I am writing to make a formal request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Please note: This FOI request refers to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) definition of violence at work https://www.hse.gov.uk/violence/index.htm:
“Any incident in which a person is abused, threatened or assaulted in circumstances relating to their work. This can include verbal abuse or threats as well as physical attacks.”

1. Do you have a policy/policies in place to protect staff from violence at work?
Yes, WBC has both a Violence at Work Policy and lone working Policy and Guidance

2. Are these policies built into the commissioning process for organisations delivering outsourced services on your behalf?
The Council takes reasonable steps to ensure that its contractors and partners in service provision conduct their activities in a manner that is safe and without risk to health

3. Have you updated your violence at work policies to reflect the increased number of home, remote and flexible workers?
The current Violence at Policy is under review and consultation at this moment due to changes with flexible working

4. If you collect data on violent incidents, how many violent incidents towards staff did you record in the following years:
a) 2019-20: 6
b) 2020-21: 20
c) 2021-22: 33

5. Do you collect equalities data relating to violent incidents towards staff?
No

6. If so, how many violent incidents did you record for each of the following groups over the following years:
We do not report on this, as we do not collect equalities data relating to incidents

7. Is advice, support, or counselling available for staff who are victims of violence at work?
There are weekly well-being communications that sign-post staff to various resources as well as a confidential employee assistance programme that includes 1-1 counselling sessions for those that wish to access them

8. Of those staff who were victims of violent incidents, how many took up the offer of the following:
We do not report on this, as access to EAP is done confidentially so we do not collect data relating to staff accessing support due to incidents

9. Are you signed up to UNISON’s End Violence at Work Charter: www.unison.org.uk/at-work/local-government/end-violence-at-work-charter
No, however we have used the Charter to align our current policies and guidance provided to managers regarding our Violence at Work and Lone Working policies