Avoid ‘physical engagment’
council staff told

Louth County Council this week told the Democrat that it operate a system for their staff of avoiding physical engagment with the public.

Last week Cork local authorities revealed that they giving staff martial arts training. No such policy exists in Louth County Council.

“Delivery of a service which is in the main governed by legislation can on occasion result in a less favourable decision than a client would have hoped for,” says Paddy Donnelly of LCC.

“ This does on a rare occasion result in a less than reasonable response by individual clients directed at individual staff members dealing with the service request. Thankfully the number of incidents where staff have been abused are a minority but any and all such incident and unwelcomed.”

“Louth Local Authorities have in place a “lone worker” policy which gives guidance and direction to staff who may find themselves in a situation that they feel is challenging and likely to cause them injury or unreasonable stress. Notices are displayed at public counters indicating that the Local Authority will not tolerate any unreasonable behaviour from its clients.

“Louth Local Authorities advise to staff would never be to be drawn into physical engagement at any level.”