Protecting Social Workers

Social service workers in the public sector are approximately 7 times more likely to be the victims of violent assaults while at work than are workers in the private sector. Bureau of Labor Statistics 2000.

MOBILE WORKING SAFETY SYSTEM FOR SOCIAL WORKERS

70 percent of front-line child welfare workers have been victims of violence or threats in the line of duty and a review of the 585 exit interviews found that 90 percent of former child welfare workers experienced verbal threats, 30 percent experienced physical attacks, and 13 percent had been threatened with weapons. (American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees)

Social workers are the backbone of many communities. Demands on their time and emotional bandwidth have increased dramatically over the past decade. The added concern of personal safety for social workers in an increasingly complex world is a challenge for every social worker and their employer.

“Most clients and families that social workers serve don’t present a risk to their safety. There are, however, social work settings, for example, child welfare, adult protective services, mental health, domestic violence shelters, where social workers face increased risks of violence.”

The growing demand on social work services and the often limited resources have contributed to an increased risk of violence. Instances of verbal and physical assault have increased and tragically some social workers have also been permanently injured or have lost their lives ‘in the line of duty’.

Establishing safety guidelines is becoming more important as the risks to social workers increase and the profession is expected to grow by 25% before 2020 (U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2012). Many of these injuries and even deaths could be prevented with increased risk assessment measures such as the Guardian MPS Mobile Working Safety System.

How can Guardian MPS help?

Guardian MPS provides an easy-to-access mobile social worker safety system. The system allows social workers to deliver their valuable community services with less concern about workplace violence. As with all Guardian MPS users, Social Workers control their own safety platform, setting when they want to be tracked and/or found all through the convenience of their cell phones.

  • Social Workers can log in and out of their daily activities from a mobile device of their choice
  • If they have an overrun on an activity Guardian MPS will call them to make sure they are OK
  • They have access to a Discrete Panic Alarm on their cell phone, even when the keypad is locked
  • Panic Alarm connects to trained security professions who can “Listen :Live” to discretely assess the situation.
  • Can include GPS location fixes

The Guardian MPS service helps Social Work Agencies provide a higher standard of care for their staff. Social workers will always have to deal with potentially high risk situations, but with increased safety policies and a reliable Guardian MPS Mobile Worker Safety Solution they can have more confidence and peace of mind to carry out their duties.