L&Q to offer protective clothing to 852 staff across the capital and South-east
Housing officers in London and the South-east are to be offered bulletproof vests to combat mounting concerns about the safety of frontline staff.
The decision by London & Quadrant Housing Trust to offer protective clothing to its 852 staff follows recent operations to close down crack houses. In a separate incident last week, an L&Q caretaker was threatened with a gun.
The trust, which manages more than 39,000 homes in London and the South-east, said the need for body armour had become clear when staff worked with police on a crack house raid earlier this year. L&Q carried out a risk assessment on body armour in January.
Pam Millington, housing manager at L&Q subsidiary Forest Homes, said: “When even ambulance men wear bulletproof vests, it seems sensible to ensure the safety of our staff by offering such clothing.
“Last week, one of our caretakers was confronted by a man with a gun. Fortunately, a lorry stopped and the gunman ran off. But such an incident makes it clear staff could need to consider wearing protective clothing such as a bulletproof vest.”
Annette Rushbrooke, facilities manager at L&Q, said: “Protective clothing is available to all trust staff. The type of protective clothing issued is based on a risk assessment of each job.”
L&Q’s decision follows a series of policy announcements in the past 18 months that have placed councils and associations in the front line of the clampdown on antisocial behaviour.
Powers such as the ability to press for antisocial behaviour orders have also been extended to social landlords.
A Home Office spokesman said: “The Home Office has provided a range of new powers for tackling antisocial behaviour. The bulletproof vest anecdote is not affected by and does not affect any of this.”
Nuisance specialists reacted with surprise to L&Q’s decision.
Adam Greenwood, an antisocial behaviour consultant, said he had not heard of any other social landlord taking such a measure.
He said: “You can’t eliminate risks but you can minimise them. My message to housing staff is you have to be aware of these risks but you can’t be paralysed by them.
“My experience – I don’t know if it is the same for L&Q – is that incidents of aggression towards housing staff are relatively small so the risks are relatively small.”
Claire Castle, chief executive of Antisocial Behaviour Operations, which helps social landlords deal with nuisance tenants, said: “This is the first time I have heard of this. I can see what they are doing from a health and safety point of view.”
“I would also be using every legal tool available to deal with [antisocial behaviour] criminally and civilly.”
Violence at work
The Home Office’s latest British Crime Survey found:
- About 376,000 workers experienced at least one incident of violence at work in 2002/3
- Health and social welfare staff, including housing workers and welfare officers, were the most likely
to be worried about assaults at work (36%) - 3.3% of health and social welfare associate professionals were assaulted at work, compared
to the average of 1.7% - Victims said the offender was under the influence of alcohol in 31% of incidents and under the influence of drugs in 21%
- 22% of workers who had contact with the public thought it very or fairly likely they would be threatened at work in the next year
Should L&Q staff get protective clothing?
I can see why they would want to go down that route. I have been physically assaulted on the street.
I see no problems with the vests. There is an issue about how discreet they are – they could initiate harassment
Rodrique Campbell-Evans, housing officer at Clapton Community Housing Trust
It is not something I have heard of before. If that is what they have assessed the risk as, that is what they have a duty to do. [But] you shouldn’t be going into a situation where you know you are going to need one
Anonymous housing officer
I live in a tower block and there is an enormous problem in the area with drug dealing and drug users. It is a problem for people who provide services, such as concierges and cleaners. But it does seem extreme to be issuing bulletproof vests
Peter Jones, South Kilburn tenants association representative
Source
Housing Today
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