Assessing the Training Needs of Lone Workers

Nicole Vasquez, training consultant at Worthwhile Training, outlines the considerations that need to be taken when organising training for lone workers

Lone worker series, sponsored by People Safe

A couple of years ago, we were contacted by an organisation (let’s call them Company X) looking for lone worker training. We were happy to help and it sounded simple enough; until we started asking a few questions about exactly what it was they wanted. They requested a one-day training course that covered all aspects of lone working, so that they could send any of their lone workers on the course no matter what role they carried out. Without giving away Company X’s identity (but to give you a flavour of the variety) this included site based office workers, receptionists, facilities staff alongside inspectors, engineers and debt collectors who made home visits.

The company was surprised at our questions about job roles and relevant risk assessments, existing risk controls and working procedures. “All we want is some awareness raising for our lone workers, surely you don’t need all that do you?” This last question, and similar questions asked on many occasions from many organisations was the prompt for me to write this article!

Lone Workers come in all shapes and sizes and the old adage that ‘one size fits all’ could never be further from the truth than when providing lone worker training. When time and financial resources are at such a premium, organisations need to ensure that any training they invest in hits the mark and is capable of achieving the desired outcomes. So it makes sense to explore what specific training your lone workers require, as a sheep dip approach is a waste of time, money and resources. To design and deliver effective training, organisations need to start with a training needs analysis (TNA) and ask some key questions.

1. Who are your lone workers?

Thinking about the individuals that lone work can help you to assess the skills, knowledge and experience they may already have and where they may need further development. So, how long have they been in the role? What previous training have they received?

Is your team made up of risk takers? mavericks? or people that are lacking in confidence?  You need to consider how receptive they might be (or not) to the training. Do they have an understanding of ‘why’ the training is being offered?

Remember you’re not teaching them how to do their job from scratch, you’re potentially asking them to make changes to behaviours that have become comfortable habits. How motivated will they be to consider changes to their day-to-day practices? Even lone workers that are concerned about their safety can find it hard to makes changes unless they see the value in the changes we suggest.

2. What are the specific risks they face?

Lone working does not automatically increase the risks across the board; however, there may be particular factors associated with lone working that you may need to consider. For example: a potential increase in violence or aggression for customer facing roles or risks associated with pre-existing medical conditions for those working away from base.

Risk assessments should identify and highlight these issues and can help target the training.  We have developed the P.E.T. analysis,[1] a simple tool to assess lone working risks and we often use this during TNA.

P = People. Factors associated with the people that lone workers may come into contact with as well as the lone worker themselves.  Is there likely to be any potential threat from the people they meet? Is there anything about the lone worker that may increase the risks such as medical conditions or lack of experience etc?

E = Environment. Where and when lone working takes place can have an impact on safety. Are they at a fixed base during the day where although they are lone working, help is close at hand if needed, or do they work evenings in the office/shop when everyone else has gone? Are they mobile workers in the community, on the street or in other people’s homes?

T= Task. What your lone workers actually do is an important factor. If they use machinery, drive long distances or work at height there will be different risks than those faced by lone workers that cover reception and greet visitors. Lone workers that enforce rules or regulations may receive a different welcome from those that provide a service. Carrying goods or collecting money may make your lone workers a potential target for aggression or robbery.

3. What control measures are already in place and are they being followed?

Your lone workers will already have their own way of doing things and we know that some lone workers use excellent common sense ideas (often borne out of experience in the role), on occasion lone workers will have got into some bad habits too (perhaps the product of complacency). Training is a good opportunity to begin to challenge existing practices and encourage the sharing of good practice.

If you have spent time embedding lone worker systems into your business, it will be important to ensure the training supports this and enhances its use. On the other hand it may be that you are having problems getting staff to adopt the system, in which case the training is a perfect opportunity to revisit this and encourage staff to use it by gaining their understanding of the need for it and the recognition of the benefits.

4. What outcome do you want?

There are so many areas that could be covered during lone worker training and the information gained by going through the TNA process should help you decide on what you want to include.

It may be that what you want is to communicate what is expected of them as lone workers, the ‘must do’s’ and ‘should do’s’ however just telling people about  procedures and responsibilities may not be enough – at the very least lone workers need to understand the ‘why’ and the ‘what’s in it for me’ to create the incentive to change what they do already.  

Lone workers need to understand not only ‘what’ and ‘why’ but also ‘how’. Do they have the skills needed to comply with your expectations and to keep themselves safe? Often we find organisations assume their lone workers are aware of all the ‘common sense’ practices and yet time and time again we find these are reported as some of the most useful learning from the course. Providing practical strategies and solutions (and an opportunity for assimilating and practicing) can enable people to take actions in a more competent, confident and consistent way.

You may want to concentrate on specific areas of the lone workers role – travelling, using machinery when alone, cashing and locking up, home visits, etc. Or you may want to cover a broader base providing transferable skills and approaches – dynamic risk assessment tools, practical risk reduction strategies, situation and behavioural awareness, communication and defusion skills, etc.

Whatever you decide, you need to tailor training so that it is reflective of the individual and group’s needs. The training should provide practical strategies and actions that can be applied in the real world and offer lone workers opportunities to apply and build on their existing skills.

To really focus the training, if you ask only one question then I believe it should be this one: “What do we want our lone workers to be able to do differently after the training?”

5. How you are going to deliver the message?

Traditional classroom based training may not suit all your staff and there are many different ways of engaging staff in the learning process. Consider using different forms of learning: computer based training solutions, one to one briefings, videos, on the job mentoring or forum theatre.

Think about whether you can afford to take your lone workers out of the business for full days or would it be better to split the training into smaller bite size chunks. Whatever you decide, targeted and tailored training should be interactive, take into account the learning styles of your lone workers and be adaptable to meet the needs of all. One other thing, you should expect to do this more than once! Don’t expect to provide a training course – expect to provide a course of training.

You may have the capability in-house to deliver the appropriate messages in an accessible way. If you already have in-house trainers then they may be best placed to deliver the training, as they may already know the staff and the culture and climate of the organisation. You can ensure that their knowledge is up to date by providing extra subject specific training for them if necessary.

For some smaller organisations in-house delivery may not be an option. Some larger organisations may also choose to use outside companies to deliver the training and this has some distinct advantages. Specialists in the field will have a broader breadth and depth of knowledge and will be able to use their expertise to bring different ideas and solutions to your business.

If you decide to use an outside company you need to choose a reputable provider, think about how you would choose a builder to do work on your house. You need someone with the relevant qualifications, a proven track record and someone who is trusted by those you trust! Ask a colleague or another organisation in your sector to recommend training providers to you. Once you have a couple of providers to choose from, start the conversation. Remember just like the builders they will be with you for a while and you need to get on!

6. How will you evaluate the training?

All training should have some form of evaluation that goes beyond the ‘happy sheet’ to ensure that the business objectives are being met. This needs to be agreed ahead of the training. Organisations should to be able to measure the return on their investment both in terms of performance and cost effectiveness and a well-structured measurement system will help to:

• Record what the learners thought and felt about the training
• Indicate if the training has worked – did the learners learn what was intended?
• Identify if the organisation needs to review its procedures
• Justify the need for further resources
• Evaluate changes in compliance, actions and behaviours back in the workplace (short term and long term)
• Measure how the training has benefitted the organisation

There is not as I said before a ‘one size fits all’ solution to training lone workers, but with a little bit of research and using a simple TNA ahead of launching a programme, trainers can make sure that the programme engages the learners, supplies workable solutions and instigates changes in behaviours which bring safety and commercial benefit to the business.

As for the prospective client, remember Company X who were the inspiration for this article?…we continued the conversation and persevered with the questions and although they didn’t get the training within the initial timeframe they expected, they did receive and continue to receive targeted training which delivers measurable results on the behaviours and safety of their lone workers – in all their roles.

For more information on training your lone workers, train the trainer courses or help with your training needs analysis visit  http://www.worthwhiletraining.co.uk