Who We Serve
Our clients work in diverse areas, however there is one factor that is common to them all - there is a risk of violence from the users of the service or the general public.
We serve clients in Corporate & Industry sectors, National & Local Government, NGO's, Charities, Health Trusts, Education Trusts, Sports Trusts, Academies, Supply Teachers and Lecturers. Training is delivered in a professional, no nonsense manner by accredited trainers with integrity. Our trainers have a background in dealing with verbal and physical confrontation.
Lone Workers
Whether working in the community, completing home visits, working alone in an uncontrolled environment or visiting remote sites, staff can be vulnerable when working on their own outside of the office.
Personal Safety & Lone Worker Training deals with the risks of working alone in all areas of employment, and specific advice is given on risk assessment, risk mitigation, and getting into and maintaining good habits. Utilising simple tools and effective strategies to ensure individuals work and travel safe and, should the worst happen, escape and extrication strategies.
This seminar is the most popular among our clients. Breakaway Training can also be added to the training regime where relevant.
Social Workers
Many Social Workers are involved in home visits. This seminar is appropriate to all those in the Social Work arena and is also recommended for Meals On Wheels Personnel, Personal Care staff, Doctors, Nurses, Community Care staff, and Medical Home Delivery workers - in fact any personnel who are Lone Working.
We have provided Personal Safety & Lone Worker Training to National Government Departments and many Local Authorities, equipping staff with additional tools and resources.
Breakaway Training can also be added to the seminar where the risk of physical assault is high, and the Breakaway Training is deemed appropriate.
Care Home & Warden Assisted Living
A recent survey shows that among 447 people living independently, who were placed in care facilities, 42 were involved in 79 different incidents in which the police were called to assist with attacks on staff - many of whom are Lone Workers.
Attacks have been documented by residents and visitors, and the Personal Safety & Lone Worker Training seminar is designed to deal with all aspects of confrontational and aggressive behaviour. Working alone is also extensively covered within this seminar.
Drugs and dementia can affect the behaviour of residents, by learning the signs of aggression, this can often be pre-empted, saving personnel, residents and clients from trauma. Breakaway Training can also be added to the training regime where appropriate.
Schools
Linking with Citizenship and Personal Development & Wellbeing seminars, Personal Safety Training for Students is a short seminar specifically designed with secondary school year 10/11, college and university students in mind.
The seminar covers a diverse range of Personal Safety advice and contains specific modules covering prevention and avoidance, personal safety on transport, going out, assertiveness and dealing with aggression, appropriate use of Self Defence. Skills are quickly absorbed and are designed for use in any situation where there is confrontation.
Teachers & Lecturers
Private, Trust Status and Academy, Vocational / Academic College and University front line educators often suffer abusive and violent behaviour. One third of all teachers in the UK have faced physical aggression from pupils, a survey for the Association of Teachers and Lecturers confirms. Verbal insults and threats had been experienced by 61% of teachers and 34% had been subjected to physical aggression from students, parents and others.
Many teachers and lecturers Lone Work, particularly in the evening.
Staff learn how to predict the possibility of violence, take preventative measures and deal with a violent incident on this Personal Safety Training seminar specifically designed to ensure that staff are equipped with the necessary tools, and can respond appropriately. Physical Intervention techniques, optional for this seminar, are designed to be noninvasive and fast and easy to learn and deploy, bearing in mind the duty of care and the fact that staff may be required to work with the offenders in the future. Lone Worker and Breakaway Training can also be added to the training regime where there is risk of physical confrontation.
Housing Charities - Home Visits
Housing Charity staff are vulnerable to many kinds of assault, in particular when visiting people in their homes, flats or rooms in a multi-use facility. Personal Safety & Lone Worker Training provide staff with the knowledge to predict when difficulties may occur, and provide strategies, including withdrawal tactics, and optional Breakaway Techniques should a physical attack occur.
Whether working with young disadvantaged people, those who have suffered abuse, those who have learning difficulties, those who have been released from custody or those who have been forced to take refuge, these seminars can assist and protect staff in difficult and challenging circumstances. Breakaway Training is a standard option to the training.
Community Centre Groups and Organisations
Community Centres have been the site of acts of aggression. According to the UK Government, workers in this sector are at a significantly increased risk of violent and abusive behaviour.
Personal Safety & Lone Worker Training seminars provide the tools for Community Centre staff to respond to difficult situations with a greater degree of confidence and expertise. There are many situations in which Community Centre staff may have to deal with difficult members of the public - this Seminar will give staff the tools they need to handle such confrontation. Breakaway Training can also be included in the training where there is a risk of physical conflict.
Sports Centres and the Leisure Industry
Private health club membership in the UK is around 3.38 million while public leisure centre membership is approximately 2.46 million, making a total of 5.8 million members. Reported incidents involving violence, abuse and threatening behaviour have been rising steadily. Leisure service workers have a high risk of assault with over 107,000 documented cases in 2009.
All staff who interact with the public should understand how to mitigate the risks of assault, how to deal with challenging and difficult behaviour, and Breakaway Training give staff the tools to deal with a situation that has become physically aggressive.
The seminar is designed to give Leisure Industry staff the skills and tools to deal with challenging situations that occur in the workplace.
Nurses, Nursing and Midwifery
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) states that one third of community nurses working alone have been assaulted or harassed in the last two years. This applies to both the NHS and the Private Sector.
Nurses have to deal with people under the influence of drugs and alcohol, as well as those with mental health issues, Personal Safety & Lone Worker Training can reduce the incidence of violent behaviour. Many nurses now work in the community, and so no longer work in a controlled environment like a hospital or clinic, and in many cases the risks profile is changed and the risk increased.
Nurses who work in a hospital or clinical environment may have to deal with patients and visitors in stressful situations, with emotions often running high, and in many cases where a protagonist may be in the same treatment room. Breakaway Training may also be appropriate.
Transport Industry
From minicab & taxi drivers to delivery drivers, from bus, coach & train staff to truck & van drivers, all have been involved in violent incidents varying from minor confrontations to road rage, assault and robbery. By the very nature of the job, most drivers are Lone Workers.
The carriage of high value items and/or carrying cash can be a temptation for the thief. It should be borne in mind that criminals will do whatever is necessary to remain free and are likely to assault anyone who gets in the way. Learn strategies for remaining safe in these circumstances.
Many companies provide our Personal Safety & Lone Worker Training for drivers, as this increases awareness and reduces the incidence of attacks.
Retail
Shop workers have been injured, some very seriously, in what have started as seemingly innocuous incidents. Retail workers are particularly vulnerable due to the way they interface with the General Public.
Shop staff have been the subject of attacks by disgruntled customers, troublemakers and shoplifters. Incidents have been recorded in most urban areas of the UK, and out of town shopping centres and retails parks have been identified as increasingly at risk.
Learn how to deal with these situations, and keep the risk of injury low.
Service Industry
Receptionists can be particularly vulnerable due to the constant interface with the general public. Training can assist by improving the individuals confidence in identifying and controlling a potentially violent situation.
Attacks have been recorded in Fast Food Restaurants, Information Desks at Shopping Centres and even at Citizens Advice Bureaux. Staff should be aware of the possibility of confrontational behaviour and know how to deal with a potentially difficult and challenging situation
Any Worker dealing with the general public may be at risk, Personal Safety Training can provide the tools enabling staff to remain safe and secure.
Direct Public Interface
All Public Service Workers with a direct interface with the public are at risk, this is particularly true of those who Lone Work. Almost 2 in 5 workers (38% - Unison 2012), interviewed in a nationwide study, had experienced verbal abuse in the past 12 months; more than 10% of workers had experienced physical abuse.
Personal Safety & Lone Worker Training can assist in giving staff the tools to pick up on the signs and signals that may lead to violent behaviour, and strategies to ensure that they act swiftly to ensure their own safety. Breakaway Training can also be added to the training regime where appropriate.
Professional Services
Solicitors and Barristers deal with many aspects of the Law; Criminal, Family, Neighbour Disputes, Business Partnership Breakup and Divorce. Due to the nature of the work, these can result in violence, both between the parties and, as is sometimes the case, against the lawyer too!
Architects, in particular those working outside the office making site visits can also be vulnerable, so training in conflict resolution and dealing with confrontation can be a vital skill to ensure the personal safety of Lone Workers.
The risks to Personal Safety are obvious in some cases, however, an understanding of the signs and symptoms of aggression will help to protect workers.
The importance of taking precautions cannot be stressed enough.
Charity Fundraisers
Many fundraisers, whether employees or volunteers, work alone and often handle cash. There is often a requirement to travel to and from pick up points, fundraisers can also be vulnerable in the street, even when signing new donors on Direct Debit. In some cases Fundraisers take cash home, and are responsible for the safety of funds, therefore Personal Safety Training and, if appropriate, Lone Worker Training can help keep those who raise funds safe.
For more information, or to book a Lone Worker Training Seminar, please contact us on 01279 419427, or email from our contact page.
