Tackling abuse and assault in the workplace: Actions for members

Steps to take when assaulted in workplace. 

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Document England Wales Northern Ireland Behaviour Health and safety Rights at work
  1. Report all incidents, even those which may appear less serious, and encourage all colleagues to do the same. Reporting is a legal requirement and generates data which shows the true scale of violence and abuse against staff in schools, preventing the issue from being swept under the carpet. Reporting is not only your right but also a step towards creating safer schools for everyone. See our model reporting form NEU3186 Violence and assaults against staff model reporting form.
  2. Request an individual risk assessment where the behaviour of a particular pupil is creating a demonstrable risk. NEU guidance on this.
  3. Speak to your workplace rep about such incidents - you are unlikely to be the only member of staff who feels unsafe, and a collective approach always works best. It’s important to remember that strength lies in numbers and that real, tangible change is more likely to happen when workers stick together and tackle shared issues as a group. It’s also much easier and less intimidating to approach senior management as a collective unit. If you would like to gather evidence about violence levels in your school, the NEU provides an online survey to identify the causes and impacts which can then be used in negotiations with management, see Mental health and wellbeing.
  4. If there is no workplace rep, or no support staff rep, consider becoming a rep yourself! Contact your local branch or district to get started.
  5. Request training from your employer, where appropriate, on a specific issue relating to your personal situation and/or collectively as a group on issues that affect all colleagues.
  6. Check the NEU courses for CPD sessions. CPD sessions are updated on a regular basis, so it is worth checking frequently.
  7. Refer to the NEU’s Violence and assaults model policy and compare it to the school’s equivalent – your employer has a duty of care for all its employees and students.
  8. Check that your employer offers counselling support and paid leave to support staff who have experienced physical or emotional injury following an incident. Members should also refer to Education Support Network, which is a charity that provides free emotional support available 24/7 to all staff in education.
  9. Where there is a number or pattern of violent incidents, reps may wish to consider requesting an NEU violence survey by emailing healthandsafety@neu.org.uk and stating the name of their school and how long they wish to run their survey for. When the results come through, these can be shared with management and be used to press for improvements.
  10. Contact the NEU AdviceLine or your local branch or district for further advice and support.

Pregnancy

If you are pregnant, your employer must carry out a risk assessment to ensure that you and your unborn child are protected. Please access this information on risk
assessment and your rights when pregnant:

Being pregnant at work

The rights of pregnant teachers and support staff - to privacy and dignity at work, individual risk assessments, safe and fair working arrangements.

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