Increasing levels of violence and aggression towards Council staff - report

A Council's staff are facing increasing levels of violence and aggression.

According to Calderdale Council's annual health and safety report, some staff are being targeted through social media.

In 2023-24, the number of reported incidents of violence and aggression reported by staff was 244 - 58 more than the previous year.

Of these incidents, 92 were physical only, 64 were physical and verbal, and 78 were verbal.

A total of 10 were described as "other".

The "other" section includes racial and "electronic" aggression, says the report, breaking down to four racial, three sexual, two homophobic, and one  "other" incident.

The report to Councillors says: "The Council is currently seeing an increased level of violence and aggression towards staff.

"There have been a select number of instances where colleagues have been personally targeted, predominantly through social media, which has impacted their general wellbeing."

The report says staff should be able to work without being subject to hostility and abuse.

Although the increase is partly attributable to improved reporting and proactive work with many frontline public-facing services, this issue should not be underestimated, Councillors were told.

The report adds: "What is perhaps more concerning is the increasing number of personal safety related incidents reported by staff, often as a result of personal circumstances, or due to the accessibility of their social media accounts."

The health and safety team provide advice on such cases on an ad hoc basis, including how to ensure that social media accounts are secure and confidential, and encouraging staff to follow up with the police following the standard criminal processes, says the report.

By directorate, staff working in the children and young people's services were subject to most incidents (156).

Staff working in public services reported 69 incidents, those in adults, health and wellbeing services reported 13 incidents, while those working in the regeneration and strategy directorate reported six incidents.

The Council's health and safety team have issued advice to all staff regarding securing online social media platforms, but further work is needed to establish a protocol for dealing with these incidents, and how key services can work together to provide a collaborative and timely response, says the report.