Anti-Bullying Policy.

Rationale.

One of the first requirements of any residential or day care service is the provision of safe care.   Anti-bullying is therefore at the heart of our value base.  

The purpose of having a clear policy is...

• To ensure that there is a common understanding of what bullying is.

• To develop a partnership approach among service users, their families, social workers and staff which provides safe care and tackles the issue of bullying.

• To create a positive ethos within the establishment which fosters the development of skills and self-esteem within service users.

• To try to ensure that all service users are free to live and learn in a safe environment without the fear of bullying.

• To equip people with the necessary skills to tackle the problems associated with bullying both in Hayfield and in the world outside.

• To support people who have been the victims of bullying.

• To provide a framework for developing anti-bullying strategies.

Bullying is an issue that concerns all areas of society, whether it be in the home, the workplace, the school or the community at large.  Service users accommodated in a communal setting are especially vulnerable.

Service users have the right to live and train in an atmosphere which is free from fear.  All staff have a duty to do all that they reasonably can to protect service users in their care from intimidation, assault or harassment.  Reference to this right and this duty can be found in documents such as the European Convention on Human Rights.

We must systematically work towards lessening the frequency and degree of bullying incidents by creating an ethos which encourages positive behaviour and by dealing effectively with any incident when it occurs.

One of our main functions is to help equip service users for life beyond Hayfield.  It is important that they live and learn in an environment that helps to increase their self-worth and self-esteem and that they are provided with opportunities to enhance their interpersonal skills which will help them to cope with life in the wider world.

Definition.

Bullying is persistent, intentional behaviour which will cause distress to the victim.

It is looks, words or actions calculated to intimidate, harass, isolate, threaten, humiliate, lower self-esteem or lead to feelings of insecurity.

Bullying may take the form of...

• Physical abuse.

• Verbal abuse including name calling.

• Emotional abuse through looks or gestures.

• Theft of property.

• Intimidation and extortion.

Ethos.

A positive ethos in a community such as Hayfield is characterised by...

• Service Users who feel safe and happy.

• Service Users who trust the staff working with them.

• An effective system of communication,

• Policies which are put into practice.

Ethos does not develop spontaneously or accidentally.  Management and staff have to consciously work at creating and maintaining a climate of care and concern in which service users and staff are valued and respected and in which they feel safe.  All staff have to present as positive role models.

The first stage, therefore, in tackling bullying should be to create a safe environment where there is mutual respect, equality of opportunity and co-operation.  The prevailing climate should be one in which disclosure is possible and indeed encouraged.

To deal effectively with bullying we must have a consistent approach in both departments and each residence.  Each of us has to be able to be confident that our colleagues have the same attitude and response to bullying and that information about incidents of bullying are shared promptly with all staff.

Everyone involved in Hayfield – care staff, support staff, service users and their social workers and families – has a part to play in creating an atmosphere that allows people to thrive and feel safe.  They also share the additional responsibility of helping to identify those who are in need of support.

Promoting Positive Behaviour.

The admissions process is the first step in promoting positive behaviour in our residents.  It is important that, at this stage, the full team, i.e. service user, social worker, parent, if appropriate, and the Hayfield key team, are allowed time to plan the new candidates admission for 6 week assessment, to look at their individual needs and agree a common and shared approach in supporting them.

During service user’s placement in Hayfield, the members of their key team are central to their well-being.  They have the obvious responsibility of monitoring and progressing their care and education plan.  They are their strongest role models and it is their care and guidance or lack of it, which will have the greatest impact on them.  Every staff member has to be conscious of how they present to the service users and provide a positive role model.  Each one of us has to present as caring, consistent and trustworthy.  Every opportunity to promote positive behaviour should be seized through...

• Key working.

• Group activities which may be recreational or part of day care groups.

• Group meetings such as residents’ house meetings, service users’ groups, etc.

• Group holidays.

This will afford the opening to...

• Reinforce Hayfield’s caring ethos.

• Provide service users with clear guidelines and with effective avoidance strategies.

ACCENTUATE THE POSITIVE !  

In all areas, celebrate successes, no matter how insignificant they seem, and boost the self-esteem of all the service users in our care...

• Indicators that service users trust the staff who work with them are:

• They share successes with staff.

• They share concerns with staff.

• They initiate conversations.

• They are confident that instances of bullying are dealt with (in confidence where appropriate).

Advocacy.

Creating safe care and tackling issues of bullying may also be helped by ensuring that service users have access to advocacy and support services such as the Complaints Procedure.

Course of Action In Brief...

• Speak to both parties individually to try and resolve the matter (or together if this is more appropriate).

• Identify the reason for the bullying and address this.  

• Key workers to each of the victim and bully would follow up, identify the problem and offer support.

• If persisting, invoke the 'Complaints Procedure' using Team Leader, Depute Manager, Manager, Director, Care Commission and the record keeping process.

Strategy for Handling Bullying Incidents.

Despite positive strategies being in place, bullying may still occur.

When a person is being bullied, we must...

• Reassure them that it is right to talk to someone about having been bullied.

• Remind them that they have the right to feel safe in Hayfield.

• Recognise that they may be confused, often blaming themselves for having been bullied.

• Check with them that they feel adequately supported.

• Recognise that they may feel more vulnerable having spoken about being bullied.

• Never underestimate the power of peers – their reaction to bullying or disclosure may influence the service user’s decision on how to react.

• Assure them that the bully will be asked to account for their actions and that the situation will be dealt with in a pro-active way.

• Accept their fear of reprisals as genuine and ensure that any action taken does not prompt reprisals.

• Accept that confidentiality for some people is a concern and explore ways of dealing sensitively so that they feel comfortable with the future course of action.

• Ensure that they are involved in constructing and implementing an action plan.

• Reassure them that they will not be expected to confront the bully unless they wish to do so.

• Explore the possibility of support from other service users who have been bullied in the past.

• Seek all available opportunities to empower the service user being bullied.

• Ensure that all episodes are properly recorded and communicated.

As with other forms of abuse, bullying thrives on secrecy.  We, therefore, need to create a climate of openness which prevents bullying from flourishing...

• Ensure that anyone who is involved in bullying knows you are aware of what is going on.

• In extreme cases, inform the local authority social worker of both bully and victim as soon as an incident occurs, emphasising that it is being taken seriously and encourage the social worker to work alongside Hayfield staff if required.

• Ask care staff to speedily inform managers or team leaders of any further incidents which may come to their attention.

• Reassure other service users about the action being taken.

Changing Behaviour and Attitude.

It is important to recognise that the bully as well as the victim has needs.  If we are to support all involved, then we need to address these needs and try to change the behaviour which caused the bullying to take place.  Often bullying develops in response to a person’s own experience of being victimised.

Sanctions and punishment are generally not effective in dealing with the bully.  More effective methods are...

• A “no blame” approach which emphasises a constructive non-punitive solution achieved through staff and service users working together.

• Individual work on anger management.

• Discussion in day care group or residents’ house meetings.

“Bystander Apathy” is all too common in group situations.  To decrease this there has to be an awareness among all service users that producing and maintaining a safe environment is a shared responsibility of all staff and service users.  They have to be encouraged to intervene directly (not physically) in an incident of bullying or to report details to a member of staff.  Staff equally have to avoid failing to take incidents seriously.  All incidents should be recorded and communicated to senior staff following our usual incidents procedure.  

The Risk Assessment should include mention of bullying propensities or tendencies to be bullied.  

Bullying Is Never Trivial  -  It Should Never Be Ignored.

January 2009