Working alone (or in isolation)
Sub-Topic 2
Skills
Below are the skills in this Sub-Topic:
- I am able to recognise environments which make me feel potentially unsafe and know what steps to take to reduce the risk.
- I am able to provide feedback to a service user on levels of acceptable behaviour and conduct and establish boundaries. I will assist in maintaining my own and others health, safety and security.
Advanced Skills
These skills are designed to assist with career, role and personal development. These should be considered once you are confident in the relevant skills above.
- I will seek out opportunities to improve health, safety and security for my colleagues and promote the undertaking of risk assessments and feedback.
Overview
Many roles within community mental health services, particularly those working in peer support/lived experience roles, or working in the voluntary sector, may find they are often working on a 1-1 basis. This may be in a community setting, the service user’s home or travelling to and from a venue. Each organisation you work for will have a lone worker policy which will set out the process you need to undertake to mange any potential or known risks.
However, occasionally you may be exposed to unexpected circumstances, such as frustration, anger, emotional upset etc from a service user, family member, friend or carer. You may also be working with clients who are affected by alcohol or drugs, have suffered violence themselves. Setting boundaries for working together and acceptable levels of behaviour and conduct should be established.
It will therefore, be important to put into place processes for recognising a potential or actual risk and reporting it for future risk management.
Understanding how to reduce the distress or emotional pain someone is feeling may also be useful training. Conflict resolution is covered in “supporting patients and service users”.
Why is this importantWhy is this important
Most organisations will have a lone worker policy and many now operate a hybrid working system, which can entail working from home, or another base of work. However, some roles will also require staff to work in a service user’s home.
Whilst there are health and safety legal requirements which each organisation has to follow to protect the health and wellbeing of its workforce, learning strategies for dealing with an unexpected situation will be important.
Undertaking risk assessments for places you visit, or journeys taken to accompany a service user, or meetings in a person’s home should be documented and where appropriate shared with other people in the team who may accompany of visit the same service user.
Your manager will have a responsibility to ensure you are working in a safe environment.
Skills ReviewSkills Review
Having completed this sub-topic I will understand the importance of these skills.
- I am able to recognise environments which make me feel potentially unsafe and know what steps to take to reduce the risk.
- I am able to provide feedback to a service user on levels of acceptable behaviour and conduct and establish boundaries. I will assist in maintaining my own and others health, safety and security.