Walsall council staff want personal safety training
A senior Walsall councillor has called for mandatory personal safety training for all front-line staff in the face of increasing attacks against them.
Walsall Council’s scrutiny overview committee met on Thursday and heard how more than 300 council and school staff had suffered aggressive incidents including assaults, threatening behaviour and verbal abuse in 2018/19.
Walsall Labour group leader and committee member Aftab Nawaz called the attacks “unacceptable” and said all staff dealing with the public should be given compulsory training to help protect them.
HR bosses said mandatory training is already given to many workers, such as social workers, and added they would liaise with all departments to check it is being carried out.
A report to committee revealed, in 2018/19, 123 council workers across all departments suffered incidents including 27 physical assaults, 45 episodes of threatening behaviour and 37 incidents of verbal abuse.
The figures are an increase on the previous year’s total of 112 but less than in 2016/17 where there were 156 reported incidents.
Schools staff reported a total of 273 aggressive incidents in 2018/19 – less than the 294 recorded the year before.
Some departments, such as those dealing with benefits and housing issues, had seen increases and bosses said this was likely down to the fact residents needs were increasing and sometimes resulting in aggressive behaviour.
Councillor Nawaz said: “Aggressive behaviour towards anyone is unacceptable.
“We will support the administration in taking very strong action against those who are violent towards staff who come to work and shouldn’t be expected to take that sort of behaviour.
“We should make personal safety training compulsory for all customer facing staff. If they are sitting in the one-stop shop, it can be difficult for staff if someone comes to them having lost benefits or is in a level of distress.”
Councillor Garry Perry, portfolio holder for community, leisure and culture said: “The very nature of the work of some staff dealing with some of the most vulnerable people accessing our services whose some circumstances give rise to violence and aggression.
“People’s needs have increased and we all know there are increasing needs around homelessness, benefits and various other levels of supports we provide.”
