Lone Working

Any available local lone working policy and processes will set out the specific steps that you are required to take by the Local Authority:

1. To ensure your own safety;
2. To protect other Local Authority colleagues; and
3. To respond to any risk that may occur.

You should always refer to it alongside this guidance.

It is your responsibility to take a proactive approach to risk assessment and your own personal safety. This involves:

1. Identify any existing risk assessments or warnings on the system; and
2. Anticipate any likely risks; and
3. Explore ways to manage likely risk; and
4. Decide the best way to manage the risk; before
5. Carrying out the function, task or process to which you have been allocated.

Where an reablement service is to be provided it is the responsibility of the person with CQC Registered Manager status to ensure that: 

1. An assessment of risks to the worker is carried out; and
2. The appropriate risk assessment template is used to record risk; and
3. Measures to manage any risks to the worker are in place before reablement commences.

Where a risk assessment indicates that Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) should be used when carrying out specific tasks:

1. The Registered Manager must ensure this is available to workers; and
2. Individual workers must use it as instructed.

Note: The DACHS Visits and Lone Working Risk Assessment should be used when assessing lone working risk. This can be found in the local resource area.

Risk assessment is name given to the combined processes of:

1. Identifying risk;
2. Identifying the likely impact of the risk (positive and negative); and
3. Identifying how to reduce the negative impact and maximise the positive.

Every situation is different, but the table below sets out some examples of risk that may be present, and the strategies that may be available to manage that risk.

You should always seek the support of your line manager when:

1. The best way to manage risk is unclear; or
2. The level of risk cannot be reduced.

Note: Lone working risks and risk management strategies should be recorded on the DACHS Visits and Lone Working Risk Assessment. This can be found in the local resource area.

The following information should always be clear:

1. The risks that have been identified;
2. The plan to manage risk; and
3. The rational for the decisions made.

Where there is an on-going risk to other practitioners you must take steps to ensure that an appropriate warning marker system is used to alert them to the risk.

The need for an on-going warning marker should be reviewed:

1. Whenever a care and support, or other statutory function is being carried out; or
2. There is evidence that level of risk has changed; or
3. The risk management strategies are not effective; or
4. The risk management strategies are no longer required.

Following a review of the lone worker device process, it has been agreed that the following internal escalation plan should be followed by all teams.  The new plan provides a robust process that covers all eventualities in relation to operational staff using lone worker devices to undertake visits to service users.

• It has been agreed that all visits should finish by 16:30 – it is the worker’s responsibility to contact the office (Business Support or Line Manager) to advise that they have completed the visit (Business Support will contact workers between 16.30 & 17.00 if the worker does not make contact – after 17.00, this will passed to an ATM/Duty Manager);
• If a visit is to take place outside of these hours (pre 09:00 or post 16:30), the worker must discuss and agree this with an ATM (or SSW if no ATM available).  The worker must send a calendar invite to the ATM/SSW with the details of the visit and a time that they will call in.  The ATM or SSW will contact them at the agreed time if the worker has not phoned in;
• The escalation plan for visits between 09:00 and 16:30 will remain as it is currently – if a worker triggers a red alert, Reliance will listen in to the device and will contact Business Support to check on the welfare of the worker;
• If a red alert is triggered outside of office hours, Reliance would contact the EDS (based in Bracknell) – the EDS contact the Out of Hours Senior Manager on duty who will have access to all operational worker’s personal details forms – S:/Adult Social Care - Operational Teams/HEALTH AND SAFETY/Personal Details Forms – Locality Team;
• The Out of Hours duty rota will be shared amongst all staff including the EDS.