Responding to incidents

Follow these steps if an incident occurs. For detailed guidance on risk assessment and reporting, see Corporate Health and Safety policies and procedures or the Schools Portal for school-specific advice.

Immediate action

If anyone is in immediate danger, take steps to protect them and others at risk, including calling the police on 999.

If the manager was not present, the employee must contact them (or their line manager if unavailable) as soon as it is safe to do so.

Reporting the incident

The manager should debrief the employee and complete the CCC Accident/Incident Form. If the incident involves protected characteristics, record the seriousness and impact on the form. The form must be submitted via the E-Safety Portal, including witness statements.

Contact the police if not already done, with the employee's consent, if:

there was violence
it was related to a hate incident or crime
it was a targeted harassment

If the employee does not want to report a hate crime directly to the police, they can report and access support via True Vision.

Post-incident steps for managers

Managers should take every incident seriously and be guided by the employee’s experience. Act as soon as possible after an abusive incident:

meet with the employee to discuss the incident and offer support
investigate thoroughly using Safety Procedure number 6 for recording, reporting and investigating adverse events
notify senior managers about risks to employees from specific individuals
follow local procedures for action against third parties, such as warning or service restrictions
review risk assessments and implement actions to prevent recurrence and reduce further risk
identify and provide additional training or support needed
include the incident in regular reports to senior management
record abuse or harassment against the service user’s name in relevant systems
if the abuse involves an employee from another organisation, inform their senior manager and share relevant information

Withdrawing services

In some cases, services may be withdrawn. This decision:

can only be made by an Assistant Director
must follow consultation with Legal Services and considerations of all other options

Services may be withdrawn if there has been:

abusive or threatening behaviour towards employees
persistent intimidation, bullying or harassment despite warnings
physical assault on an employee or another service user

Managers should speak to their Health and Safety Lead before taking action. Aim to maintain employee safety while continuing to provide necessary services.

Employee support

Managers should check in regularly with employees after an incident to monitor wellbeing. Abuse can have a lasting impact.

Offer access to mental health support via the Council wellbeing site. Refer to Occupational Health if the employee requests it.

Additional support options may include:

discussing the incident so the employee feels in control of next steps
removing employees from situations where repeat abuse is likely
ensuring employees do not work alone for a period
considering reasonable adjustments such as adjusting duties or caseloads, flexible working or temporary location changes
suggesting trade union support
providing information about Victim Support and Equality Advisory and Support Service