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Resources and Tools

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The Home Care and Community Health Support Pocketbook was created to bring awareness to several health and safety issues faced in home and community care.
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In long-term care it is increasingly apparent that who is on shift is just as important as how many staff are on shift. Quality care is difficult to achieve when we do not routinely engage with one another in a positive, or civil, manner.
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Programs & Services

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Leading from the Inside Out
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Leading from the Inside Out provides a safe space for leaders in continuing care to share their challenges and learn self-care practices.
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The Provincial Violence Prevention Curriculum is recognized as best-practice in violence prevention training for health care workers.
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Guidelines & Regulations

Guidelines and Regulations

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WorkSafeBC’s healthcare and social services planned inspection initiative focuses on high-risk activities in the workplace that lead to serious injuries and time-loss claims.
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WorkSafeBC is releasing a discussion paper with proposed amendments to the Current Rehabilitation Services and Claims Manual that guide wage rate decisions related to short-term and long-term disability compensation. Recommended amendments include: These changes may affect your claims costs. Click here to view the proposed changes and offer feedback to WorkSafeBC – The deadline is 4:30 p.m. on Friday, […]
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Safety Month - January 2024

Violence Prevention

Working closely with clients and their families and friends, often under difficult circumstances and sometimes in isolated locations, can put you at risk of violence. Violence and aggressive behaviour are not part of your job.

Working closely with clients and their families and friends, often under difficult circumstances and sometimes in isolated locations, can put you at risk of violence. Violence and aggressive behaviour are not part of your job.

Everyone deserves a workplace free from violence. Don’t just wait for things to happen, be proactive. Violence prevention policies and risk assessments help identify potential hazards.  Ensure that your staff knows workplace policies and how to report any incidents of violence (or near misses). Our violence risk assessment resource guide can help you through this process. 

Preventing violence in the workplace

  • Read the care plan and recognize signs in the client’s behaviour to help you decide how to respond safely
  • If your client (or family care provider) has a known history of violence, you should be aware of the following:
    • What happened
    • What may have impacted the situation
    • Before and during providing care, you should always conduct an information assessment to make sure it is safe to start or continue
  • If you identify a risk that can not be lessened, you must:
    • Stop providing care
    • Leave the client’s home and move to a safe location
    • Report to your supervisor to develop a plan A to eliminate or mitigate the risk

Are you prepared?

  • I have followed my organization’s check-in procedure
  • I have my mobile phone on me to call for help if needed
  • I have read my client’s care plan
  • I am aware of how to detect and address early signs of escalating
  • I have a clear exit path, so I can leave quickly if I need to
  • I know that I do not have to tolerate bullying, harassment or violence
  • I know I can leave if I feel threatened
  • I know to contact my supervisor immediately if it is unsafe for me to proceed

Acts of violence are the second leading cause of workplace injury for long-term care workers in BC, representing 2,367 cases, or 16 percent of all injuries over the past five years. In-home care and community health support, it’s the sixth leading cause of workplace injury.

Violence in the workplace is a complex issue requiring a multi-faceted response. Investing in violence prevention training and strategies can make workplaces safer for workers and improve the quality of care for residents and clients.

Working in continuing care can be like crossing the street – you might not always think about it, but there are risks and hazards to consider.

Because of the job’s unique requirements, continuing care workers are susceptible to violent attacks more often than in other occupations.

Have questions about this month's topic? Ask us!

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Violence Prevention

Featured Resources

Working with clients or residents and their families is not always easy. You may not be able to control how others act, but you can control how you respond.
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View Safety Huddle
Use the point of care assessment template below to identify the risks in each of the four boxes that may have lead to the resident becomeing responsive.
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The Violence Risk Assessment Toolkit was created to help guide you through the process of conducting a violence risk assessment.
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Violence Prevention resources

WorkSafeBC’s healthcare and social services planned inspection initiative focuses on high-risk activities in the workplace that lead to serious injuries and time-loss claims.
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Provincial Violence Prevention Curriculum Workshop
Menno Place - Abbotsford
September 23rd @ 8:30am to 4:30pm
Violence Prevention
Starting at $35
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Provincial Violence Prevention Curriculum Workshop
Menno Place - Abbotsford
July 12th @ 8:30am to 4:30pm
Violence Prevention
Starting at $35
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Provincial Violence Prevention Curriculum Train the Trainer Workshop
Brandt's Creek Mews - Kelowna
May 1st @ 8:30am
Violence Prevention
Starting at $400
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Provincial Violence Prevention Curriculum Workshop
Menno Place - Abbotsford
May 13th to 14th @ 8:30am-4:30pm
Violence Prevention
Starting at $35
View Workshop
Provincial Violence Prevention Curriculum Train the Trainer Workshop
SafeCare BC Training Centre - Burnaby
April 22nd to 25th @ 8:30am-4:30pm
Violence Prevention
Starting at $400
Are you already familiar with violence prevention techniques, but want to share your knowledge and expertise with others at your workplace? Are you looking to train your staff in a cost-effective and efficient manner?
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Starting at $20
This online refresher will provide an opportunity to revisit the PVPC content and should take no longer than one hour to complete.
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Use the Point of Care Assessment template below to identify the risks in each of the four boxes that may have lead to the resident becoming responsive.
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This is a tool for care workers to ensure that they are providing safe, person-directed care through a quick at-the-bedside assessment.
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A guide developed by WorkSafeBC to help health care workers balance their obligations to protect client privacy with the need to communicate information to reduce the risk of acts of violence or aggression towards health care workers. This guide is suitable for those working for non-public bodies, including most affiliate and private long term care facilities. This information is targeted to administrators, front-line supervisors, members of joint occupational health and safety committees, educators, and risk managers.
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This document concerns the requirements related to patient privacy and worker health and safety that are set out by the Workers Compensation Act and the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.
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An in-depth study into the problems of aggression within five of British Columbia’s long-term care facilities. The study’s findings recommend that employers use a systems approach to develop prevention and risk management strategies to reduce incidence of aggression in the workplace.
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This web book provides a brief overview of dementia and the common causes of aggressive response behaviour, along with suggested interventions.
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Continuing care workers experience violence frequently in the course of their work. Hear about the impact of workplace violence, and the need for caregivers to take care of themselves mentally, so they can take care of others.
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Download and print your own Point of Care Assessment card. Share with your colleagues. We’ve made it easy with the Avery business card template.
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Use these checklists to record information about worksite or department violence-related hazards and existing control measures.
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Use this checklist to record information about client-centred violence-related hazards and existing control measures. The questions in the tool focus on common hazards and control measures. Organizations must evaluate client homes, surrounding areas and control measures for applicability. Use the table below as a reference tool when prioritizing action items.
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View Environmental Survey
This document has been adapted from the Violence Risk Assessment Standard created by the Fraser Health Authority, Interior Health Authority, Northern Health Authority, Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, Vancouver Island Health Authority, First Nations Health Authority, the Provincial Health Services Authority and WorkSafeBC dated August 24, 2021. The purpose of this standard is to provide a […]
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View Policy and Procedure Review
This risk assessment audit tool includes a template for long-term care, home care and community health support, and non-clinical areas.
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View Risk Assessment Audit Tool
This is part of a violence risk assessment for your workplace. The information from this survey can be used for your violence prevention program improvement and evaluation.
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View Staff Survey
This document provides an in-depth description of the steps involved in conducting a violence risk assessment.
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View Resource Guide
Why should you do a violence risk assessment? Under what circumstances? Who should be involved? This Q & A document covers all the basics around violence risk assessments.
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This guide is intended to make employers aware of the parts of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation that prevention officers will be focusing on as part of the Health Care Planned Inspectional Initiative.
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We continue offer our stop violence for display at your workplace. The sign is available in multiple languages. care homes across the province.
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View Poster
The Violence Risk Assessment Toolkit was created to help guide you through the process of conducting a violence risk assessment. The risk assessment is a key part of an organization’s overall violence prevention program, a requirement under WorkSafeBC regulations.
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This quick reference guide give you a step-by-step overview on how to complete a violence risk assessment.
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A point of care risk assessment for transfers is a quick mini-appraisal you, the health care worker, do to make sure a person’s abilities still match what’s in their care plan. It doesn’t replace the typical risk assessment completed as part of a person’s care plan. Rather, it’s a tool you use in addition to the care plan assessments.
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COVID-19 introduces a new series of risks that change the way healthcare workers must work. We have created a new tool — a COVID-19-specific version of the Point of Care Assessment — to help you stay on top of your workplace safety. The Point of Care Assessment serves as an informal reminder, asking you to […]
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Violence refers to physical force that causes injury to a worker and includes any threatening statement or that gives you reasonable cause to believe that you are in danger.
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Because of the unique requirements of the job, continuing care workers are susceptible to violent attacks more often than those in other occupations. Using the Point of Care Assessment can help reduce the risk of workplace violence
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Working in continuing care can be like crossing the street – you might not always think about it, but there are risks and hazards to consider.
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Dementia can affect behaviour and mood - but the care for persons with dementia aims to achieve the same goals - whether at home or in long-term care - safety for the person, family, and caregivers.
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SafeCare BC’s violence prevention policy templates will supplement existing policies of continuing care providers across the province and guide the establishment of new ones where none currently exists.
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Learn to identify potentially violent situations, apply de-escalation techniques and report violence or near misses.
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View Safety Huddle
Instructions Notes to the huddle leader Scenario
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Starting at $15
Employees who work alone or in isolation tend to be more vulnerable to safety hazards than those who have coworkers present.
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Starting at $15
In this course, you will learn about violence in the workplace including recognizing violence, calling for help, reporting incidents of violence, conducting a Point of Care Assessment and workers' right to refuse unsafe work.
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Starting at $400
Are you already familiar with violence prevention techniques, but want to share your knowledge and expertise with others at your workplace? Are you looking to train your staff in a cost-effective and efficient manner?
View Workshop Topic
Starting at $35
Are you a care worker that faces the risk of violence during your work day? Do you have the tools and training needed to de-escalate unpredictable and potentially dangerous situations?
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The National Alliance for Safety and Health in Healthcare applauds House of Commons Standing Committee on Health for recommendations to address violence facing healthcare workers
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The Violence Risk Assessment was created to help guide you through the process of conducting a violence risk assessment. The Risk Assessment is a key part of an organization’s overall violence prevention program, a requirement under WorkSafeBC regulations.
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As part of our violence prevention campaign, we interviewed Kyla Tinham, HR Coordinator, Health and Safety at Strive Living, about how acts of violence affect her workplace and why violence prevention is so important.
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To satisfy this growing demand for dementia education, SafeCare BC, in cooperation with AGE Inc., recently piloted coach training for Gentle Persuasive Approaches (GPA) for SafeCare BC members.
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Advanced Gerontological Education (AGE) Inc. and SafeCare BC are pleased to announce their partnership to make the Gentle Persuasive Approach (GPA) curriculum available to continuing care workers across BC.
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We strive to empower those working in the continuing care sector to create safer, healthier workplaces by fostering a culture of safety through evidence-based education, leadership, and collaboration.
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