Business, Motoring & Transport | Posted on April 5th, 2024 | return to news
Be Kind, Be Aware: SWR's campaign to support frontline workers
South Western Railway (SWR) confronts the impact of abuse on its frontline heroes, highlighting the effects of verbal attacks and physical assaults.
A new campaign has been launched by South Western Railway highlighting the damaging effect of abuse directed at its frontline colleagues.
The campaign delves into the repercussions on mental health and wellbeing, urging customers to consider the lasting impact of their words.
Through poignant posters and ‘Be Kind’ badges, SWR aims to foster respect, especially during challenging moments.
Grant Robey, Senior Network Crime and Security manager emphasises the need for kindness and unveils initiatives to combat abuse, including the rollout of body-worn video cameras.
SWR colleagues can be subjected to a range of abuse, from physical assaults to verbal attacks, including swearing and insults.
These verbal attacks might be considered relatively ‘low-level’ compared to more extreme assaults, but the consequences for colleagues can nonetheless be significant and enduring, affecting their mental health and overall wellbeing.
In an effort to lessen the harmful verbal abuse faced by colleagues, the campaign encourages customers to contemplate the enduring impact of words spoken in moments of fleeting anger. The goal is to promote a culture of mutual respect and understanding.
This is especially true when the abuse involves personalised language regarding a colleague’s appearance or a characteristic such as their age or gender.
Hard-hitting printed and digital posters conveying this message are now on display across the SWR network, depicting four examples of thoughtless abuse staying with colleagues beyond their shift.
These posters show examples of abusive language on everyday household items: a doormat, shower gel, a kettle and a tin of soup, indicating how the abuse continues to play on the minds of colleagues, even while at home.
Frontline colleagues may be on-train guards, at the gateline, dispatchers, revenue protection officers, community rail officers and any others who interact with customers on trains or at stations.
The campaign is based on consultations with such colleagues, who shared their experiences of abuse, and encourages customers to be kind. ‘Be Kind’ badges are being given out to colleagues to help spread the message.
Visibility of the campaign will be emphasized during specific events and times of the week, notably instances where customers are more prone to consuming alcohol. This period often coincides with heightened levels of abuse.
Grant Robey, Senior Network Crime and Security manager for South Western Railway, commented: “We hope this campaign will bring the human impact of thoughtless abuse to the front of our customers’ minds and remind them to be kind to our colleagues, even when things go wrong on their journeys.
“We know that most customers wouldn’t purposefully abuse our colleagues; a lot of this behaviour arises when customers lose their temper and make heat of the moment comments.
“Our colleagues come to work to keep everyone safe and they should not expect to face this behaviour. People wouldn’t behave like this in their own workplace, so it isn’t acceptable in ours.”
To help deter abuse and assist with evidence gathering, SWR has also been conducting a phased roll out of body-worn video cameras to frontline workers since 2021. All SWR guards now have access to them, with gateline colleagues due to have access in the spring.
A recently published study by the University of Cambridge, commissioned by the Rail Delivery Group and British Transport Police (BTP), suggested that body-worn video cameras can reduce the likelihood of assault against the wearer by 47%.
Last autumn, Network Rail published new statistics showing that 9/10 of its workers in the biggest stations in its Southern Region, which includes the SWR network, have suffered abuse, including verbal abuse and physical assaults.
SWR is an industry leader in safeguarding its customers and colleagues, achieving the highest possible score of 100% for its Safeguarding on Rail accreditation by the BTP, demonstrating its commitment to looking after its people.
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