Good Drills training underway for staff
Marlborough District Libraries staff undergo training as part of the Good Drills programme aimed at strengthening de-escalation skills
Council is partnering with like-minded organisations to develop a programme to support customer facing staff who are dealing with increasing levels of animosity.
Health, Safety & Wellbeing Senior Advisor Anthea Merwood said ‘Good Drills’ is a collaboratively designed programme to enhance the wellbeing of those staff.
In an effort to pool resources and share costs, knowledge and experience, contractor Q-Risk has been working to redevelop and refine their Good Drills programme to make it suitable and fit for purpose for Marlborough District, Nelson City and Tasman District councils.
“At its core, Good Drills is about resilience, awareness and the ability to de-escalate situations. We’re working to build a consistent approach across the region to ensure our people are prepared and supported. The programme includes layers of training, practical tools and leadership practices to keep safety top of mind,” Anthea said.
Incidences of abuse toward customer facing staff are being more regularly reported by Council service centres and libraries, particularly since the onset of Covid-19.
“Several factors could be contributing to these increases,” Council Service and Operations Delivery Manager Marianne Aitken said.
“Ongoing stresses from global events, like the pandemic or economic uncertainties, have left many people feeling frustrated and anxious, and unfortunately, some of that tension may be spilling over into their interactions with our front-line teams.”
Those teams strive to provide a high level of service and support to visitors and callers, acknowledging challenges and working on strategies and solutions that ensure everyone is treated with respect.
“The Good Drills programme is about safety and security culture as opposed to moment in time training. It is designed to further empower our teams to set clear boundaries and confidently manage difficult situations, ensuring their safety alongside the continued support from Council leadership,” Anthea said.
Teams in both Council service centres and libraries will be the first to participate in the programme, which utilises a sustainable train-the-trainer model.
It will be rolled out to other Council teams in 2025.
