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Maybo Newsletter |
Welcome to Maybo's fourth e-newsletter.
Maybo, the UK leader in conflict management, recently completed a major report on violence against retail staff which reveals a number of shortcomings in anti-abuse strategies.
The research, Workplace Violence: a review of retail training needs, carried out by Maybo in collaboration with the British Retail Consortium, highlights that the majority of assaults occur when staff confront, arrest and detain thieves.
The British Retail Consortium’s Retail Crime Survey (published 22nd Sept 2004) supports this showing that 63% of violence followed on from dealing with shop thieves. The report set out a number of recommendations on how retailers (and retail security) can reduce staff exposure to the risk.
Bill Fox, chairman of Maybo, and architect of the report says: “If businesses wish to reduce assaults and to protect their reputation they need to work on alternative loss prevention strategies that will be more effective in deterring thieves and thereby reducing exposure to physical confrontation. This may involve cross agency targeting of known violent criminals and wider use of anti-social behaviour orders and other measures.”
However there are many other occasions, such as under-age sales or customer complaints, when verbal abuse and threats are experienced across the sector. The report says that this is often foreseeable. Staff can influence the outcome of such situations, and training is vital in developing awareness and skills to do this.
The review concludes that training in these aspects of communication, conflict management and personal safety awareness should be a minimum standard for all staff that face abuse.
On arrest the review says: “Arrest is seen as the preferred option of most loss prevention and security professionals Maybo has interviewed. Moreover, when individuals resist arrest it is common practice for staff to chase (including out of store) and physically restrain them, using skills in which they very often have received little or no training.”
The report concludes: “Where arrest is an effective and legitimate option, the staff engaged in such activity must be trained to a higher level and this may need to include training in appropriate physical skills. Recent case law highlights the vulnerability to civil action of employers who fail to provide adequate training and other controls.”
The Maybo analysis highlights the danger of focusing limited resources on just one or two aspects of strategy. Cusotmer care, security personnel, equipment and training should be looked at in a balanced co-ordinated policy.
The Maybo report sets out the likely training needs of staff in different roles which ranges from awareness raising for sales assistants to more comprehensive conflict management training and possibly physical intervention skills for managers and staff that are likely to become involved in an escalating situation or arrest.
The research highlighted areas that retailers need to support an effective training strategy, these include:
o The need for a dedicated violence reporting and monitoring process to allow more consistent and full reporting of violent incidents and to provide quality management information
o The benefits of having a violence specific risk assessment process
o The importance of establishing a violence policy and a written implementation strategy monitored and co-ordinated by a named manager
o The need for clear expectations of staff in different roles in terms of their responsibilities in preventing and managing violence
o The importance of retail / multi agency initiatives in addressing common problems and in managing repeat offenders
o The vulnerability of other managers and staff groups that are, in practice, becoming involved in arrest and detention without guidance or training
o The frequent restraint of suspected thieves by staff who have not been taught how to do this, or, skills to protect themselves and others from physical assault
o The need for line managers to be more aware of how they can best support staff in the aftermath of a violent incident and ensure it is professionally handled
o The need to research and provide guidance on the role of restraint devices such as handcuffs and safety equipment in retail settings, and to establish a ‘standard’ for detention areas
Maybo would like to thank the following for their assistance with this review: Royal Sun Alliance, BCSC, B&Q, Comet, DARE, Debenhams, HMV, Reliance Security, RTO, Thresher Group, TK Maxx, Usdaw, WH Smith, Williams Management Communications.
For a full copy of the report, Workplace Violence: a Review of Retail Training Needs 2004, email: marketing@maybo.com, giving email address and telephone number for a free electronic version. For a printed copy price is £5.
Other updates in conflict management:
The following are news stories that have been recently posted on our news site:
The British Retail Consortium's 11th annual crime survey showed a big increase in violent crime against staff.
NVQ in conflict management to be launched at CIPD, Harrogate, October 27-29
Conflict management becomes compulsory for clampers
Spate of attacks on south east rail line
If you have any questions about any of these items or any other conflict management issue please phone Maybo on 0870 3661 220
Regards,
The Maybo Team.
www.maybo.com