Dignity at work

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Dignity at work

• Trish Hafford-Letchfield

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Key roles for social work

• Key role 4 Assess, minimise and manage risk to
  self and colleagues.
• Plan, monitor and review outcomes and actions
  to minimise stress and risk.
• Key role 5 Use professional and managerial
  supervision and support to improve your practice.
• Deal constructively with disagreements and
  conflicts within relationships.
• Key role 6 Use professional assertiveness to
  justify decisions and uphold professional social
  work practice, values and ethics.
• Identify and assess issues, dilemmas and
  conflicts that might affect your practice.

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GSCC codes of practice

• Code 3 Follow practice and procedures designed
  to keep you and other people safe from violent
  and abusive behaviour at work.
• Comply with employers health and safety
  policies, including those relating to substance
  abuse.
• Code 4 Respect the rights of service users while
  seeking to ensure that their behaviour does not
  hurt themselves or other people.

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Health and Safety at Work Act 1974

• Employers must
• Make your workplace safe and without risks to
  health
• Ensure that the environment, equipment and
  substances used are safe and provide procedures
  to be followed in their use
• Provide staff with information, training and
  supervision necessary to their safety.

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Health and Safety at work regulations

• Employers must
• Assess the risks to your health and safety, make
  and record arrangements to implement measures
  identified through these
• Appoint someone competent to assist with Health
  and Safety responsibilities, including for
  emergencies
• Co-operate and consult on Health and Safety
  matters with employees and allow them to make
  representations.

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Health and safety in social care

• Additional responsibilities come with
  professional codes of conduct and registration
  with GSCC
• Risk management is key
• There can be a prevalence of blame cultures
• Need for good quality supervision and training.

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Stress in social work can occur from..

• Demands emanating from workload, work patterns,
  and the work environment
• Control the level of influence or say that a
  person has in which they do their work
• Support the level of encouragement, sponsorship
  and resources provided by the organisation, line
  management and colleagues
• Relationships as a resource for alleviating
  stress and empowering staff
• Roles conflicting or lack of clarity about
  roles
• Change lack of involvement or alienation from
• decision-making process.
• (HSE, 2004)

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Aggression and violence

• National task force (2000)
• Verbal
• Threatening behaviour
• Serious assaults
• Murder
• Damage to property.

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Bullying at work involves

• Shouting, humiliation, negative criticism
  including use of sarcasm or inappropriate
  behaviour
• Unreasonable workload or deadlines
• Unwanted attention due to race, culture, age,
  religion, gender or sexuality
• Excluding people from training, work activities
  or social events
• Deliberately withholding information or consent
  to requests for leave etc. without justification
• Inconsistent behaviour, withholding constructive
  feedback, support or undermining authority or
  professional reputation.

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Taking control over your situation

• Acknowledge situation
• Record incidents and collect evidence
• Build support networks
• Practice assertive techniques
• Take time out to plan coping strategies
• Seek advice from designated people
• Use policies and procedures
• Involve your union seek redress
• Leave positively if this is the only solution.

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Caring for yourself and others at work

• Make sure you are familiar with policies that
  protect your rights
• Demand regular supervision, appraisal and
  training and develop your career
• Hold regular team building events and improve
  potential for communication with colleagues
• Take advantage of flexible working and ways of
  achieving a work-life balance
• Keep yourself healthy and fit
• Share issues or problems appropriately with
  others.

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Summary

• Organisational structures and cultures can create
  and sustain dignity at work
• Adopting proactive measures that support high
  quality relationships at work are important to
  avoid stress
• Look for role models or be one yourself
• Identify strategies that increase your job
  satisfaction and minimise negatives or conflict
  at work
• Always seek help early on if any problems
  develop.

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References

• HSE (2004) Tackling stress the management
  standards approach. Printed and published by the
  Health and Safety Executive available at
  www.hse.gov.uk/publications.
• Ministerial Task Force for Health, Safety and
  Productivity and the Cabinet Office (2005)
  Managing sickness absence in the public sector,
  one year on report. A joint review by the Health
  and Safety Executive, Cabinet Office, Department
  for Work and Pensions, published in November
  2005, available at www.hse.org.uk/publications.