Mansfield District Leisure Trust (MDLT) has staged a local launch for operating partner Serco's Respect and Protect campaign, a zero tolerance policy towards any violence, aggression or abuse directed
The event held at Oak Tree Leisure Centre on July 3rd was attended by representatives from Mansfield District Council (MDC) and Sercos leisure division Managing Director, Simon Bailey.
Simon Bailey said:
We want our teams to know that the every incident of verbal or physical abuse has to be reported. And we want those making these threats or carrying out these acts to know that we will support our people all the way and, where necessary, involve enforcement agencies.
In 2018, across the MDLT contract, there were 10 reported incidents of either physical or verbal abuse aimed at members of the team here. This number is down from the 16 recorded in 2017, but some incidents do not get reported, which is why the awareness around this campaign is so crucial.
Mariam Amos, Strategic Director at Mansfield District Council, said:
As a council, we fully support Sercos Respect and Protect campaign. Although the decrease in reported incidents at our leisure centres is encouraging, any more than zero is too many. All employees everywhere deserve to be treated with dignity and respect while carrying out their jobs.
A Charter of Protection has been agreed between Serco and its customers, which aims to raise awareness and increase understanding of violence, aggression and abuse at work, and to provide a framework of response to identify, prevent and manage such issues. These measures include fostering a culture of zero tolerance, encouraging reporting, supporting police investigations where appropriate, and non-acceptance of unwarranted behaviour, together with specific training and support.
The Respect and Protect Campaign was successfully piloted last year when Serco and Sandwell Council in the West Midlands joined unions and police in a unified approach to reduce the increasing number of employees on our Environmental Services contract being subjected to assaults, threats, abusive and insulting behaviour by members of the public.
MDLT and its managing agent Serco Leisure operate four centres across the region: Oak Tree Leisure Centre, River Main Recreation Centre, Water Meadows Fitness and Swimming Centre, and the Rebecca Adlington Swimming Centre. For more information about the trust, visit its website www.mansfieldleisure.com.