Work-Related Violence in Schools

Resources

Respectful Behaviours within the School Community communications material

Respectful Behaviours within the School Community toolkits

Use the communications materials contained in these toolkits to raise awareness about the Respectful Behaviours within the School Community policy and to promote positive, respectful relationships between adults in our school communities:

• Government schools communications toolkit (DOCX)
• Government schools peak bodies toolkit (DOCX)
• Non-government schools peak bodies toolkit (DOCX)
• Parent organisations toolkit (DOCX)
• LGBTIQA+ safety, respect and inclusion in schools toolkit (DOCX) (staff login required).

Respect our school staff – posters

Adults in the school community may be unaware of the impact of unreasonable demands, verbal aggression, offensive jokes and vexatious use of social media have on school staff wellbeing.

The following posters are available for schools to display and deter common negative behaviours encountered by school staff including:

• Respect our school staff – social media (PDF)
• Respect our school staff – threats (PDF)
• Respect our school staff – unreasonable demands (PDF)
• Respect our school staff – verbal aggression (PDF)
• Respect our school staff – offensive jokes (PDF).

School staff have a right to be safe at work – posters

Use the following posters to communicate to staff and parents, carers and other adults in the school community that unacceptable behaviour, including abuse, will not be tolerated in schools:

• School staff have a right to be safe at work – parent poster – English (DOCX)
• School staff have a right to be safe at work – staff poster – English (DOCX).

Respectful Behaviours within the School Community posters

Download and print the parent facing poster for display in settings where parents, carers and adults in the school community frequent. The poster is available in 30+ languages to select from below.

Respectful Behaviours within the School Community newsletter content

Use these materials to communicate policy and the parent page to your parents, carers, or your school community.

You will need to add your principal’s name and signature to these Microsoft Word materials.

If you open your file and see boxes replacing the font, it’s because you don’t have that language font on your computer. Fonts have been provided for you below to download when/if needed.

A PDF has been provided of the correct replication on the font if you wish to use as a reference.

For an English version of this newsletter content, please view your relevant communications toolkit.

Family engagement resources

Family engagement in learning resource – for parents and carers (PDF) (staff login required).

Templates relevant to this policy and procedure

• OHS risk register (XLSX) – to identify, record and manage OHS risks, including work-related violence risks related to student behaviours of concern. Schools may already have their own OHS Risk Register to refer to.
• Risk assessment template (DOCX) – to monitor and control identified hazards using risk management methods.
• Risk management plan – student behaviour (DOCX) (staff login required) – to assist the principal and school staff to define the range of actions that have been identified to ensure staff can safely provide teaching and support to a student whose behaviours may pose a risk to the health, safety and wellbeing of staff, students and others at the school.
• First warning to parents/carers letter template (DOCX) (staff login required) – to send to a parent or carer in response to an incident or correspondence where they have not met expectations to behave respectfully towards staff as reflected in the Respectful Behaviours within the School Community Policy. This letter is intended to prevent the escalation of behaviours in the early stages and should be sent before sending a communication plan or other measures that manage unacceptable behaviour that is ongoing.
• Communications plan sample letter (DOCX) – this template can be tailored by principals or their delegates to set the expected method of respectful communication between the school and the parent/carer. The Complex Matters Support Team or Legal Division can assist in tailoring this to the school’s needs.

Flowcharts and supports

• Work-Related Violence in Schools – OHS risk management flowchart (PDF) – assists the principal, the school’s Health and Safety Representatives, school staff and the Department to identify their roles and responsibilities through a defined procedure in managing the risks, incidents and emergencies of work-related violence in school settings. This flowchart progresses through the actions with pathways of support and advice.
• Work-Related Violence in Schools – OHS risk management flowchart (DOCX) – accessible version.
• Work-Related Violence in Schools post incident checklist (PDF) (staff login required) – designed to support the wellbeing impacts of school staff, including principals, assistant principals, teachers, education support staff and others, when they are responding to an incident involving behaviours that are violent, aggressive or otherwise pose a safety risk.