|
The Suzy Lamplugh Trust Examine Dangers Faced By Lone Workers
A national survey examining the levels of verbal and physical aggression against lone workers is being undertaken by the country’s leading authority on personal safety, The Suzy Lamplugh Trust. The survey, which is being funded and co-conducted, by the lone worker safety system, LookOut call, owned by C3 Ltd,
aims to highlight the dangers faced by those who work alone in the public sector; covering health, housing and local government. These include being threatened, sworn at, spat at and punched.
Julie Bentley, Chief Executive of The Suzy Lamplugh Trust, explains why they feel the survey is necessary.
“Violence and aggression in the workplace is becoming a major issue for all employers and although there is a wealth of anecdotal evidence to indicate that lone workers are particularly at risk, we believe this survey is of particular importance as it will help to identify the unique difficulties that lone workers face during their day to day
activities”.
Lone workers are all those who work alone for some or part of the time without close or direct supervision and support. They include those working away from their fixed base such as social workers, district nurses, housing officers or journalists; those working alone on premises such as petrol stations, kiosks and shops, and those who work outside normal hours, for example cleaners, maintenance staff or security guards.
Sue Hunt, Client Services Manager with Cambridge-based C3 Ltd, said:- “Our business is all about improving the safety of lone workers and we are delighted to be working with The Suzy Lamplugh Trust on conducting this important
survey.
We hope that by pinpointing the risks lone workers face, it will provide a wealth of information for all those involved in their safety and help employers to tailor policies and procedures to specifically deal with those risks.”
The survey will take place during May.
Benefit cheat caught
A WOMAN who falsely claimed £8,270.08 in benefits from the Council has been sentenced to 120-hours Community Punishment Order, ordered to pay back the overpayment and £100 costs.
Marie Gaskin, 32, of Boulting Avenue, Dallam, pleaded guilty to five offences and was sentenced on Tuesday 19th April at Warrington Magistrates' Court.
She claimed the money by failing to declare that she and her partner were both in paid employment.
Between April 2001 and September 2004, Gaskin defrauded the Council of £6,096.82 in Housing Benefit and £2,173.26 in Council Tax Benefit.
Adrian Webster, the Council's Benefits Manager, said: "Benefit cheats must realise that they cannot abuse the benefit system and steal from the rest of society. They are not just defrauding the government, but their own tax paying neighbours and communities in Warrington.
"Fraud is theft and this case is a clear demonstration of our determination to tackle benefit fraud. We are introducing new methods of data matching - the message now is benefit cheats will be caught - and we are reducing the amount of money lost through fraud and abuse."
|
Woman wins compensation for discrimination on disability awareness course
A disabled woman who suffered discrimination on a disability awareness course run by Liverpool City Council has won £2,000 for injury to feelings on the day her case was due to go to court.
The Disability Rights Commission (DRC) supported Rosemary Walker, a mother of two who lives in Lancashire, in her legal case. In 2003, Ms Walker,
who was a youth worker for Merseyside Youth Association, attended a 2 day training course run by Liverpool City Council. On the first day of the course, Rosemary, who uses a colostomy bag, was forced to tell fellow delegates about her condition when she discovered she couldn’t change her colostomy bag in a nearby toilet because there was no sanitary disposal box. She was then obliged to search the building for a sanitary disposal unit, but none was found. Eventually, a course delegate who worked for a local charity organised a disposal box to be brought to the building.
Ms Walker felt she was subjected to humiliating treatment because of her disability and asked the Council to acknowledge they’d treated her unfairly. The case – taken under Part 3 of the Disability Discrimination Act – was due for a 3 day hearing in Liverpool County Court today.
On the morning of the court case however, the Council agreed to an out of court settlement. Liverpool City Council consented to a judgement to pay Ms Walker £2,000 damages for injury to feelings.
Bert Massie, Chairman of the DRC said the settlement provided a strong reminder that the rights of disabled people go beyond just physical access to buildings – and include ensuring people with long term health conditions can participate equally in services and training.
“It’s worrying that Rosemary suffered such humiliation. Not providing such a basic facility as a sanitary bin and a clean toilet is quite unacceptable in this day and age. I would expect local Councils to be standard bearers on disability equality, so it’s disappointing to hear of such unfair treatment. I’m delighted the Council have now agreed to compensate Ms Walker and hope such an incident will never be repeated. But it is a pity they failed to do so before the day on which the case was to be heard.”
Ms Walker said she was delighted with the resolution:- “I am pleased that the case has settled in my favour and I hope that Liverpool City Council will now make the necessary changes so that this doesn’t happen to anyone in the future. It was the loss of dignity and not being treated with respect that made me so angry. I am talking about basic facilities, which should be in place for anybody with my condition. It’s not as if I needed anything special. This is a fundamental auxiliary aid and there is no excuse that it was not available on an accessible environments course”
|
