No excuse for abusive behaviour towards East Suffolk Services staff

Following a recent spate of incidents, East Suffolk Council and East Suffolk Services Ltd are campaigning on behalf of their staff to eradicate aggression and threatening behaviour from members of the public.

A number of frontline staff from East Suffolk Services have recently become victims of extreme and threatening behaviour from members of the public.

In addition to a rise in reports of verbal abuse experienced by frontline staff, there have been several incidents recently where residents have threatened waste and refuse operatives with physical violence, following disputes over their bins. Another member of frontline staff was sexually harassed by a member of the public while working in the community. There has also been an arson attempt on one of East Suffolk Services’ depots.

By raising awareness of these types of incidents – all of which were reported to the Police and successfully investigated – and by highlighting the fact that they operate a zero-tolerance policy towards such behaviour, East Suffolk Council and East Suffolk Services are hoping to galvanise support from people across the district to further protect their frontline staff.

Cassandra Clements, managing director at East Suffolk Services, said: “At East Suffolk Services, we are committed to providing a range of professional, high-quality services to the residents and businesses of East Suffolk.

“We take huge pride in our role in the community. We also take the health and safety of our staff very seriously and expect our staff to receive the respect they deserve.

“The majority of people our staff come into contact with are grateful for the services we provide. However, recently, we have seen an increase in aggression and abuse towards our staff under a range of circumstances. This is completely unacceptable, and the message is very clear; it will not be tolerated.

“We believe that everyone should be entitled to work in an environment where they feel safe and free from aggression or abuse. After all, 86% of our staff are East Suffolk residents themselves; they are one of you. Please give them the respect they deserve.”

Cllr Paul Ashton, East Suffolk’s Deputy Leader and cabinet member for Corporate Services, said: “Staff are working hard on behalf of their communities and are committed to delivering the best possible service for local people. They should be able to do this without fear of abuse or aggression, and we will seek the strongest possible action against any perpetrators.”

To report concerns about any matters relating to refuse and cleansing services in your area, please contact East Suffolk Council’s Customer Services team on 0333 016 2000 or customerservices@eastsuffolk.gov.uk.

Media contact: Becky Nottingham, Senior Communications Business Partner, East Suffolk Services, becky.nottingham@eastsuffolkservices.co.uk
Phil Harris, Head of Comms, East Suffolk Council, phil.harris@eastsuffolk.gov.uk

East Suffolk Council staff threatened and abused by public – BBC News

Frontline staff in East Suffolk abused by members of the public