Posted By Bob France I am attempting to encourage the authority I work for to start a campaign on prevention of violence to staff. My aim is to get them to publish a statement similar to the one posted by South West Trains on their platforms; "SWT will not tolerate assaults on their staff..." Has anyone out there managed to achieve anything like this, or similar?

Posted By Bryn Maidment Bob Working in a front-line NHS Trust it has taken 4 years+ to get anywhere near what I would call a reasonable response. The statements are fine but only part of the story. Before the statements are pushed out the management culture has to be changed. From this will flow ownership and a willingness to take strong action when it counts. An awful lot of procedural, organisational and structural issues need to be in place too, before you can start acting strongly. If you e.mail me I will send a copy of our violence policy but be prepared for a journey with this one! BTW an e.g of 'strong action' means supporting & funding private prosecutions when the police take no action. Financial issues - certainly. BTW2 we have had 5 assaillants imprisoned in the past 6 months and 5 people refused treatment. A further 18 people have had their 'yellow card'. BTW3 it's worth investigating your local police authority with a view to entering a contract with them. They respond correctly when called and your staff will provide statements. Win:Win situation! Never lose sight of the fact that no staff should be subjected to violence and aggression. Sermon over!