Nine in ten continuing care workers experience violence on the job at some point in their career. Violence exists in many forms – it can be bullying, intimidation, or even physical altercations.
At the beginning of February, SafeCare BC invited the continuing care sector to join them in an effort to end violence and aggression in the workplace. They used the social media hashtag #StopViolence.
In recent weeks, SafeCare BC highlighted different campaigns, education opportunities, and resources targeted towards creating psychologically supportive, violence- and bullying-free work environments. Their posts reached reached up to a thousand or more through web and email communications. In addition, they circulated over 300 “Stop Violence” signs in a variety of languages from members across the province.
During the campaign period, SafeCare BC hosted four events on creating psychologically healthy workplaces and several violence prevention workshops across the province. Over a hundred continuing care staff participated in these events across B.C. A participant commented, “Thank you guys for the amazing learning day. I learned a lot and it will make my job easier, and hopefully I get to learn more in the future”. Another participant commented, “I will definitely be attending more SafeCare workshops.”
In addition to attending workshops, another 65 participants accessed violence prevention-related online training resources through the SafeCare BC website. As well, SafeCare BC staff conducted 10 site visits across the province to provide occupational health and safety support to organizations in the Interior, the Metro Vancouver area, and on Vancouver Island.
Preventing violence in continuing care is about more than just meeting workplace health and safety requirements. It’s about taking care – taking care of ourselves, taking care of our colleagues, and taking care of our clients. It’s about putting a human face to the issue – and working together to find a solution. Hear what these frontline workers had to say about it. Click here for YouTube video, or click here to view and share the video on Facebook.
SafeCare BC sum it up in a simple message:
“Together, we can create safe, supportive work environments for all. Together, we can #StopViolence.”
