Pete,
There is a place for reactive measures such as support etc. BUT the emphasis
should be on more strategic approaches which do not result in the need for
this support, etc.. Under the various legislation, all employers are
required to assess the risk and manage it.
Part of this process for you might be in assessing each client for their
potential for harm to you. This will rely largely on past history but there
are other additional forms of assessment depending on the resources open to
you. This assessment will then require a decision which may be not to
accept a client or to accept them with various controls in place in order to
minimise the risk to you. This is only part of the assessment and
management process. Other assessments will relate to such matters as the
environment in which you work.
Training in such matters as aggression management are also important. You
could try the Reaside Clinic in West Midlands since they almost certainly
run such training in-house and for other bodies. You might also try the
Association of Psychological therapists who run training courses including
one called Zero Aggression (Tel No. 0870 6003000).
Best wishes
Kevin
-----Original Message-----
From: communityplus [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 28 April 2002 11:38 am
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Advice welcomed - Occupational Counselling (Welfare)
Hi all,
I'd welcome some guidance or advice please if possible.
I'm working with one of the government's New Deal young people's programmes
and often face clients with mental health problems, violence and aggression
and also clients with addictions to either alcohol or drugs (some of them
hard drugs).
There are no support mechanisms in place in our organisation and it's always
been an idea of "you'll cope". My colleague has been assaulted before, I've
been provoked and various similar scenarios. Now, my employer has funded me
to sit the Nebosh National Certificate and within that I'm pushing for my
employer to bring onboard some means of allowing us to unwind and manage our
stress more effectively, would anyone have any ideas about we might go about
this?
The managers say they'll help, but time spent listening and supporting is
time they see as wasted and not generating income, needless to say that's
unworkable even within a non profit making organisation such as ours.
I'm hoping too, that if we can develop a model of good practice for staff
welfare that we can also encourage our other placement providers to follow
similar guidelines.
Any tips, pointers welcomed, thanks,
Pete
West Mids.
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