Safety culture
All Berkshire Healthcare colleagues are committed to delivering high quality services which are safe, provide the opportunity for recovery, and promote the wellbeing of service users, relatives and carers, and staff.
In seeking this, we recognise that risk can never be reduced to zero and the vast majority of things that do not go as planned are due to unintentional acts and decisions made in good faith.
Employers’ Initiative on Domestic Abuse (EIDA)
What is domestic abuse?
Domestic Abuse is all about one person trying to maintain power and control over another, whether those people are in or have been in an intimate relationship or are family members. They do this by a pattern of abusive behaviours towards the victim/survivor that works to maintain this control.
These behaviours do not need to be physical; they can be psychological, economic, controlling and coercive but usually are underpinned by violence or the threat of violence.
EDIA
We’re a proud member of EIDA, a network of over 1,700 employers working together to take action on domestic abuse.
Domestic abuse affect people of all genders, ages, ethnicities and sexualities. It can have an impact not only on individuals but also on their families and colleagues.
As an employer, we have a responsibility to support any employee who has experienced or is experiencing domestic abuse. Becoming a member of EIDA means we will have access to the latest resources and information to help us best carry out this vital role.
Read more and see what support is available
Our commitment to sexual safety
We’re committed to providing a safe and supportive working environment, free from abuse, harm and harassment. This includes protecting the sexual safety of our patients and staff.
What is sexual safety?
Sexual safety refers to the respect and maintenance of an individual’s physical (including sexual) and psychological boundaries.
Sexual Safety Charter
We commit to the following 10 principles and actions to achieve a zero-tolerance approach to any unwanted inappropriate and/or harmful sexual behaviours towards our colleagues.
We will:
- Actively work to eradicate sexual harassment and abuse in the workplace.
- Promote a culture that fosters openness and transparency, and does not tolerate unwanted, harmful and/or inappropriate sexual behaviours.
- Take an intersectional approach to the sexual safety of our workforce, recognising certain groups will experience sexual harassment and abuse at a disproportionate rate.
- Provide appropriate support for those in our workforce who experience unwanted, inappropriate and/or harmful sexual behaviours.
- Clearly communicate standards of behaviour. This includes expected action for those who witness inappropriate, unwanted and/or harmful sexual behaviour.
- Ensure appropriate, specific, and clear policies are in place. They will include appropriate and timely action against alleged perpetrators.
- Ensure appropriate, specific, and clear training is in place.
- Ensure appropriate reporting mechanisms are in place for those experiencing these behaviours.
- Take all reports seriously and appropriate and timely action will be taken in all cases.
- Capture and share data on prevalence and staff experience transparently.
We will apply these commitments to everyone in our organisation equally.