Human Services Quality Framework
Standard 4 (Safety, Wellbeing & Rights)
GUIDE TO HARM PREVENTION POLICY TEMPLATE
ABOUT THIS POLICY AREA
This policy guides how the organisation protects the safety and wellbeing of clients.
A written harm prevention policy is required as part of meeting Standard 4 (Safety,
Wellbeing and Rights)
Standard 4 —Safety, Wellbeing and Rights
The safety, well being and human and legal rights of people using services are protected
and promoted.
Indicator 2: The organisation proactively prevents, identifies and responds to risks to the
safety and well being of people using services.
Policy checklist
The following checklist will help you check that an existing policy covers this area
adequately.
The policy should:
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describe the way you assess risk of harm and take into account risks from:
other clients
actions (or inaction) of staff in the organisation
physical surrounds
the nature of the service
the clients themselves, to themselves and to other clients, and to people beyond
the organisation
 explain how clients are informed about the ways their safety and wellbeing will be
protected and any actions they are required to take or not take while using the
service
 describe the way the organisation is equipped to minimise and promptly respond to
aggressive behaviour or physical threat
 outline other strategies to respond to risk, including:
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prominent listing of emergency numbers
ensuring first aid kits are available and staff are trained in first aid
how health issues such as hygiene and infectious illness are dealt with
providing safe environments for children
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contain clear procedures and actions
indicate the timing of any actions
show when it was approved
show when it was last reviewed.
COMPLETING YOUR HARM PREVENTION POLICY
Using the policy template
The template provides some example statements. You can adapt these statements and
include them in your policy or write your own statements to better suit the operations and
services of your organisation.
The policy templates include red text prompts to insert information that is specific to your
organisation.
There are also instruction sections, in blue italics, such as:
Refer to the induction of governing body policy template guide for questions
and/or examples to consider when customising this section.
When you have completed the policy template, delete all the coloured text.
For further information on using the policy guides, refer to the information in Using the
policy templates and guides.
Guidelines for each section of your policy
1. Purpose
When identifying the purpose of the policy, consider how it might apply to your client
group/s and others using the organisation’s services, premises or other facilities, including
staff, volunteers and board or management committee members. Consider also the widest
possible range of situations that might cause harm and where the organisation could
minimise harm and/or the impact of harm. Do you need to make specific statements to ensure
you are inclusive of particular groups, such as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples,
Australian South Sea Islanders, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
and people with a disability?
2. Scope
To determine the scope of the policy, consider the following questions:
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Does this policy apply to all your organisation’s services and to all clients and agencies?
Are the risks of harm for staff, volunteers, board or management committee members
and other stakeholders also taken into account?
Does your organisation’s responsibility for harm minimisation extend beyond harm
resulting from the provision of services and the use of premises, vehicles and other
facilities within the organisation’s direct control? Are you concerned also with minimising
harm and/or the impact of harm that has occurred elsewhere? Where do you draw the
line on this responsibility?
An example of a Scoping statement for an organisation that provides multiple services may
read as follows:
This policy will apply to all staff overseeing the clients in all of the programs and services
auspiced by the Insert organisation name. In some programs such as those dealing
directly with children, the aged and people with disabilities, specialized harm prevention policy
may exist that is specific to that service. Specific detailed procedures dealing with speciality
needs may be described within the service specific policy and procedures manual for that
service.
An example of a Scoping statement for an organisation that provides a single service type
may read as follows:
This policy will apply to all staff overseeing the clients in the services provided by the Insert
organisation name.
3. Policy statement
If you are adopting the policy statement in the template, consider whether there are any
additional commitments your organisation wants to make.
In identifying the actions your organisation will take to implement this policy, you should
include the following:
assessing the risk of harm and taking into account all potential risks in the service
environment
identifying and documenting the range of circumstances within and outside the service
where the safety or wellbeing of clients may be compromised
•
•
taking action to reduce the potential for harm to clients and to ensure their safety within
the service
informing clients about the ways their safety and wellbeing will be protected, and any
actions they are required to take or not take while using the service
minimising the risk of aggressive behaviour or physical threat
minimising the range of other health and safety risks that could arise in the service
environment
reviewing your approach to harm prevention regularly, and particularly after any critical
incident within your service.
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An example of specific statements in a Policy statement for an organisation that provides
multiple services may read as follows:
Specifically, we will:

Be vigilant for signs of harm in our vulnerable clients
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Train our staff, and where appropriate, our volunteers to be aware of our procedures
for dealing with cases of actual or suspected harm
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Follow set procedures that are in accordance with the law and our Duty of Care to our
clients.

Assess the risk of harm and taking into account all potential risks in the service
environment

Identify and document the range of circumstances within and outside the service where
the safety or wellbeing of clients may be compromised

Take action to reduce the potential for harm to clients and to ensure their safety within
the service

Inform clients about the ways their safety and wellbeing will be protected, and any
actions they are required to take or not take while using the service

Minimise the risk of aggressive behaviour or physical threat

Minimise the range of other health and safety risks that could arise in the service
environment

Review our approach to harm prevention regularly, and particularly after any critical
incident within our service.
4. Procedures
The procedures describe how your organisation achieves the aims and goals you have
outlined in your purpose, scope and policy statement.
These procedures relate to how you will prevent harm to clients where this is directly related
to the delivery of your services. You have an obligation to minimise the risk, reduce the effect,
and prevent future incidents occurring.
Many procedures applying to the safety of clients will also apply to employees, volunteers and
management. They should therefore be part of any workplace health and safety policy, and
can be recorded as part of that policy or as a separate set of procedures related to risk
assessment and critical incident responses.
a.
Assessing and reviewing the risk of harm
The first step in protecting the safety and wellbeing of your clients is to understand how,
where and when they may be at risk of harm. Take into account risks from:
•
other clients
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actions (or inaction) of staff in the organisation
•
physical surrounds
•
the nature of the service
•
the clients themselves, to themselves and to other clients, and to people beyond the
organisation.
Describe your procedure for identifying and assessing risks of harm and list any checklists
that you use.
How often do you do this risk assessment? For example:
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following a critical incident
annually
when you start a new project
when there is new intake of volunteers or clients.
An example of template table that may assist organisations with multiple services to record
this information is below. List and describe how each service deals with key Harm prevention
procedures:
Name of Service
How the Service
Identifies and
Assesses Risk of
Harm
Eg: Staff training in
Workplace hazards,
Client safety and Food
safety.
What Checklists are
Used to Assess Risk &
who is Responsible
How often and how is
Risk Reviewed for a
Client &/or the
Service
Eg: Monthly Checklist;
Service Co-ordinator
Eg. During volunteer
interviews/intake;
During each client home
visit using template file
notes
Identify the range of circumstances within and outside your service where the safety or
wellbeing of your clients may be compromised (potential and actual risks of harm) and also
the range of actions you have agreed to take to reduce the incidence of actual harm
occurring.
List the potential and actual risks of harm to clients, and the range of actions you can take
to reduce the incidence of each, particularly to the target group for your service and for the
nature of the service you provide. It may be useful to think through these under types of
incidents that could cause harm:
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threat to personal safety or wellbeing (including from accidents, assault, harassment)
threat to psychological health
threat to physical health
inadequate policy guidelines
lack of adequate supervision
lack of adequate support
loss of confidence in the service
inability to access a needed service.
List these here, or reference where these are documented in a related risk assessment or
workplace health and safety policy.
An example of template table that may assist organisations with multiple services to record
this information is below. List and describe how each service deals with potential and actual
risks and what procedures exist to reduce the incidence:
Potential and Actual
Risks of Harm
Eg:ther clients
Actions available
to Reduce the
Incidence of Harm
Eg: Ensuring staff
supervision and
volunteer numbers
are adequate when
Clients visit centre
Supporting
Documentation and
other Policy &
Procedures that may
assist
Eg: WPH&S Policy, Safety
Procedures Manual,
Emergency Procedures
Manual, Code of Ethics,
Code of Conduct, Offensive
Behaviour Policy, Safety
Policy, Smoking Policy, Risk
Management Policy,
Incident Report Policy
When Review of
Harm Prevention
Actions may occur
Eg:
1. following a critical
incident
2. annually
3. when a new project
is commenced
4. when there is new
intake of volunteers
or clients
b.
Informing clients about harm prevention rights and responsibilities
Clients have a right to be protected from harm to their safety or wellbeing, and they have a
responsibility to play an active role in protecting themselves and others from harm.
Explain how clients are informed about the ways their safety and wellbeing will be protected,
and any actions they are required to take or not take while using the service. There should
also be a section in your client service charter addressing risk of harm, harm prevention, and
response.
An example of template table that may assist organisations with multiple services to record
this information is below. List and describe how each service informs their clients about Harm
Prevention, including the Client Service Charter:
Service Name
The ways we inform our clients about Harm Prevention, including our
Client Service Charter
Eg: Clients are informed of their rights and responsibilities when they join,
including a copy of our Client Service Charter in their welcome pack, and are
reminded through signs and newsletters.
c.
Minimising and responding to aggressive behaviour and physical threat
Describe the way your organisation is equipped to minimise aggressive behaviour or physical
threat, and promptly respond to aggression to prevent harm being caused. Specific
circumstances in which there may be a greater risk of physical or emotional harm from
aggression or physical threat should be identified and appropriate risk-minimisation responses
implemented.
Particular circumstances where a higher risk may occur include:
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service provision to clients affected by drugs, alcohol or mental illness
youth services
other clients with complex and multiple needs
organisations with poor supervision, inadequate support or inadequate training of staff.
d.
Minimising and responding to other risks to safety and wellbeing
Other strategies to prevent and/or minimise the risk of harm to clients and ensure their
safety within your service should relate directly to the risks of harm you identified above.
List your harm prevention and minimisation strategies (or, if appropriate, reference where
these are documented in a related risk assessment or workplace health and safety policy).
Be as specific as possible. For example:
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for risk of physical injury to clients:
adequate control of aggressive behaviour and physical threat (see above)
building kept in good condition, with regular condition inspections
ensuring first aid kits are available and all staff trained in basic first aid
evacuation procedure provided in a prominent place
prominent listing of emergency numbers
providing safe environments for children.
for risk to physical health:
hygiene procedures
preventing the spread of infectious illness
health checks and vaccination programs
health education
nutritional advice and support
no smoking policy
policy on the monitoring, use and compliance of prescribed medications.
An example of a template table that may assist organisations with multiple services to record
the information for points d. and e. above is as follows:
Service Name
Special circumstances
where risk of aggression
may be high
Eg: Where a client may
become or enter the premises
in an agitated state
Harm prevention & minimization
strategies in these circumstances
Eg: Staff have training in handling
aggressive behaviours
Call for backup as necessary; Duress alarms
have been installed in key locations and
training in use provided to staff and
volunteers.
5. Other related policies and documents
List the other policies related to the harm prevention policy. The policy should be linked to:
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harm response policy
client service charter.
6. Review processes
Consider how often the policy should be reviewed and the process for doing this:
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frequency of review: Most policies benefit from an annual review. The experience of
implementing the policy is used to decide which changes are necessary. Consider reviewing
your harm prevention policy as part of an annual review of your organisation’s client service
related policies or, if your organisation is small, perhaps over a three-year period. Critical
incidents may prompt you to review the policy ahead of schedule.
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responsibility for the review: In most organisations, the person accountable for client
service would be responsible for reviewing this policy. In small organisations, this may be the
coordinator or manager. In larger organisations, this may be a client service manager or
administration manager.
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process for the review: Decide which particular staff, volunteers, external people and
organisations will provide input to the policy review, and how clients will be involved.
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decision-making process: Who will review draft changes to the policy and approve
changes? What will be the timeframe for the review process?
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documentation and communication: What records of the policy review process are
needed? How will changes to the policy be communicated to staff implementing the policy?
In a small organisation, this may be as simple as noting the changes at a staff meeting. In
a larger organisation, an email memo may be needed.
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key questions for the review: Is the policy being implemented? Are procedures being
followed? Is the policy clear? What has changed that may prompt a change to the policy (for
example, new client service procedures, expansion of services or activities, widening eligibility
criteria)? Have particular stakeholders had difficulty with any aspect of the policy? Can their
concerns be resolved? How does the policy compare with that of similar organisations?