practical Steps to Avoid Violent Behaviour:
Violence is behaviour that is intended to injure harm or intimidate people either through physical actions or verbal threats. (This definition includes racial and sexual harassment or abuse).
The perpetrator is responsible for acts of violence. (Nothing in these guidelines, e.g. about possible preventative action, should be construed as implying victims of violence are to blame).
Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 states:
All employers have a legal responsibility to provide a safe working environment for their staff.
Also all employees are required to take reasonable care for the health and safety of themselves and of other persons who may be affected by their acts of omissions at work.
Many factors contribute to violence in the course of work; its origins can be personal, cultural or situational.
Personal and Cultural factors:Situational Factors:
Although some incidents occur without warning, in others there are warning signs in terms of behavioural or mood changes in individuals. Where individuals or situation are seen as having potential for violence, a helpful model for understanding how violence occurs and proceeds is provided in the "Assault Cycle".
Everyone has a normal or baseline behaviour that varies according to setting, role expectations etc. Trigger behaviour indicates the first behaviour that moves away from this baseline.
If the young person is unknown, this behaviour could go unnoticed and therefore unheeded. Therefore it is important to monitor new residents very carefully.
Behaviour continues to move away from baseline behaviour and become more erratic.
Behavioural symptoms become more discernible to those around the person.
It is now apparent that behaviour is not 'normal'. The longer this phase continues the less chance of diversionary tactics working.
Young Person becomes increasingly aroused physiologically, emotionally and psychologically and less capable of controlling aggressive impulses. The result can be assault / violence.
Aggression / violence subsides and a gradual return to baseline behaviour. However adrenalin still running high and the failure to recognise this can lead to return to Crisis Phase if young person not supported in their recovery.
Young Person can regresses below normal behaviour. Often they are physically and mentally exhausted. They are often remorseful, tearful and distraught and the tendency to return to violence has abated. Good time to intervene and offer comfort support etc. This returns the young person to their baseline behaviour.
This is the most important area for staff to concentrate on. The more that can be determined in this phase the more diversionary tactics can be applied. Picking up 'warning signals' such as a lot of pacing about, clenched fists, angry muttering, withdrawn in a tense way in a corner, is aggravating others etc.
Try talking / spending individual time with the person. Offer help, cup of tea or try to divert person into some other activity. Attempt to get the person away from the 'triggering' environment.
Relaxation methods may work for some people. Encourage young person to take control of own behaviour. Support colleagues. Use training, skills, and intuition. Keep talking. Keep befriending. Keep calm. Keep in control. Use the three D's (Diversion, Diversion, Diversion).
Each person needs to work out, with the help of supervision, training and discussion with colleagues, their own style for taking precautions in the light of the nature of their work and working environment. Residential childcare is very difficult job and personnel honesty is critical to positive outcomes for young people and a successful residential career.
Guidelines on possible actions when a violent incident occurs are more easily listed than acted upon in threatening situations.
The Assault Cycle gives clues on the timing of particular interventions.
Appropriately planned training to support the list below should be developed and provided.
Following a serious incident and once the danger is over, priority must go to the physical and psychological welfare of the staff member.
Be aware that the after effects of violence may include:The physical or psychological effects may necessitate time off work and / or a phased return to full duties
The best training on preventing and coping with violence is likely to come from reflecting on incidents soon afterwards (a "debriefing").
Practical Steps to Help deal with Violence in a Crisis: