Safe Care Policy
Author(s): P. Peerdeman                                                                      Country: Netherlands
Is the intervention sector specific?	Yes
Is the intervention usable with different enterprise sizes?	Yes
Is the intervention equally applicable to both genders?	Yes
Is the intervention based on theory?	Yes
Can the intervention approach be adapted/ tailored?	Yes
Does the intervention promote CSR and how?	The intervention was not explicitly linked to responsible business practices although it does promote employee well-being.
Does the intervention promote social dialogue and how?	The covenant, that has been developed, can be viewed as a product of social dialogue.
Overview (including risk assessment and law – legal requirements etc.): In 2000, the “Safe Care Policy” project was developed in the health care system in the Netherlands. The project’s development was underpinned by the active cooperation between the police and the public prosecutor with the overall aim to: (a) decrease internal and external aggression (especially verbal aggression), and (b) to present an overview of the prevalence of external and internal aggression and violence.
Implementation:   The method is based on the policy cycle: global inventory of problems, declaration of intent, problem analysis, set goals/prioritize, develop strategy, implementation, evaluation, and adjust goals/measures. More specifically, the policy consists of different components. First, a collective agreement is made between the hospital, the police and the Public Prosecutor according to which, visitors and patients who misbehave receive a warning and after two warnings the person can be banned from entering the hospital.   Incidents of violence are reported by the head of in-house emergency and first-aid service that are responsible for dealing with the situation. Furthermore, workplace safety is increased by additional camera surveillance and an increased availability of security service for emergencies. The house regulations are presented and communicated by means of posters. Additionally, in the hospital employers work according to an ‘aggression-protocol’ whereby all employers are familiar with the necessary procedures on how to handle cases of aggression.
Practical applications:   Because the intervention is based on a collective agreement between the hospitals, the police and the Public Prosecutor, some law- or legal requirements underpin it.
Innovative aspects:   The main innovative aspect of this approach is the development of an organisational-level policy directly addressing issues surrounding workplace violence through a process of social dialogue between several key stakeholders.
Evaluation (including process issues, outcomes and sustainability): As the policy outlines, all incidents are reported, providing a clear overview of the prevalence of aggression and violence in the hospital. Information from reported incidences of violence is used to evaluate the effectiveness of the policy and to identify prevalent trends in perpetrator behaviour.
Benefits (including cost effectiveness): Safe Care Policy has been implemented in over 15 hospitals. On the basis of registration information from 2006, the amount of incidents involving verbal or physical violence has decreased. Additionally, employers working at the hospitals have reported increased feelings of safety.
References: Goede praktijken tegen geweld - casusboek. (Ministerie van Sociale Zaken en Werkgelegenheid). 2006.  (in Dutch)
Comments:   Safe Care Policy can be adapted and tailored to a variety of occupational sectors or other national contexts however, the degree to which it can be tailored is dependent on legal requirements unique to that area/or national legal framework.