1.3.7 Dealing with Aggression

Contents

1.	Introduction
2.	Referral
3.	Admission Stage
	3.1	Risk Assessments
4.	Reporting and Recording
5.	Agree Terms to be Applied to Specific Behaviours
6.	Follow up after an Incident
7.	Level of Risk
8.	Actions for Staff following a Violent Incident
9.	Reminders

1. Introduction

Children who encounter difficulties in their developmental cycle require sensitive and responsive services to address their needs. Often such children will display difficult, risk taking and challenging behaviours that may include violence or aggression. No area of managing challenging behaviours should be viewed in isolation.

When staff apply the principle behind the policies within the homes, the likelihood of violence and aggression should be minimal i.e. is less likely to happen. However, it has to be accepted that in exceptional circumstances some children may resort to violent and aggressive acts.

2. Referral

For many children, acts of aggression and violence may have been evident prior to living in one of the homes.

Registered Managers should ensure that:

• Information is sought as to any known behaviours that were considered an act of violence and or aggression.
• A description of the behaviour should be sought and ascertained whether it could have been attributed to an event in the child’s life at that time, or whether this is a pattern of behaviour over time.

3. Admission Stage

At the point of admission staff should ascertain the following:

• What intervention strategies have been used to manage the behaviour?
• What interventions had positive outcomes along with what interventions triggered further acts of aggression or violence?

3.1 Risk Assessments

With this level of understanding, Registered Managers should be able to:

• Undertake a written risk assessment with supportive guidelines for staff. 
• Ensure all staff are provided with training on how to deflect and manage aggression and violence, as a result of the risk assessment.

4. Reporting and Recording

In any recording or reporting, Registered Managers must make clear the behaviour to which they expect staff to apply the term violent and/or aggressive.

Reports should provide the following information:

• What was happening at the time
• Who was present
• What happened

Registered Managers should ensure that staff consider the following areas prior to reporting an act of aggression or violence:

• Staff would need to question their own behaviour and responses
• Has the child responded inappropriately to a feeling or act against them where the right to be angry was acceptable, but the response/behaviour was not?
• Did this occur with a specific person with whom it is known they have difficulty?
• Had the child received visitors or contact from family/ friends at the time of the incident or shortly before or after?

Registered Managers will ensure that staff explore all of the above and look for any triggers before they label a child aggressive or violent.

Accurate and descriptive records allow evaluation to take place and may show triggers or events that may not have been initially identified. This critical assessment of a situation will ensure that future reports of behaviours, which can ‘label’ a child aggressive or violent will be based on factual and evaluative reporting.

5. Agree Terms to be Applied to Specific Behaviours

The terms “violence” and “aggression” have many definitions. It is likely that if staff were asked individually what acts they felt constituted violence or aggression that these would differ considerably across the group. Similarly, if the question was asked of children it is likely that their interpretation and views would differ widely.

Registered Manager should ensure that:

• Staff discuss what behaviours they feel describe the terms aggressive and violent
• Children are asked what behaviour they feel describe the terms aggressive and violent
• It is essential that Registered Managers agree with their staff what constitutes acts of aggression and violence
• Where reasonable to do so, staff and children should participate in discussions together
• Staff are made aware that discussions with children are a constructive way to ensure that they understand how others perceive behaviours

6. Follow up after an Incident

Whenever an act or violence or aggression has occurred (based on the home’s definition) the Registered Manager should ensure that both staff and children, at an appropriate time, are allowed to discuss the incident and its impact on themselves and others in the group.

Registered Managers should:

• Action a plan in order to prevent it happening again and agree a way forward for the child to deal differently with their feelings.
• Discuss with staff how they dealt with the situation and, if required, how they could deal with the situation differently in the future.

Registered Managers must consider involving staff in developing procedures.

7. Level of Risk

Registered Managers need to ensure that procedures are in place for responding to incidents and that they match the level of risk.

Workers who are exposed to the risk of violence and aggression need training on the procedures to follow in the event of an incident. It is important that they are aware of the criteria for initiating procedures and are free to do so when they feel under threat.

8. Actions for Staff following a Violent Incident

The procedure to be followed by a staff member who has been exposed to a violent incident to report the incident and to whom: in relation to themselves and the child.

The procedures the Registered Manager will follow to document and investigate a violent incident which has been reported.

The procedural statement should advise workers to promptly report any incidents of violence to managers or supervisors, including threats as well as physical acts of aggression and/or violence. The procedures should inform staff how to complete an incident report form for themselves and the child.

9. Reminders

• Investigate all violent incidents to determine what steps are needed to prevent a recurrence and take appropriate corrective action.
• Report any injuries sustained by the child in the violent act to the placing authority and all relevant in house documentation should be completed.
• Reports of violent incidents should be documented where a staff member is hurt or injured and reported to the Children’s Services Manager, Chair of the Health and Safety Committee and any other agency required as a possible health and safety issue.

Registered Managers are responsible for facilitating access to training for current employees, as well as to new and inexperienced workers, ensuring staff are given the appropriate information and have that information explained by a competent person.

Registered Managers should document in house preventive policies and procedures in an accessible place for staff. The Registered Manager is responsible for ensuring that staff understand and comply with all policies in relation to care and control and behaviour management, restraint and dealing with aggression and violence.

It is recommended that refresher courses be provided periodically to keep knowledge and skills current.

End