ABSTRACT
The most sophisticated policies and procedures for safety adopted by organizations cannot guarantee that a violent incident will never occur. Since it is impossible to guarantee safety, the development of after-care services that will be available to anyone who is subjected to violence is a sensible step. Everyone in the organization then needs to know who has been trained for this task and how to contact them. They must be contactable quickly, and able to give immediate priority to requests for debriefing at any time. Although social work agencies are often counselling providers, the need for a nominated counsellor to work with staff who have experienced violence is easily overlooked. Employees who are physically injured as a result of violence obviously need time off work to recover. The sort of legal help an employee may require will depend on the nature of the violent incident and the consequences of it.
