Melton Borough Council signs UNISON’s End Violence at Work Charter
Melton Borough Council has become one of the first employers in the East Midlands to sign up to UNISON’s End Violence at Work Charter.
The charter aims to protect employees working in public services from acts of abuse, assault and threatening behaviour. By signing up, Melton Borough Council is not only showing their commitment to supporting their workforce, but actively reassuring employees they have the necessary procedures in place to support staff should violent incidents occur.
To sign the charter, organisations must explain and provide evidence for how they meet ten important standards for protecting against violent incidents. These include a clear incident-reporting and investigation procedure, continually collecting and monitoring data on violent incidents, and providing training to ensure staff know how to deal with threatening situations appropriately.
UNISON East Midlands Regional Organiser Nadeem Samari said: “No one should go to work and expect to be subjected to violence. Violence at work can be a harder health and safety issue to tackle than others, that’s why I’m pleased to see Melton Borough Council sign up to UNISON’s charter.”
UNISON Melton Branch Secretary Seb Wilkins said: “I am delighted that Melton Borough Council staff know that their employer has a high standard of policy, procedure, accountability, and support when it comes to issues of violence at work. Other employers should follow Melton’s example”.
Melton Borough Council’s Health and Safety Officer, Jo Lees said: “As a council we have a wide range of Health and Safety responsibilities, reflecting our role as an employer, commercial and residential landlord, and a public body delivering a wide range of services across the borough. It is important that we set high standards, and we are pleased to have been able to demonstrate our commitment to our staff in this way.
“We would encourage other employers who may be thinking about taking this step to do so. It is a positive opportunity to test and ensure that what we say we do is embedded in our organisation and is actively supporting the safety and wellbeing of employees”.
Find out more about UNISON’s End Violence at Work Charter on the UNISON website.
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For more information contact:
Chris Birks
Email: eastmidlandsmedia@unison.co.uk
Phone: 07870 407670