Violent and aggressive incidents towards Barnsley Council employees up 56 per cent

The number of violent incidents increased by 56 per cent between the financial years 2020/21 and 2021/22, notably in primary schools.

An annual health and safety report states that in the last financial year, 86 instances of violence and aggression were recorded, compared to 48 in 2020/21.

Forty-eight of last year’s incidents took place in primary schools.

Physical violence accounted for 55 per cent of incidents, and verbal abuse accounted for five per cent.

The report adds that the higher incident rates within the place, people and schools directorate ‘reflects the nature of the work carried out and encountering challenging clients’.

It adds that the rate ‘reiterates the need for an assessment to be carried out on clients when receiving any service ranging from social care to compulsory education to ascertain their requirements from both the client’s and employee’s perspective’.