The General Purposes Committee met on Tuesday 29 April 2025 and approved amendments to the Violence and Aggression Health and Safety Policy Standard.

Violence and Aggression Policy Standard

The committee approved proposed amendments to the Violence and Aggression Health and Safety Policy Standard. This decision aligns the policy with the Council's Zero Tolerance to Violence, Aggression and Discrimination Charter . The amendments ensure that staff are better protected from physical and verbal abuse while carrying out their duties. The policy, originally adopted in July 2024, has been updated following consultation with staff on the Charter, which now explicitly states the Council's zero-tolerance approach to discrimination.

The report presented to the committee outlined that the amendments are considered minor and do not require statutory consultation. The preferred option was to agree the amended policy standard, as not agreeing would mean the existing version would remain unaligned with the Charter. The decision supports the Council's missions to ensure people do not experience discrimination and that everyone in Greenwich is safer. There are no direct financial implications arising from this decision. The policy is intended to help the Council meet its legislative responsibilities under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety Regulations 1999.¹

The policy standard defines violence and aggression to include a range of behaviours, from physical assault to verbal abuse, threats, and offensive language. It also explicitly states that the Council is an anti-racist organisation and does not tolerate racist or discriminatory behaviour towards its staff. The policy details the responsibilities of the Chief Executive, Directors, Senior Management, Managers, and Employees in preventing and managing incidents of violence and aggression. It also outlines procedures for reporting incidents, seeking legal advice, and providing counselling and support to affected staff. Training requirements for staff are also detailed within the policy.

The report referenced the Council's previous adoption of the Violence and Aggression Health and Safety Policy Standard in July 2024.² The proposed amendments are set out in Appendix A of the report.³