Lone Working Policy for Skye and Lochalsh Young Carers

Our staff and volunteers are sometimes unavoidably lone working and we require to ensure safety and minimise risk. The following procedures must be adhered to at all times.

  • All staff who are working alone with members must follow our Child Protection procedures to ensure the safety of members and their own safety from allegations of abuse and/or misconduct.
  • To minimise risk staff and volunteers should, whenever possible, avoid being with members on their own. This will be unavoidable at times e.g. when transporting children to and from home, when doing 1-2-1 sessions with members, when undertaking individual respite outings. In such cases all staff and volunteers must inform the manager or depute manager of their timetable, the venue/activity, who will be with them and, where applicable, phone the office when finished/home. This must be done within one hour of the end of the lone working period. If out with office hours the manager or depute manager must be contacted on their mobile phone.
  • Where possible staff / volunteers should stay within sight and sound of other staff and/or members of the public.
  • When confidentiality is an issue the manager and depute manager may close their office doors to conduct 1-2-1 counselling after informing another staff member. However a loud panic button should be installed in both offices in case of emergency i.e. violence etc. and available staff must immediately enter the office whilst ensuring their own and members’ safety.
  • All lone working must be noted in the office diary and a reminder system put in place on the lone working sheet (Appendix 1) to ensure follow up action is taken if the staff/volunteer fails to report back. If outwith office hours the manager/depute manager must set a reminder on their own mobile phones. All appointments/meetings including lone working will be noted on the website under staff area and it is everyone’s responsibility to check this on a regular basis. To access this area the user name is admin and the password is youngcarers
  • A fully charged and switched on mobile phone must be carried by all staff who are lone working
  • If a member of staff feels unsafe, threatened or in any danger they can phone the office and ask for extension 9 – this will be immediately recognised by the member of staff answering the phone who will, if possible, ascertain the problem, the caller’s location etc. and take appropriate action i.e. call police or advise staff member on action to take.
  • If in the office or at a session where other staff are within hearing the phrase “Can you get me the pink folder” will alert other staff that assistance is required. Folders marked “Priority Folder” will be kept in the upstairs office, in the bottom drawer of Marjory’s desk and in the main area where sessions take place so that staff can actually take a folder to the person who requested the assistance and avoid raising suspicion from the person causing concern.
  • Action to be taken if a staff member or volunteer is lone working and/or fails to report back is in Appendix 2.
  • When driving a car/minibus or other vehicle on duty staff must carry with them the car safety kit with fire extinguisher. This kit comprises:

fire extinguisher 600g powder to BS6165 specifications (British Standard)

high visibility vest to EN471

folding hazard warning triangle to EC R27 (European)

windscreen ice scraper

emergency life hammer with seat belt cutter

emergency foil blanket

travel first aid kit in vinyl wallet CE marked (Health & Safety Executive approved contents)

Reviewed...... Date......

Approved...... Date......

Lone Working Sheet

Date
Lone Worker
Place of Work
With
Time Start
Time Finish
Time to Call Staff/Volunteer
Informed if failed to respond

Details completed by………………………………………………………..

Signed……………………………………………………………………….

Date…………………………………………………………………………..

Appendix 2

Action to be taken if a staff member / volunteer is Lone Working and/or Fails to report back.

Staff / Volunteer / Action to be taken / By Whom
Inform office/staff of lone working / Lone working sheet filled in / Person informed
Report within an hour when Lone Working ends / Lone Working sheet completed / Person informed
If Staff/Volunteer fails to report back within the hour / Phone Staff/Volunteer on mobile / Responsible person
If no reply from Staff/Volunteer / Contact last known place of work / Responsible person
If not there / Contact nominated personal contact ( usually home) to ask if they have heard from them / Responsible person
If no contact to home / Try Staff /Volunteer again / Responsible person
If still unable to contact / Contact police and chair of management committee / Responsible person

Lone Working Policy

Reviewed...... Date......

Approved...... Date......

Revised August 2016