10 Steps to Improve Security for Faith-Based Staff and Volunteers by Johnny Lee: 1. Set firm policies and standards for charitable program delivery. Provide the service only at designated times and locations. Prohibit providing services to those who show up outside of designated times, despite the difficulty in their circumstances. 2. Set the environment for program delivery with safety in mind. Remove high value items from view. Designate public rest rooms. Maintain access control to the facility and clearly identify client area and staff/volunteer only areas. Prohibit taking clients to the back or storage room to find items or services. 3. Develop boundary-setting guidelines that ban or suspend services to offenders who violate policy or act inappropriately. Inform them of expected conduct and follow through with consequences. Banning individuals may not only remove a problem client but establishes the reputation of your program for no-nonsense behaviour. 4. Always work in larger numbers or at least in pairs. Adequate staffing of events or programs is critical to maintaining safety, as isolated and lone workers are much more likely to be assaulted. 5. Discourage or prohibit personal giving to clients. Often, program members or volunteers will develop a “special interest” in a client or family and provide services, materials and money to them directly. A frequent scenario is a volunteer might offer a handyman project or a yard cleaning job to a client in need. Discourage contact outside of the program delivery parameters. 6. Train staff and volunteers in recognising warning signs, defusing hostile behaviour, and setting boundaries for any inappropriate behaviour. Aggressors are often calculated in their approach and will test human targets on what behaviours they can try. If it is impractical to teach all staff and volunteers, train a few responsible people to monitor situations and provide intervention support. Consider contracting professional security, off-duty officers or work with law enforcement to have a booth or table at community events. 7. With respect to crowd control, if a large turnout is anticipated for your service, limit the number of clients in the program delivery area and/or set caps on services. A difficult encounter can develop if supplies run out and if client expectations exceed the resources provided. 8. Consider using an application process for in-depth services. By obtaining the contact information of the individuals, a record is made which will support further investigation if required. Even background checks can be considered (seek your legal consul for guidance). 9. Outreach programs that provide off-site services in the community should be conducted in a safe location, provided by teams that arrive and leave together, and done in conjunction with local community representatives and/or law enforcement. Just as important is timing – evenings or Friday afternoons are more volatile. 10. Finally, trust instincts. If there is a sense of danger, or a bad feeling about a location or person, encourage volunteers to listen to their gut and act accordingly. The spirit of giving and charity should be honoured and fostered. The vast majority of recipients are not dangerous and are truly appreciative. While the need to give back can always be met through fundraisers, members tend to like programs that interact with clients. Charitable services are a true expression of generosity and stewardship for those in need, but at the same time, the security, safety and well-being of everyone should never be compromised.
Posted on: Tue, 22 Oct 2013 07:30:43 +0000
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