With continued reports of abuse towards frontline staff, Veolia is now rolling out StreetKind to support teams working on the ground in the borough every day.
Following the success of SiteKind, which was introduced at Bickenhill Household Waste and Recycling Centre last year, Veolia has now launched StreetKind to both thank residents who recognise the hard work of its teams across Solihull and take stronger action against those who abuse or endanger its staff.
While the majority of people are respectful of frontline staff, a rise in the most serious cases of physical and verbal abuse nationally has led to a new commitment from the company to remind residents that it has a zero-tolerance policy against abuse and that it will pursue prosecutions where necessary. Frustration at being behind a collection vehicle or road sweeper are not reasons to abuse key workers, and the company is reaffirming its support to staff who are victims of abuse.
The StreetKind campaign equips staff with the skills to defuse situations, handle instances effectively and know how and when to involve the police through a comprehensive training programme. The campaign raises public awareness of this abuse and reminds our crews that they deserve respect, that we care about their physical and mental wellbeing and that they have the full support of not only Veolia but the council and local police forces.
Councillor Ken Hawkins, Solihull Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment and Infrastructure, said: “I’m pleased to say that the vast majority of our residents are polite and courteous to our staff, but unfortunately some people are abusive. Nobody should face abuse or feel threatened at work. The council fully supports Veolia’s training programme and both their SiteKind and StreetKind campaigns to end abuse.”
Shaun Donohue, General Manager for North & Midlands at Veolia said: “Our staff provide a high standard of vital work in the community ensuring that recycling and waste is collected in a safe and timely manner, and the streets within the borough are kept in good condition. No one should experience abuse at work, and we are committed to tackling this issue and supporting our staff through our StreetKind campaign.”
Richard Hulland, Chief Risk and Assurance Officer, Veolia UK & Ireland said: “Our staff carry out essential duties across the UK and they are proud and passionate about what they do and an important service for the local community, but hearing their stories of abuse has been incredibly distressing. Abuse is not part of their job description, so we kindly ask the public to be StreetKind.
“As well as appealing to the public to show their appreciation for our teams, we are also focusing on training and support for our employees to respond to incidents. We also recognise the impact to our teams from constant verbal abuse therefore, we will take the most serious action for the most serious attacks, including prosecutions, in order to build a safer workplace environment for our colleagues.”
Veolia hopes to decrease the instances of abuse and has pledged to staff that all reports will be investigated and action taken when necessary. The campaign, which has the full support of Veolia’s Management Board and the relevant local councils, has already been successful in ten local authority areas including some of the worst affected areas in Hampshire and South London.