Crime prevention series

Post incident adminstration

Published in:
Protecting counter and interviewing staff from client agression
Bruce Swanton and Daryl Webber
Canberra : Australian Institute of Criminology, 1990
ISBN 0 642 14974 7 ; ISSN 1031-5330
(Crime prevention series) ; pp. 55-61

Most instances of client aggression inflicted on interviewing officers and counter staff are not serious - raised voices, insults, perhaps a finger prodded in a chest or a push. In a small number of cases, though, serious assaults are committed. Post event administration is a necessity in all cases but is understandably more extensive in serious cases. Critical incident debriefing is recommended in all but the most trivial cases (Mitchell 1986).

Victims of client aggression

Victims of client aggression are affected in different ways. Some bank tellers are permanently traumatised by a holdup whereas others are very little affected. Nevertheless, a responsibility rests on management to ensure all reasonably possible is done to minimise post event trauma. In minor cases, a short break from counter duties will often be sufficient for counter and interviewing officers to collect themselves to the extent they can resume duty. More seriously victimised officers may wish to be removed from public contact entirely. Others will wish to be relieved temporarily but remain within the social network of their normal work group although with a different role.

In the event of hospitalisation, visits should be arranged, and possibly a television set provided in the ward. Some institutions send their traumatised staff flowers or a box of chocolates. Such gestures can be greatly appreciated at times of emotional distress.

Counselling

Counselling may be required. Some large institutions employ in-house counsellors who undertake the task whereas others contract with local professionals. A number of enterprising institutions have made videotapes touching on client inflicted aggression and which provide an explanation of post event trauma. Copies are made available to victimised employees so that their family members can view them and so better understand the emotional problems of their relative. Post incident stress is a well recognised and sometimes serious problem.

Those organisations lacking their own health support facilities and in which customer aggression can be a problem, might consider paying a retainer to professional counsellors located close to their places of business to undertake staff post incident trauma counselling on a needs basis.

Security/staff committees

Managers of larger offices possessing a public contact function are well advised to constitute security/staff committees. Such committees will include staff representatives, management representatives, security officers (if employed) and, depending on circumstances, a representative of the building's managers. Recent emphasis on occupational health and safety has led to the creation of occupational health and safety committees in many organisations. Some organisations might consider assigning security committee responsibilities to occupational health and safety committees.

Security committees should operate proactively to the best extent possible. All recorded events of client aggression should be reported to security/staff committees and duly considered. Alterations to procedures, mechanisms and policies may flow on as a result. Certainly, care should be taken to ensure that whatever lessons can be learned from instances of aggression are in fact learned.

The sorts of issues that are usefully dealt with at security/staff committee meetings include:

• counter or reception manning levels;
• identification of habitual aggressors;
• continuing training;
• responsibility for conveying unfavourable decisions to clients;
• improving cooperation between counter and back office staff (where there are distinctions); and
• refining procedures relating to support of counter and interviewing officers in trouble.

Incident reports

It is essential that all incidents of aggression be reported. Employees typically report only those incidents of a more serious nature. Managers and analysts require reports on all incidents if sound protective strategies are to be maintained. Managers should encourage comprehensive submission, and make it clear to staff that negative judgments will not be made of officers who in fact submit such reports. It has been found in some agencies that counter and interviewing officers are loath to submit incident reports for fear of being viewed by supervisors as lacking competence in client relations.

In large organisations possessing central security elements, copies of all incident reports should be forwarded for trend analysis and other appropriate action.

Banning clients and deterring aggression

The banning of clients possessing a record of aggression toward employees is the final step in the process of staff protection. Voluntary and private agencies/offices are not normally obliged to serve those with whom they do not wish to deal (there are certain statutory exceptions).

A direction to leave the premises will be sufficient to induce most such persons to depart. If such a request by a legally competent person is ignored, police should be requested to remove the now erstwhile client who has become a trespasser. A security guard can be used for the purpose, at the direction of a legally competent person. As a general rule, though, it is better to utilise police services as the use of a guard increases the potential for litigation.

Injunctions prohibiting entry to an agency/office by specified persons can be used to prevent subsequent visits by undesirable clients. In such cases it is necessary to show nominated parties have a track record of actual or threatened violence or other misconduct in respect of particular premises. Legal advice should be sought in respect of such an option. Injunctions of whatever type are rarely effective instruments. Managers of government offices should consult with their departments' legal branches and security sections regarding the appropriateness of seeking injunctions in particular cases.

Managers of offices subjected to the attentions of aggressive clients possess options short of outright banning. The point is especially important in those agencies, usually government, exercising a monopoly of the service in question. Options open to managers include:

• asking problem clients to attend their office. At such meetings clients will be warned as to the nature of their conduct and possible consequences thereof. The opportunity should also be taken to address any problems the client might have with the agency and which may cause aggression;
• sending a registered letter to problem clients, outlining the nature of their unacceptable behaviour; and
• in cases in which serious aggression is expected (but has not occurred) police can be requested to be in attendance, perhaps in a nearby office, so that prompt action can be taken in the event of violence occurring. As a general rule, known difficult clients should be interviewed by two officers.

Charging offenders and compensation

Police will normally lay charges against client aggressors where an offence is evidenced. However, that does not always happen and victims may themselves institute civil and/or criminal actions should they so wish. Claims for criminal injuries compensation may also be considered. Both supervisors and victims need to consider workers' compensation claims carefully in the light of the laws applying within their respective polities, and their respective situations.

In respect of offences committed personally against employees, those employees will be the complainant in respect of any charges laid and will liaise directly with police.

Research

Agencies employing numbers of counter and other in-house interviewing officers, especially at more than one location, are well advised to assess the extent to which such employees are victimised by aggressive clients. The more acute managements' understanding of the phenomenon is, the more sensitive planning, design and procedures will be. The entire process of client aggression measurement and prevention is best undertaken by means of a clearly developed system. One simple seven step process recommended by London's Tavistock Institute of Human Relations is:

• identifying the problem;
• initiating data collection;
• describing the problem;
• searching for preventive measures;
• designing a preventive strategy;
• implementation; and
• monitoring.

Identifying the problem Many agencies attempt the first step by means of incident reports. It is necessary, though, to establish how complete a picture of the problem (or non-problem) incident reports provide. Thus, managers might consider low key inquiries designed to establish those points in the customer service system experiencing client aggression and in what forms (being careful not to create anxiety among subordinates by artificially creating a problem). If no uniform reporting system is in place, such inquiries will constitute the primary means of establishing the existence or dimensions of client aggression in an office.

Managers attempting to assess the nature of client inflicted aggression in their respective offices will normally end up with one or other of three results:

• no problem;
• problem well identified and managed; and
• greater problem existing than previously thought, preventive strategy required.

Either of the first two results will generally mean no change with the possible exception of a decision to review the situation periodically, in which case data will need to be collected.

Initiating data collection The basis of any client aggression data collection system is the incident report. Pro formas already in use may be adequate or they may be deficient in some way. They may be so complex staff cannot be bothered to complete them in other than the most serious of cases. Thus, managers, in conjunction with staff and occupational health and safety representatives should review and/or design an appropriate form. There is excellent form design computer software available to aid with the task. When a new report form is introduced it should contain information as to when and how it should be completed. Care should be taken to introduce employees to the form. In-office training might also be useful. Care should be taken to ensure that one copy of each report ends up with the person or section exercising central responsibility for staff protection. There is little point in having well developed forms if they end up on personal files only. Monitoring and evaluation must be undertaken at both local and central levels.

Incident report forms should tread the fine line between requiring all necessary information for administrative and analysis purposes while at the same time not be so demanding as to dissuade employees from completing them properly. As an absolute minimum incident reports should include:

• details of aggressor;
• details of employee(s);
• details of time/place; and
• brief narrative of events.

Describing the problem Sound prevention strategies are necessarily based on a clear understanding of the nature of a problem. Incidents of client aggression inflicted on public contact officers at any particular location, for example, might all be similar or they might vary considerably. They might occur in waiting rooms only, at counters only or in interviewing rooms only. Comprehensive data collection will permit the clear identification of types of aggression. Closer analysis might show that all assaults occur between 2.00 p.m. and 3.00 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays, for example, and to involve alcohol or, that most incidents were preceded by client waits in excess of 30 minutes. Such information provides great scope for prevention strategy formulation.

Searching for preventive measures As soon as key types of aggression have been identified, managers and others are in a position to seek means whereby such aggression can be avoided, directly and indirectly. Such means will involve clients, employees, physical environment, procedures, work design, training and selection.

Designing a preventive strategy A preventive strategy involves the preparation of a coordinated program designed to reduce client inflicted aggression on counter and interviewing officers to a minimum. That preparation requires consultation with all parties involved, design of physical barriers by specialists, writing of procedures, costing and promulgation.

Implementation Some measures, by reason of cost, for example, might only be possible in the long term. Thus, each strategy needs to allow for differential implementation of its various elements over time and space.

Monitoring and evaluation Monitoring of preventive strategies is necessary for two major reasons: to ensure implementation is undertaken as planned, and to enable modification when hiccups occur. Strategies are rarely perfectly planned because circumstances change. Only by monitoring can flaws be detected and adjustments made.

In the longer term periodic evaluation is desirable to ensure strategies remain on track.