Lone Working

The following documents set out the steps that you are required to take when lone working, and to ensure your health and safety at work:

Health and Safety Manual

Lone Working and Transporting People Risk Assessment Guidelines (available in the Local Resource Library)

Lone Working and Transporting People Sample Risk Assessment (available in the Local Resource Library)

Please also note: Lone working should not be permitted until the Common Induction Standards are completed or until competence has been assessed and a manager ‘signs off’ a practitioner as ‘safe to leave’ to work alone.

It is your responsibility to take a proactive approach to risk assessment and your own personal safety. This involves:

1. identifying any existing risk assessments or warnings on the system; and
2. anticipating any likely risks; and
3. exploring ways to manage likely risk; and
4. deciding the best way to manage the risk; before
5. carrying out the function, task or process to which you have been allocated.

Where an internal reablement service is to be provided, it is the responsibility of the person with CQC Registered Manager status to ensure that:

1. an assessment of risks to the worker is carried out; and
2. the appropriate risk assessment template is used to record risk; and
3. measures to manage any risks to the worker are in place before reablement commences.

Where a risk assessment indicates that Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) should be used when carrying out specific tasks:

1. the Registered Manager must ensure this is available to workers; and
2. individual workers must use it as instructed.

Risk assessment is the name given to the combined processes of:

1. identifying risk;
2. identifying the likely impact of the risk (positive and negative); and
3. identifying how to reduce the negative impact and maximise the positive.

Every situation is different, but the table below sets out some examples of risk that may be present, and the strategies that may be available to manage that risk.

You should always seek the support of your line manager when:

1. the best way to manage risk is unclear; or
2. the level of risk cannot be reduced.

Lone working risk should be recorded in line with local requirements and processes.

The following information should always be clear:

1. The risks that have been identified;
2. The plan to manage risk; and
3. The rationale for the decisions made.

Where there is an ongoing risk to other practitioners, you must take steps to ensure that an appropriate warning marker system is used to alert them to the risk.

The need for an ongoing warning marker should be reviewed:

1. whenever care and support, or other statutory function is being carried out; or
2. there is evidence that level of risk has changed; or
3. the risk management strategies are not effective; or
4. the risk management strategies are no longer required.

Guidance on the Lincolnshire process of identifying, recording and reviewing warnings can be found in the Assessment folder (Section 5) of the Local Resource Library.

Frontline Adult Care staff have been issued with Orbis lone worker devices. This device replaces the Reliance Alarms which were previously issued to teams.

The Orbis device uses the latest technology to help keep colleagues safe when they’re out and about doing their jobs. This device was chosen following successful trials by colleagues in Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue, and other directorates across the council.

The device attaches to the back of a badge holder, making it easy to raise the alarm in most situations, simply with the press of a button. There are AMBER and RED alert functions in which Orbis operators experienced in handling emergency incidents can listen and assess the situation, locate the person, and summon assistance if this is required. The device is equipped with GPS and network location technology to do this, so a person can be located within a couple of metres.

Staff are required to ensure their devices are charged before every use. Nominated Business Support staff within each area have been set up as administrators on the Orbis Portal, and they can amend the person’s details, order new devices, and transfer devices between leavers and new starters.

For further information about the devices, see: Working Alone – Orbis Device Guidance on the council’s intranet site.

This practice guidance is intended to clarify principles and expectations in relation to the transporting of people, and provide information for reducing the associated risks.

Staff transporting people in their vehicles should consider:

• only doing so in exceptional circumstances, not as a standard practice;
• obtaining a manager’s authorisation;
• assessing your own capability at the time of transportation;
• phoning the destination or arranging for a colleague to phone the destination for support on arrival;
• assessing that your vehicle is suitable in accordance with the person’s mobility requirements, i.e. getting in and out;
• assessing whether the person is medically fit to be transported in your vehicle;
• assessing whether the person is likely to present a risk of harm or distraction whilst driving;
• the distance and route to be taken;
• what mobility aids the person requires which may also need transporting;
• the suitability of your training in regards to back care and the moving and handling of mobility aids;
• using the Wheelchair Guidance;
• securing mobility aids in the boot or back seat;
• completing and complying with the Management Occupational Road Risk course;
• having insurance to transport people for work purposes;
• securing valuables in an appropriate place;
• using the Lone Working Risk Guidance and Risk Assessment;
• reporting any incidents to the relevant manager as soon as practical after any events;
• recording events in the person’s records as soon as practical after the event;
• never assume it is ok to transport a person; plan to stay safe.