Crossroads Carelone Working Guidance for Volunteers

Crossroads CareLone working guidance for volunteers

F.15d

Lone working guidance for volunteers

1.0 SCOPE

1.1 This guidance sets out Crossroads Care’s approach to lone working. Please note: the term ‘lone working’ in the context of this guidance refers to a volunteer’s agreed volunteering role when it involves them carrying it out unaccompanied by others.

1.2 We recognise that if your agreed volunteering role involves you being alone in potentially isolated situations(including in offices), you are at greater risk of injury through aggression or violence from people you might come across,includingthe general public.

1.3The aim of this guidance isto make sure any foreseeable hazards from lone working are identified andall necessary steps are taken to avoidthem or, where this is not possible, to control the risks they pose.

1.4You will find definitions of the following terms in Appendix 1 at the end of this document:

work-related violence
lone workers.

1.5 Crossroads Care recognises the added value that volunteers can bring to its services and this is reflected by the wide variety of roles they perform. However, the nature of the organisation’s relationship with volunteers is very different to the one it has with paid employees.

Volunteers will not:

provide personal care services / support with medication in people’s homes (see Crossroads Care’s policies on personal care and medication)
undertake roles where the prompt attendance of the volunteer at a specified time / venue is essential to the safety or wellbeing of a person with care needs.

1.6You also need to read:

adults’ behaviour management guidance for volunteers(B.04e)
children’s behaviour management guidance for volunteers (C.05e).

2.0 RISK ASSESSMENT FOR LONE WORKING

2.1 Your volunteers’ co-ordinator will make sure that any role in which you are going to be alone is fully risk assessed before you start.

2.2 The person carrying out the risk assessment will ask the following questions.

Does the workplace present a special risk?
Is there a safe way in and out for one person?
Is the access well lit?
Is there safe parking?
Can all the work be safely handled by one person?
Is there a risk of violence?
Are women especially at risk?
Are young volunteers especially at risk?
Are men especially at risk?
Are you medically fit and able to be left alone?
What level of briefingdo you need?
How will you be supervised?

3.0 SAFE SYSTEMS FOR LONE WORKING

3.1 You may have concerns about how safe you are in the workplace when you are left

unaccompanied. For example, you might be worried about:

the behaviour of service users or others
places you have to park
badly lit areas and walkways.

Don’t try to handle any of thison your own –contact your volunteers’ co-ordinatorstraight away.

3.2 Always leave a situation if you feel under threat.If you are asked to hand over cash or valuables, do not resist or take any action that is likely to put you in more danger.

3.3 In the community / service users’ homes

3.3.1If your agreed volunteering role involves you making a lone visit to a service user in their own home, your volunteers’ co-ordinator will make sure you have details of anything you need to know (for example about the premises or people you mightcome in contact with) to ensure your safety while you are there.

3.3.2Make sure you know who to call in an emergency and that you have all theircontact details with you.

3.3.3 Your volunteers’ co-ordinator will let you know if there is a‘call for assistance’ alert phraseyou can use if you need help.

This is a simple phrase that you will be told in advance.
If you make a call and use the phrase the person you are calling will know you need help without you having to go into detail.

3.3.4Make sure staff in your Crossroads Care office always know exactly where you are at all times when you are volunteering and let them know if you change your schedule for any reason.

3.3.5Your volunteers’ co-ordinator is required to have a workable system in place to make sure that wheneveryou have been volunteering alone, once you finish you then safely reach an “out of work” location. If you are not sure what that system is, talk to your volunteers’ co-ordinator.

3.3.6 Make sure someone in your family, or a friend or colleague has an up-to-date contact number to ring in case of an emergency or if you don’t return home when expected.

3.3.7We recommendyou give your volunteers’ co-ordinator contact details of your next of kin or the person you want contacted in an emergency. Details will be kept in your personnel file -let your volunteers’ co-ordinator know if they change so that your records can be keptup-to-date.

3.3.8 If there is analarm systemin any of the places you visit (for example service user’s home, day centre) find out where it is and what you are expected to do if it goes off. Always respond to an alarm. Never ignore it.

3.3.9 Never leave equipment visible in your car, especially things like mobile phones or laptop computers. Only carry whatyou need for the visit you are making and lock it away out of sight in the boot of your vehicle when you are not using it.

3.3.10 Always try to park in a well-lit, open place.

3.3.11 Avoid walking along dark, poorly lit and isolated routes.

3.3.12Always carry a mobile phone so that you can call for help quickly. Check that the phone is fully charged before you set off. Make sure the main office has an up-to-date contact number for it.

3.3.13We recommend youstore the word “I C E”(In Case of Emergency) in your mobile phone address book and enter thename and number of the person youwant contacted in an emergency. The emergency services will then be able to quickly find details of your next of kin and contact them.

3.3.14 We also recommend you carry a functioning personal alarm.

3.4 In the office

3.4.1 If you are volunteering in an office, make sure you know who else is in the building at all times and check who is still there before you leave.

3.4.2 Never give anyone details of the office’s door entry codeunless your volunteers’ co-ordinator has authorised you to do so.

3.4.3 Never leave the office outer door unlocked.

3.4.4 If you are alone in the building, don’t open the door to:

anyone you don’t know or have concerns about
anyone who is not expected, without checking it out first
any unscheduled visitors (such as contractors, meter readers)

Ask them to call back at another time.

3.4.5 If you are expecting a visitor to the office, check their identity before you let them in (for example by using the entry phone system).

3.4.6 If you know of any reason why it is not safe for you to be left on your own when volunteering (for example health reasons), let your volunteers’ co-ordinator know so that it can be sorted out before you start.

4.0 EMERGENCY SITUATIONS

4.1 If you feel you are in danger and there is an immediate threat to your physical safety,take the following action:

remove yourself from the situation
contact the police directly by calling 999 or
contactyour volunteers’ co-ordinator / the person on call and ask them to contact thethem for you – they will need to know where you are and the contact telephone number
inform your volunteers’ co-ordinator / the person on call, if you have not already done so.

4.2After the incident you will be askedto fill in an incident report form and will be offered follow-up support.

5.0 BRIEFING AND INDUCTION

5.1 Your volunteers’ co-ordinator is responsible for assessing the roles undertaken by volunteers (including trustees) within their scheme and the level of briefing / induction you require in relation to this guidance.

6.0 ACCEPTANCE

6.1 You are required to sign to indicate that you have received, read and understood the content of this guidance as directed by your volunteers’ co-ordinator and on completion of your briefing and induction it is your personal responsibility to follow it.

APPENDIX 1

DEFINITIONS

Work-related violence

The Health and Safety Executive defines work-related violence as ‘any incident in which a person is abused, threatened or assaulted in circumstances relating to their work. This includes sexual and racial harassment, and threats to family and property’.

Lone workers

You are a lone worker if you work by yourself without close or direct supervision or company for substantial periods of time. Examples include staff who:

work alone in an office
work outside normal office hours (namely 9am to 5pm)
work separately from others
work in or visit service users’ homes (such as care workers and also care planners carrying out initial assessments)
travel alone during working time.

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Policy/Loneworking/2014/07/APf015dLast updated July 2014