Administrative Procedures

Administrative Procedure 170

Violence

Background

The Lloydminster Public School Division believes that all employees, students, and volunteers have a right to work and learn in a safe environment free from violence, and a right to be treated with dignity, respect, and fairness. 

The history of the Lloydminster Public School Division bears testimony regarding the safety of our schools and other facilities. This administrative procedure has been developed in compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety statutes and regulations of the Province of Saskatchewan.  It is the Lloydminster Public School Division’s intent to continue to minimize or eliminate risks of violence.  The Lloydminster Public School Division has developed this procedure, in consultation with its employees, to maintain a safe environment for its employees, students, and volunteers. 

Incidents of violence involving only students will be investigated and dealt with by the Principal according to the discipline procedures of the school.

Guidelines - Risks of Violence

The Lloydminster Public School Division, in consultation with its employees, has identified the following: 

1. Locations in which violence may occur in rare circumstances include: 
   1. Schools; 
   2. Lloydminster Public School Division office; 
   3. Buses; 
   4. School grounds and property; 
   5. Approved curricular sites or extracurricular sites; and,  
   6. Division approved travel; 
   7. Any other sites where Lloydminster Public School Division approved activities are
        occurring.
2. Identification of Jobs at Risk 
   1. Employees who work in the following circumstances could be at some risk of being
      exposed to violent incidents: 
      1. Employees in workplace contact with students who have a history of violence. 
      2. Employees in workplace contact with students who suffer from medical conditions that could increase the probability of those students being the perpetrators of violent acts.
      3. Employees in schools, which provide services to students whose parents/caregivers have histories of violence or who have previously threatened school staff.
3. Potential Risks to the Safety of Employees
   1. The following risks were identified: 
      1. The greatest risk of violence threatened or actual conduct, clearly involves students with intensive needs with emotional and behavioural conditions.
      2. The employees at greatest risk are teachers and educational assistants who work most frequently and directly with students who have intensive needs. 
      3. A smaller risk of violence involves parents/caregivers of students. 
4. Minimizing or Eliminating the Risk of Violence
   1. The Lloydminster Public School Division promotes the following strategies and programs: 
      1. Violence Threat Risk Assessment (VTRA) Protocol;
      2. Social skills training in classrooms;
      3. Professional development, ie: Nonviolent Crisis Intervention (NVCI) conflict resolution;
      4. Parental/Caregiver involvement in schools; 
      5. Individualized special education programs and team meetings to plan for students with intensive needs that include students, parents/caregivers, and outside agencies; 
      6. Personal counselling for students and staff;
      7. Individual behaviour plans; and,
      8. Print resources related to violence prevention.

Procedures

1. Informing employees about the risk of violence 
   1. Every employee will have access to this Administrative Procedure.
   2. The Director of Education will share specific information about high
      risk situations with potentially affected employees. 
   3. It is expected that specific information will remain confidential.
2. Reporting of violent incidents
   1. All employees have a responsibility to assist the Lloydminster Public School
      Division in providing a safe working and learning environment.  To achieve this
      objective, all employees shall promptly communicate issues relating to the risk of
      violence and related problems to their workplace supervisor.
   2. If an employee believes that a student, fellow employee, or visitor to the school or
      other workplace represents a danger to the safety of the students, employees, or
      volunteers, the employee shall immediately notify their workplace supervisor.
   3. Employees must immediately report all incidents of violence to their workplace 
      supervisor.
   4. Every employee who has been involved in a violent incident shall complete and
      submit a Violent Incident Report (Form 170-1) to their workplace supervisor who
      shall submit the report to the Director of Education or designate. 
   5. Violent Incident Report forms will become part of a Violent Incident Report File at
      the Lloydminster Public School Division office. 
   6. Nothing in this Administrative Procedure shall be construed as preventing a
      person from reporting an incident to the police. 
3. Investigation of violent incidents
   1. All reported incidents of violence involving employees will be investigated
      following the procedure for investigating harassment in Administrative Procedure
      402.
4. Action on conclusion of investigation of a violent incident involving an employee
   1. Following an investigation when the perpetrator of a violent incident is an employee,
      the Director of Education will apply appropriate disciplinary and
      corrective actions in keeping with due process.  Such actions may include a verbal
      warning, written reprimand, transfer, suspension, and/or dismissal.
   2. Following an investigation when the perpetrator of a violent incident is a student, the
      Director of Education will administer disciplinary action in accordance
      with The Education Act.
   3. When the perpetrator of a violent incident is a parent of a student or a member of the
      public, the Director of Education will take actions necessary to
      minimize the risk of another incident, which may include restricting the access of
      that person to school property, or reporting the incident to the police.
   4. Affected employees will be informed of the results of the investigation.
5.  Documentation
   1. The workplace supervisor, upon completion of the investigation, shall provide a written report to the Director of Education or designate along with a recommendation on the action to be taken, if any, as a result of the incident.
      1. If the act of violence is found to have been committed by an employee, a letter will be placed in the perpetrator’s file with details of the discipline imposed.
      2. If the act of violence has been committed by a student, appropriate disciplinary action will be taken in accordance with established Lloydminster Public School Division practice(s) for student discipline and the Education Act.  The investigator shall retain written records of the incident. 
      3. Upon completion of a Violence Threat Risk Assessment, a notification will be placed and remain in the student’s cumulative folder
      4. If a parent/caregiver of a student or member of the public has committed an act of violence, the Lloydminster Public School Division will take actions necessary to minimize the risk of another incident.  This may include restricting the access of that parent/caregiver to school property.
      5. The Lloydminster Public School Division may report the incident to the police.
6. Recommendations to employees who have been victims of violence 
7. 1. 1. Any employee who has been a victim of violence will be given the opportunity,
         without loss of pay, to be examined by their physician.
      2. An employee who visits a physician or other health care specialist for treatment or
         counselling will not lose any pay or other benefits.  This does not duplicate
         compensation for medical expenses, time loss, or disability to which any employee
         may be entitled to pursuant to the Workers' Compensation Act.

Definition

Workplace Violence           

“The attempted, threatened, or actual conduct of a person that causes or is likely to cause injury, and includes any threatening statement or behaviour that gives a worker reasonable cause to believe that the worker is at risk of injury.”

Reference

Section 85, 87, 152, 175 Education Act, 1995
Section 14 Occupational Health and Safety Act

Section 3-26 Occupational Health and Safety Regulations
Section 37 Occupational Health and Safety Regulations
Workers’ Compensation Act

Saskatchewan Employment Act

Created
April 14, 2009

Revised
June 2009
November 2013
December 2017
August 2023

April 2024