Roles and responsibilities

All employees must report incidents of third-party abuse or harassment. This can be as simple as informing your line manager, who will complete the steps to report the incident to Health and Safety.

Reporting and recording incidents is important because:

some types of incidents must be reported by law
it helps identify risks and prevent future incidents
it ensures appropriate action can be taken
records support risk assessments and help reduce injuries and ill health

Abuse should never be seen as “part of the job.” Even if it feels common in your service area, every incident matters and should be reported.

Organisation responsibilities

We have a legal duty to provide employees with health and safety information, induction and training to manage foreseeable risks.

Training options include:

personal safety e-learning
de-escalation and restraint training for staff in residential units or schools

Contact the Organisational Development and Workforce Training Team for more information.

Manager responsibilities

Managers must:

complete risk assessments with employees to identify and reduce risks
review risk assessments after incidents or significant changes
listen and support victims without judgment
ensure employees are trained to keep themselves safe and know how to close down conversations where abuse or entrapment may occur
include victims in decisions about actions to address abuse
report incidents through the CCC incident reporting system (E-Safety)
keep employees informed about progress
refer employees to Occupational Health (with consent)
investigate incidents thoroughly and notify senior managers of risks
take appropriate action against third parties, including service restrictions if necessary
ensure incidents are included in regular reporting to senior management

Managers should also recognise that employees may disclose abuse in different settings, such as one-to-ones, supervision or return-to-work meetings. Disclosures can be made to an alternative manager or through support from colleagues or trade unions.

Employee responsibilities

Employees must:

take reasonable care of themselves and others
follow safe working arrangements
assess risks dynamically (for example, during home visits)
attend relevant training
report all incidents to their manager
raise concerns about risks with their manager, another manager, team member or trade union if needed

Schools

If a headteacher experiences third-party abuse, they should report it to the Chair of Governors, who will follow the manager steps.

Social media

Social media can be used to abuse or harass employees. The Council’s Social Media Policy provides guidance on responding to posts made by third parties.