Greatwell Homes has trained frontline staff in conflict management and self-defence after signing Northamptonshire’s Women’s Charter and surveying its workforce on safety.
The charter is a campaign by Danielle Stone, Northamptonshire’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, calling on organisations to keep women and girls safe and halve violence against them within a decade.
After signing the pledge, Greatwell Homes used Stone’s free Women’s Safety Survey to find out what changes its staff wanted to see at work, receiving almost 60 responses from the workforce.
As a direct result, all frontline staff at the housing association have now been trained in conflict management, de-escalation and personal safety. The training includes basic self-defence and guidance on managing verbal abuse.
Greatwell Homes said it was also looking at additional measures to increase safety for staff and the public.
Jo Savage, chief executive of Greatwell Homes, said: “The safety of our colleagues and customers has always been a top priority for Greatwell Homes, but particularly now where we are sadly seeing a rise in aggression towards our colleagues.
“We’ve surveyed our colleagues about their safety priorities when at work and in our communities and have created a seven-step plan to address those concerns. Using this insight, as well as the expertise of Northamptonshire Police and partners, we have been able to quickly put these training sessions in place to give our colleagues increased confidence in dealing with these stressful situations if they do arise.
“However, we know that doesn’t eliminate the risk of these situations happening so as a direct suggestion from our frontline colleagues, we are looking into additional methods to increase safety for frontline staff. We won’t stop there and will continue to discuss safety, and use the tools given to us from the Women’s Safety Charter to continue to maximise safety of our colleagues, customers and communities.”
The Northamptonshire Women’s Charter now has 118 members, who also have access to a free training portal and guest webinars.
Stone said: “Greatwell Homes were among the first signatories to join the Northamptonshire Women’s Charter and have taken my campaign in their stride to do better for women in this county.
“By listening to their female colleagues, and asking them what they want to see at work to make them feel safer, senior leaders have made a clear commitment to empower their workforce and make them feel secure and supported.”
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