Fighting violence against 999 staff

Title – Fighting violence against 999 staff
Source – Staines Leader
Date – 17th March 2008

As if further evidence were needed that the problems of workplace violence within the NHS are serious, this latest set of statistics has been released for our local area. It demonstrates once again the wholly unacceptable level of violence against staff in all sections of the NHS.

The NHS are taking a tough stance against these offenders, ultimately many people would in the heat of the moment suggest that they should just refuse to treat those guilty of such violence against one of the most caring group of individuals within our society. However to do that would simply go against the whole ethos of the NHS and those working within it who have dedicated their lives to protecting and helping everyone who comes to them. But just as they dedicate themselves to this cause, society has a duty to protect all NHS staff from those that would cause them harm.

The NHS has embraced Conflict Resolution training for all its staff; but society in the form of the police and courts still have a duty to protect staff from violence and assault through a tough and uncompromising approach to prosecution and conviction of offenders. We all have a duty to do everything in our power to prevent these incidents occurring in the first place.

Many other sectors could learn from the approach to workplace violence that the NHS takes. It is dedicated to its entire staff being trained in Conflict Resolution, to reduce the number of aggressive and violent incidents they face and to give them more confidence in their workplace.

Part of this process is to help individuals to understand what constitutes workplace violence and to report it. Only by an active and encouraged reporting system can companies and organisations realise the scale and nature of the problems they may have in their workplace. Where this was once seem as a weakness, proactive and effective employers now recognise reporting as a strength, it allows them to understand that sweeping a problem under the carpet doesn’t make it go away, it just makes it grow. Never should NHS staff use the saying in relation to violence ‘it is just part of the job that we have to accept’ for in that very saying lies defeat and acceptance of a status quo that is in no way shape or form acceptable and needs to be defeated.

Our company is based on the ethos of helping individuals, companies and organisations eradicate the use of the phrase ‘it happened out of the blue’ and we help people see ‘Beyond The Blue’. Our Conflict Management & Resolution courses (CMR) are based on a core syllabus which we then tailor to individual clients through a Training Needs Analysis to meet their specific needs. Where violence is a real concern we also provide low-impact Physical Intervention (PI) courses to allow employees to deal with violence without resorting to the use of force or strength in order to protect themselves and others.

We are specialists in dealing effectively and providing solutions to the problems staff face with violence in the workplace.

Please visit our website at www.btbl.co.uk