Policy on the Prevention and Management of
Unacceptable Customer Behaviour
Part of the school’s commitment to ensure a safe and friendly
working environment
1. Aim
It is a key priority and responsibility for our school is to ensure a safe, inclusive, and
supportive working environment, where everyone can undertake their role, without fear
of violence, abuse, harassment, hate or discrimination. This applies to the way we are
treated by colleagues and by customers although the approaches taken will be different.
For the purposes of this policy, “customer” refers to parents, carers, visitors and all
other individuals who interact with the school or its staff.
This policy defines how the school will meet this key priority when working with
customers, by covering:
• what is meant by ‘unacceptable customer behaviour’,
• the importance of keeping staff safe by identifying and mitigating risks, and how this
can be done,
• how an incident will be managed and responded to,
• the support available for those that experience unacceptable behaviour, and
• how an incident can be reported, and why reporting is important.
The aim of the Policy is to empower and enable managers/Headteachers and staff to
take the most appropriate approach to prevent and respond to incidents of unacceptable
customer behaviour.
Please refer to the Dignity & Respect Policy which defines how the priority will be
achieved in relation to our interactions with colleagues.
2. Scope
Staff who commission/procure services where unacceptable behaviour may be a risk,
should refer to the document titled ‘Selection and Management of Contractors
Arrangements’ on the WSSfE Health & Safety page titled ‘Contractors and Construction
Projects’.
3. Who Can Help?
If managers/Headteachers have any questions in relation to the identification,
assessment, and prevention of risk, they can contact the Health & Safety Service by
emailing HealthandSafety@westussex.gov.uk, or phoning 01243 752025.
If managers/Headteachers would like any advice and support on how best they can
support staff that have experienced unacceptable customer behaviour, they can contact
the HR Business Partnering team.
Staff should contact their manager/Headteacher, or if not appropriate another manager
within their school in the first instance, if they have any questions, concerns or would
like to report an incident.
We recognise the significant impact that unacceptable behaviour can have on the health
and wellbeing of staff. The Employee Assistance Programme includes free and
confidential advice or counselling. If applicable, Mental Health First Aiders may also be
available at the school to provide support to staff and to signpost to other sources of
support.
The Hate Incident Support Service operated by Victim Support Sussex can offer
practical, emotional, and advocacy support if you have been targeted due to your race,
faith, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity.
4. Unacceptable Customer Behaviour
This section contains examples of unacceptable customer behaviour, which are:
• Violence or threats of violence
• Aggression
• Abusive, offensive or threatening language, verbally or in writing.
• Harassment1
• Stalking or threats of stalking
• All forms of discrimination2 including racism, ableism, sexism, ageism, transphobia,
homophobia, or faith/religion based. For example:
- Seeking to have staff replaced or not engaging with individuals due to their
characteristics, for unjustifiable reasons3 - Overt actions or subtle microaggressions that may not be intended to cause
harm but do so unwittingly.
• Failing to comply with a reasonable request from a member of staff.
• Making unjustified, vexatious complaints about staff.
5. Preventing Unacceptable Customer Behaviour
The school will not condone unacceptable customer behaviour and will never expect staff
to either.
As described in this Policy, the school will do everything in its power to protect staff
and to ensure they do not experience unacceptable customer behaviour, including any
forms of abuse or discrimination.
The school should make its customers aware of the West Sussex County Council
Customer Promise.
Risk Assessments
Managers/Headteachers have a duty to ensure the health, safety and welfare of their
staff by assessing and reducing the risks of unacceptable customer behaviour, so far as
is reasonably practicable.
Managers/Headteachers must complete an overarching school or team risk assessment
where this risk is identified. This should be done in collaboration with impacted staff
that are in roles deemed high risk of unacceptable customer behaviour. High risk roles
include those that:
o work directly with members of the public;
o work in an area, or with individual where there have been a past incident(s)
o work alone;
o have an enforcement role; or
o work with money, other valuables or medicines.
The aim of the risk assessment is to identify and suitably mitigate the risk of
unacceptable customer behaviour, by implementing precautionary measures. The risk
assessment should:
o consider past incidents, to identify patterns or triggers to inform strategies to
protect staff.
o be regularly reviewed and re-visited where staff are working with individuals that
are known to have behavioural issues, or in response to an incident.
6. Incident Management
All staff that witness or are made aware of unacceptable behaviour have a responsibility
to act and provide support.
The School will never accept requests from customers to work with (or not work with)
individuals due to their characteristics, for unjustifiable reasons as this would be
condoning and colluding with discriminatory behaviour.
The health, safety and wellbeing of staff is of the utmost importance. Where a member
of staff perceives that a customer’s behaviour threatens their physical or psychological
safety or wellbeing, or the safety and wellbeing of other staff/customers, they should
remove themselves and others from the situation immediately. This should be done with
the confidence that they will have the full support of the school and their
manager/Headteacher.
7. Responding To Incidents of Unacceptable Behaviour
Some customers may have a disability or condition that makes it difficult for them to
either express themselves or communicate clearly and / or appropriately. In these
circumstances, although unacceptable behaviour will not be condoned, how it is addressed
and mitigated will be different and an approach must take into consideration their
disability/ condition or personal needs.
The following actions may be taken in response to unacceptable behaviour depending on
the situation and circumstances.
o Informal feedback, giving the individual the opportunity to reflect upon and
change their language, behaviour, or attitude.
o Formal written warning o Recording future interactions
o Implementation or review of a behaviour contract
o Temporarily or permanently restricting contact or changing/withdrawing a service
or elements of a service. The services defined procedure must be followed and
agreement obtained from an Officer with delegated authority before taking action.
o Notifying the Police and taking part in any legal action that follows.
Managers/Headteachers should discuss and update the member of staff as soon as
possible, with all steps taken to ensure they are supported and that steps are being taken
to prevent it from occurring again.
Experiencing unacceptable behaviour impacts everyone differently, but the impact on
health and wellbeing can be significant. A manager/Headteacher will ensure impacted
staff have access to the emotional and practical support required.
Where the incident of unacceptable behaviour warrants it, the school will support staff
so they can, if they wish:
o feel confident to report incidents to the Police;
o fully participate in the Police investigation; and
o attend court, if required.
Staff will be paid if they require time off to meet with the Police and to attend court,
or access support services.
The Industrial Injury Policy may apply where staff are physically injured whilst
undertaking their work duties.
8. Reporting Incidents of Unacceptable Behaviour
Where an incident occurs, it must be reported to a line manager/Headteacher or if not
appropriate another manager within the school.
o Managers/Headteachers must take timely, supportive, decisive, and
proportionate action with consideration to the wishes of the individual(s) that
experienced the behaviour.
The incident must be reported by the school on the Health & Safety Portal, so that
support can be provided, steps taken to prevent reoccurrence, to enable continuous
learning and to implement proactive solutions.
o If a member of staff does not want to report an incident on the H&S Portal, the
manager/Headteacher may still consider it necessary, for the safety of the
individual and others. This should be discussed with the staff member.
Incident data, including numbers and motivational factors will be monitored and will be
used to identify and influence future work requirements.
1)Harassment is unwanted conduct related to protected characteristics that violates a person's
dignity or creates an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for
that person. Protected characteristics are age; race (which includes colour, nationality and ethnic
or national origins); disability; sex; sexual orientation; gender identity/re assignment; religion &
belief; pregnancy and maternity; and marital/civil partnership status.
2)Discrimination is where someone is treated unfairly compared to another person because of their
protected characteristic.
3)A justifiable reason could be for example requesting a particular gender for reasons of dignity,
or due to a prior trauma.
9. Document History
Reviewed March 26
Ratified July 26
Expires March 27