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HOME VISITS SAFETY TIPS

Free safety tips for community workers

Introduction

There are a range of issues faced by community workers who visit clients' homes to provide a homecare service.  Nowadays, with concerns surrounding mental illness, other illnesses, social problems and those who simply want to take advantage of the situation, community workers can find themselves in a lot of trouble very quickly.  

This page has therefore been developed simply to provide some free personal safety tips for workers in the community who conduct home visits, usually those providing healthcare. 

Disclaimer

Naturally this page is provided for "general interest" only and is not comprehensive to cover every situation.  It must not be seen as individual advice or solely relied upon to conduct your home own visits.  It is simply a set of tips aimed to assist and be considered in complement with your organisation's procedures.  They must not be seen as a substitute for professional training for your situation.  

Further advice about specific situations can be sought from the Police or a training session suited to your circumstances can be provided by Southern OHS Solutions.  If you are a not-for-profit or community based organisation you may be able to access our services for free - ask us how by email! 

Safety Tips for Home Visits

Here are a range of tips for you to keep in mind, which have been developed by Southern OHS Solutions in consultation with and collated from information provided by Department of Health and SA Police:

Lock your car doors as soon as you get in (reasons are car jacking and people opening passenger doors) - many vehicles nowadays have an ability to unlock just the driver door / or at least central locking capabilities.  [Yes, a much reduced risk occurs in country areas but we are not immune to the possibility of this occurring]  
Where practical do not park in the drive (you could be blocked in) - but if you need to, think about reverse parking in, so you can simply drive out
In a cul de sac, park in the direction of the cul de sac exit 
If you carry bags, keep your car keys and mobile phone on person (you can barricade yourself in a room/toilet and use your phone in an emergency)
On your first visit always survey the premises for exits and ways out in an emergency (also think about fire and that sometimes older people may barricade themselves inside)
Before your first visit, ask questions about pets, children, other potential visitors etc
If your client locks the front door (particularly deadlocks) ask them to leave the key in the lock
Be wary of external and internal trip hazards - such as steps or lifted floor coverings, cords etc
Be wary of electrical hazards - try not to use client's electrical equipment especially if cords are frayed - find out if they have a safety switch installed
If there are dogs or other pets which concern you, be assertive and decline providing a service until they are secured and pose no threat to you
Children can be an unwelcome distraction and can also be disruptive so ensure your client attends to your reasonable request for children to be out of the way during the visit (or at the very least ensure you keep an eye on the gear you bring with you at all times)
Before your first visit, make sure that all appropriate risk assessments are carried out (try and have a two-person visit policy for every first visit and explain it is part of the routine service)
Where there are identified risks for visits and a two-person visit is not practical, organise for someone to call you on your mobile phone near the end of your scheduled visit to establish that you are okay (also consider a code phrase to use in an emergency)
Always have procedures for checking on staff who conduct home visits and ensuring that any concern about any visit is followed up immediately
Keep a register or ensure a system in place that clearly documents where staff will be at any time 
Follow up every instance where a staff member has not reported back at a scheduled time after conducting a home visit

Tips for dealing with Aggression during a Home visit:

Some tips to consider if you are faced with an aggression incident during a home visit: 

Never enter a house if there is yelling, screaming, breaking glass etc coming from within - call the police 
If an aggression incident occurs, remember to try and remain as calm as possible and think about your organisation's procedure to follow 
Stay out of rooms such as the kitchen because there are a variety of weapons that could be used 
Try and keep a barrier, eg: table, between you and the aggressor where practical
Speak slowly and calmly, take deep breaths, try not to say anything that could inflame the situation
Slowly try to move toward an exit, or consider a room you can barricade yourself in (most toilets have internal locks) and use your phone to call police 
Try not to walk backwards as you risk tripping over 
At the earliest opportunity call the Police, even if it is only the threat of assault, and follow your organisation's procedures
You must inform the police if firearms are produced or implied

Southern OHS Solutions services

Where can I get more (free) information?

For free advice you should contact your local police station for any specific information or tips you wish to check.  There are also a variety of websites on the Internet which provide tips for home safety visits. Southern OHS Solutions can also be accessed for free in certain circumstances. 

What can Southern OHS Solutions do to help?

Southern OHS Solutions is a certified provider of Aggression Management training and can also conduct home visit safety training for community workers.  An audit, general procedure and/or checklists can also be provided as part of our consultancy services.

Where possible and practical we will also involve the Department of Health and SA Police to enhance the level of service provided to you. 

Mark has industry experience in healthcare and is able to provide quality services to your healthcare organisation, including coordinating mock exercises and drills as well as developing procedures to ensure your home visit safety protocols are in place and likely to work.  This experience is also transferable to other community service organisations and in certain circumstances can be provided for free. 

For further information or assistance please contact us by email.

 

Disclaimer: This article is published for information purposes only and contains items of general opinion.  It should not be used in place of individual professional advice. Southern OHS Solutions accepts no liability arising out of the use of any of the information above.

 

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Last modified: December 15, 2011