New guide extends abuse prevention for community care workers

It will be distributed to all Community Care Organisations in June.

The Tripartite Workgroup for the Prevention of Abuse and Harassment of Healthcare Workers has released an implementation guide tailored for the protection of community care workers.

The guide provides a standardised framework for zero-tolerance policies, response protocols, and workplace safety measures.

It will be distributed by the Agency for Integrated Care to all Community Care Organisations in June, who are strongly encouraged to adopt the recommendations.

It is adapted from the Tripartite framework in December 2023 to address the abuse and harassment of healthcare workers in public healthcare institutions.

The implementation guide has been adapted to address unique challenges faced by community care workers, including safety protocols for home-based care settings where staff work in clients' residences.

Special consideration has been given to managing situations involving clients with dementia or diminished mental capacity, who form a significant proportion of community care service users.