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Posted on 16 Oct 2024

Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust has signed UNISON’s Violence at Work Charter, the first Trust to sign the charter in the East Midlands.

The UNISON Violence at Work Charter demonstrates organisations’ commitment to protecting its workforce from violence and aggression and has standards which ensures that monitoring, support, safeguarding and training are in place.

The Trust takes violence and aggression in the workplace extremely seriously and welcomes the opportunity to sign this important Charter and to show its commitment to the standards set by UNISON.

Diane Hull, Executive Director of Nursing, AHPs and Quality/Board Champion for Hate Incidents signed the charter, in the presence of Andrea Dickens, UNISON Branch Secretary and Trust Staff Side Chair. 

Diane Hull said:

“As a Trust we take the health, safety, and welfare of our colleagues very seriously and violence and aggression in any form at work is unacceptable. The signing of this Charter demonstrates we are committed to ensuring we meet all its standards and have measures in place that protect colleagues who work for Nottinghamshire Healthcare from violence and aggression while they undertake their duties.

“We are also committed to ensuring our colleagues feel supported if they experience violence or aggression in the workplace and feel able to report it if they see it happening.”

 

 

To qualify for the UNISON Violence at Work Charter mark, the Trust evidenced its commitment to the Charter’s standards by ensuring:

• A Violence Reduction and Prevention policy is available to all staff. This includes lone working, responding to violence, aggression and intimidating behaviour. (This aligns with the Trust’s No Excuse For Abuse campaign)
• Measures are taken to reduce staff working in isolated buildings, offices or other work areas to a minimum
• That staff are encouraged to report all violent incidents and ensuring the process of how to do this is communicated to them
• That the collecting and monitoring of data on violent incidents is done on a regular and ongoing basis
• Union safety representatives are able to access the data and are consulted on solutions to issues relating to violence in the workplace 
• Thorough risk assessments are conducted for staff placed in vulnerable situations 
• The Trust has support pathways in place for staff who are victims of violence at work, so that they know where to turn for advice and support 
• Training is available to ensure staff are aware of the appropriate way to deal with threatening situations 
• Independent counselling services are available to staff who are the victims of violence at work.

Andrea Dickens, UNISON Branch Secretary and Trust Staff Side Chair, said:

“These steps could make a real difference to the wellbeing of workers. NHS staff should not have to face violence and intimidation while doing their jobs. It is excellent to see Nottinghamshire Healthcare signing the UNISON charter, committing to reducing violent incidents, and actively reassuring their employees that they have the necessary procedures in place to support them should violent incidents occur.”