Reporting incidents, near misses and safeguarding concerns in Datix

This category includes all incidents involving a vehicle parked or in use during British Red Cross activity, where a person is or could be harmed or that cause damage to to British Red Cross owned/leased vehicles when parked. 

It also relates to incidents involving failure of a vehicle’s statutory lifting/hoisting equipment. Vehicle defects found during daily inspections are not reported into Datix.

Collision with moving vehicle

• Road traffic accident between two or more moving vehicles.

Collision with stationary vehicle

• Lost control of vehicle and hit another vehicle.

Collision while reversing

• Striking any object while undertaking a reversing manoeuvre.

Collision with a person or animal

• Striking any pedestrian, cyclist or animal including horses, dogs, deer, foxes etc.

Collision with Building/Property

• Striking a fixed structure e.g. building, shed, garage, wall, fence, gates or bridge.

Collision with street furniture e.g. lamppost, bollard etc.

• Striking a bollard, lamppost, traffic light, height restrictive barriers.

Collision with / Struck by Road Debris

• Striking or being struck by road debris such as branches, trees, rocks etc.

Mechanical safety issue

• Failure/breakdown of statutory inspection items e.g. lift /hoist, ramps winches etc.
• Vehicle breakdown, incorrect fuel entry.

Damage to parked vehicle

• Damage to vehicle while parked in a car park or on street e.g. scratches, damage to wing mirrors, forced entry to vehicle.

We are legally required to report injuries, harm, work related-ill health and ‘near miss’ incidents
affecting any person during British Red Cross activities or at British Red Cross premises. 

Harm caused to service users related to clinical or social care support should be reported into the Practice and Clinical Related category.

Air conditioning / heating issue

• Office too cold due to heating failure or incorrectly installed or balance heating system.

Animal related

• Bites, stings or allergic reactions to animals or insects during British Red Cross activities.
• Being bitten by a dog when visiting a service user in their homes.

Burns and scalds - contact with heat or cold

• Injury caused by contact with hot or cold.
• Steam from a kettle causing a blister or reddening of the skin.

Collided with fixed object

• Moving under your own steam you hit another object.
• When standing up hit head on shelf.

Contact with sharp object

• Injury caused by contact with something sharp.
• Cut hand cleaning up glass in the workplace.

Electrical safety issue

• Injury caused by electricity.
• Electric shock from exposed cables.

Emotional trauma caused by operational activities

Occurring operationally and affecting the ability of staff/volunteers to continue with normal activities.

• E.g. Staff or a volunteer discovers a deceased service user and is unable to continue with regular activities for a period of time.

Explosion

• Injury caused by something being blown apart.
• Gas cylinder exploding with people in the vicinity who are harmed.

Fall from height

• Injury resulting from fall which is not on the same level.
• Falling down stairs at work, falling from a step ladder or step stool.

Fire

• Fire, smoke or smell of burning in or on British Red Cross premises.

Hazardous substance exposure

• Splashed a caustic cleaning product on skin or in eyes.
• Inhaled fumes, dust, spores, pathogens.
• Eating or swallowing chemical or other harmful substance.

Infection exposure (staff/volunteers)

• Potential exposure to infection or communicable disease at work.
• Exposure to human or animal body fluids or waste.

Lighting issue

• Light not adequate to see hazards and walk safely.
• Light levels inappropriate for the work activity e.g. causing eyestrain.

Manual handling (moving objects or assisting people)

• Pain or injury due to moving objects or people.
• Felt pain in shoulder after lifting objects as part of work activity.
• Assisting someone to stand up and felt pain in back.

Noise - exposure to harmful levels

• Long periods of time spent in a loud environment.
• Ringing in ears felt after exposure to emergency vehicle sirens over a long period.

Postural issues related to inappropriate desk or workstation set up

• Not enough desk space to work comfortably.
• Display screen equipment issues: no DSE Risk assessment, inadequate DSE equipment (findings of Risk Assessment not implemented).

Slips and trips

• Slip or trip leading to or potentially leading to fall on the same level.
• Slipped on spilt water on floor.

Struck by moving object

• Moving object struck a person.
• Hit by an item falling from a shelf.

Toilet facilities inadequate

• Hand washing facilities not working.

Vibration - exposure to harmful levels

• Working with vibrating machinery for long periods.
• Suffered pain in hand following extended use of a drill in the workshop.

Water hygiene (access to safe drinking water)

• The drinking water supply at a British Red Cross building is not usable requiring temporary alternative welfare arrangements.

Water hygiene (water temperature concern)

• A water temperature test (undertaken by contractor) from a British Red Cross tap is reported outside satisfactory range.

Water ingress - flood / roof leak (safety concern)

• Water entering premises due to leaking pipes, roof damage etc.
• Flood damage.

Weather - exposure to harmful conditions

• Working outdoors for long periods in extreme weather conditions.
• Suffering headache after unloading vehicles in strong sunshine.

Incidents and near misses in which the personal safety or security of British Red Cross parties and/or assets are compromised or put at undue risk as a result of violence or other deliberate acts intended to cause harm/damage or loss. 

Incidents involving at risk service users experiencing violence or abuse should be reported into a safeguarding category.

Threatening, abusive or inappropriate behaviour

• Aggressive gestures or intimidation.
• Threats made to harm people or the organisation.
• Being shouted or sworn at.
• Use of inappropriate language or behaviour.
• An incident of road rage.

Physical assault (no weapon)

• Being slapped, kicked or punched by someone.
• Being mugged while acting in a British Red Cross role.
• Any non-consensual sexual act or attempt to obtain a sexual act against a member of staff/volunteer while at work.

Physical assault (with a weapon)

• Being hit with an object being used as a weapon e.g. club, chair, stick or a piece of equipment.
• Being attacked with a knife, machete or another sharp object.
• Being shot at with a gun.

Premises left insecure

• Failing to lock and secure the building or compound.

Theft / burglary

• Theft from British Red Cross premises (including overseas offices, accommodation and guest houses).
• Being pickpocketed while acting in a British Red Cross role.
• Items stolen from vehicles.
• Forced entry into premises with the intention to steal.

Shoplifting (retail only)

• Theft of items from British Red Cross retail premises.

Criminal damage to property

• Intentional damage carried out on British Red Cross premises e.g. graffiti, arson, breaking of windows.

Terrorism incident

• British Red Cross staff or premises directly targeted by a terrorist group.
• British Red Cross staff exposed to a terrorism incident e.g. bomb explosion, suicide bomber. 
• Terrorism threat received against a British Red Cross member of staff or premises.
• Bomb threat call received.
• Suspicious package received.

Kidnapping / abduction

• Staff taken hostage and ransom requested.
• Staff taken hostage and no ransom requested.

Carjacking

• Vehicle is illegally stopped and taken from the occupants.

Incident related to armed conflict

• Exposure to conflict activity e.g. aerial bombing, gunfire including artillery and small arms, landmines, eviction and forced movement.

Detention

• Staff being held for an indefinite amount of time e.g. by police, border guards, or armed groups.

Unexpected or unintended events occurring during the delivery of British Red Cross social care or clinical support that caused, or had the potential to cause, harm to people using our services.

Injury, harm or near miss involving moving and assisting of people

• Any incidents related to the manual handling of a person or supporting them to move that has caused, or could have caused, them harm. This could include (but is not limited to) issues with assessment, technique or unintended outcomes associated with moving and assisting. Please note incidents involving equipment (such as equipment being unavailable or failing in use) should be reported in the ‘Medical device or equipment issue’ subcategory.

Injury, harm or near miss involving care, treatment or support

• An incident involving the planning, delivery or outcome of treatment or support that caused harm, or could have caused harm, to a person we support. This may include (but is not limited to) acts of omission as well as treatment and support that does not go as planned.

Service delivery missed or delayed

• Any incident that caused harm, or could have caused harm to a person we support, relating to delayed or missed care or support. This may include (but is not limited to) missed welfare calls, transport delays due to traffic or navigation issues or service capacity issues.

Medication issue

• Any incident involving medications that caused harm, or could have caused harm, to a person we support. This may involve (but is not limited to) handling, storage, transportation, transfer, disposal, administration or missed doses of medication. The refusal of medication, administration by non-authorised methods and any issues with medication documentation and record-keeping should also be reported here.

Medical device or equipment issue

• Any incident involving equipment or medical devices that caused harm, or could have caused harm to a person we support. This could include (but is not limited to) issues where equipment is not ready for use, is missing, fails in use or is used in a manner other than that in which is authorised.

Documentation or record keeping issue

• Any incident involving issues with documentation or record-keeping that caused, or could have caused, harm to a person we support. This could include (but is not limited to) issues where documentation or record-keeping is missing, incomplete or inaccurate.

Communication, referral or handover issue

• Any incident involving issues with communication, referrals and handovers that caused, or could have caused, harm to a person we support. This could include (but is not limited to) issues with internal or external communication (such as inaccurate or inappropriate communication). It could also include issues with referrals and handovers that include incorrect information or inappropriate direction. It could also include missing or inadequate communication, referrals or handovers.

Restraint, and/or consent issue

• Restraint: All incidents where a form of restrictive intervention (restraint) has been used must be reported as directed by the British Red Cross 'Capacity, Consent, Restrictive Interventions and Deprivation of Liberty’ policy and procedure. Restrictive interventions may include (but are not limited to) the use of mechanical, environmental, physical, or pharmaceutical means to control a person and prevent them from doing what they wish to do, or make a person do something they don’t want to do.
• Consent: An incident when a service user is unable to give valid consent for reasons of incapacity, or where they are unwilling to give consent and are refusing care, treatment, or support.

Person we support experienced a fall

• Any incident where a person we support falls while we are present or is found on the floor upon our arrival.  Please note that this subcategory excludes falls that occur while moving and assisting support is being provided. For falls that occur during moving and assisting please report under the 'Injury, harm or near miss involving moving and assisting of people' subcategory.

Unexpected health deterioration or death of a person we support

• Any incident where a person we support’s health deteriorates unexpectedly during service delivery, for example a person we support suffers a sudden allergic reaction during service delivery.
• Any incident where a person we support dies unexpectedly during service delivery or within 28 days of our involvement. This could include:
  • A death that was not anticipated, expected, and predicted by the responsible healthcare professional.
  • Where a person we support is found deceased at home when a support worker visits.
  • Where there are unusual or suspicious circumstances surrounding the death.
• Please note it is not necessary to report a death or health deterioration that occurs in line with a treatment plan (such as during end-of-life care).
• Refer to the British Red Cross ‘Responding to the Death of a Person Supported by the British Red Cross Procedure’.

Incidents involving the accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorised disclosure of or access to personal data.

Cyber security related incidents (phishing, malware, system/server compromise etc)

• User account or British Red Cross network compromised by phishing email.
• User clicks on link in a phishing text message.
• Ransomware attack.
• System compromised/downtime by hackers (when non-website related).

Email / call / post sent to incorrect address / recipient

• Document containing staff salary review sent to wrong staff member.
• Job offer letter and contract with person’s details sent to wrong person.
• Referral form sent to wrong department.
• Phone call made to incorrect person and voicemail left containing personal details.

Email containing personal / sensitive /confidential data sent unencrypted

• Not using secure email encryption to send a document containing volunteer details.

Inappropriate disposal of sensitive / personal / confidential data

• Document disposed in general waste rather than confidential bin.
• Documents left in filing cabinets and past their retention period.

Inappropriate or unauthorised access to information

• Able to view somebody else's information on SAVI who does not report to you.
• Received and viewed a spreadsheet containing other people’s data.
• Access control to information not set to the correct people.
• User access given to our network without completing mandatory training.

Inappropriate use of IT equipment (including internet and email)

• Sharing business related documents from work email to personal email or to persons/organisations not authorised to receive it.
• Private personal email addresses not blind copied (bcc) in email.
• User did not lock their laptop screen when leaving unattended inadvertently making it accessible to others.
• Unreasonable usage of websites, social media and networking sites.
• Uses of the internet prohibited in the Email, Intranet and Internet Policy.

Loss of British Red Cross files (paperwork or system related) or devices (stolen phones or laptops)

• Referral form misplaced.
• Casework files lost in office move.
• File accidentally deleted within electronic records management system.

Processing an individual’s personal / special category data without their consent

• Sending postal letters to a donor who has opted out of direct marketing.
• Storing service user’s personal data on an electronic records management system without prior consent.

Any concerns, suspicions or disclosures of abuse or harm to adult service users or “Adults at Risk’” who are unable to protect themselves.
(18+). 

Harm in a safeguarding context is related to self-harm, suicide and welfare issues outlined in the categories. 

Harm caused to service users related to clinical or social care support should be reported into the Practice and Clinical Related category. 

Aggression or abusive behaviour from service users/customers accessing our services should be reported into the Security and Personal Safety category.

Abuse

Discriminatory abuse

• Where the abuse focuses on a difference or perceived difference. It may involve race, gender, disability, or any of the protected characteristics of the Equality Act. It may involve harassment, slurs, or verbal abuse.  Discrimination may also include people being denied access to services or not having their specific needs met.

Domestic abuse

• An incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive, threatening, degrading or violent behaviour, including sexual violence between people over the age of 16 who are or have been in an intimate or familial relationship.
• Forced marriage.
• So-called 'Honour based violence' (HBV) and 'Honour based abuse'.

Emotional and/or psychological abuse

• A form of abuse, characterised by a person subjecting or exposing another person to behaviour that may result in psychological trauma, this could include controlling their freedoms, verbal abuse and degrading language and 'gaslighting' (making someone question their sanity).

Financial and/or material abuse

• The misuse or misappropriation of property, possessions or benefits. It includes theft. fraud. internet scamming, coercion in relation to an adult's financial affairs or arrangements, including in connection with wills, property, inheritance or financial transactions.

Modern slavery

• The illegal exploitation of people for personal or commercial gain. It covers a wide range of abuse and exploitation including sexual exploitation, domestic servitude, forced labour, criminal exploitation and organ harvesting. Human trafficking is a form of modern slavery.

Neglect and/or act of omission

• The failure of any person, who has responsibility for the care of an adult at risk to provide adequate and holistic care, it could include ignoring physical, emotional or medical needs or failing to provide safe and/or timely support. Can be intentional or unintentional.

Organisational abuse

• The mistreatment of people brought about by poor or inadequate care or support, or systematic poor practice that affects the whole care setting. It occurs when the individual’s wishes and needs are sacrificed for the smooth running of a group, service or organisation. Organisational abuse may also be considered when individuals from an organisation collude or are complicit in abuse or fail to address shortcomings, they are made aware of.

Physical abuse

• As the most visible form of abuse. It includes such behaviour as slapping, burning, beating, kicking, biting, stabbing, and can lead to permanent injuries and sometimes death.
• Instances whereby someone has been a victim of or is at risk of Female Genital Mutilation.

Sexual abuse

• May include exploitation and/or harassment.  Any contact or non-contact sexual activity that happens without consent or understanding, or with forced consent.  It includes rape, date rape, attempted rape, groping or forced kissing, harassment and indecent exposure. Sexual abuse may also be digital - i.e., the sharing of intimate images without consent.
• Sexual exploitation: any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting financially, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. It includes transactional sex, solicitation of transactional sex and exploitative relationships.

Welfare concerns

Unmet health and/or social care needs leading to abuse or welfare concern

• The person’s health needs (physical or mental) have not been met and it’s putting the person at risk of harm or abuse.

Poor living conditions leading to abuse or welfare concern

• The person’s housing is unsuitable for their needs, or their living conditions are putting them at risk of abuse or harm.

Self-neglect

• A person is neglecting themselves or their home and it's likely to have a serious impact on their health or the health and safety of others.

Self-harm

• A person is intentionally harming themselves e.g. through burning or cutting.

Suicide attempt or intent

• A person has attempted to kill themselves or is talking about killing themselves.

Risk of radicalisation

• When there is concern that a person we support may be accessing extremist material or expresses a wish to harm others based on extremist ideology. The person may be being influenced or coerced.

Other welfare concern

• To be used only where concern doesn’t fit into any of the other categories.

Any concerns, suspicions or
disclosures of abuse or harm to
children (under 18s).

Emotional

• Emotional abuse is the persistent emotional maltreatment of a child such that will cause severe and adverse effects on the child’s emotional development.  It may involve conveying to a child that they are worthless or unloved or being extremely overprotective of a child and preventing them from participating in normal social interaction.

Neglect

• Neglect is the persistent failure to meet a child’s physical and/or psychological needs which is likely to lead to a serious impairment in the child’s health or development.  This could involve failing to provide adequate food, clothing and shelter, failing to protect a child from physical and emotional harm or danger, failing to provide adequate supervision and failing to ensure appropriate access to medical care and treatment.  Neglect may also include failure to develop physically, emotionally or mentally for reasons other than disability.

Physical

• This is the actual or likely physical injury to a child, or a failure to prevent physical injury or suffering to a child.  This could involve hitting or shaking, burning or scalding, drowning, poisoning or suffocating or anything that causes physical injury to a child.  Physical abuse may also take place if a parent or carer deliberately makes a child ill or fabricates the symptoms of illness.

Sexual

• Sexual abuse is forcing or enticing a child to take part in sexual activities.  It is immaterial whether the child is aware of what is happening. This includes physical contact, for example, rape, and oral sex, and non-contact activities such as indecent exposure and involving children in the making or watching of pornography.
• Forced marriage of a child.

Welfare concern

Although welfare concerns for children aren’t a statutory safeguarding category there may be occasions when you’re significantly concerned about the wellbeing of a child. These could include:

• A child or young person who is missing or has absconded.
• A child or young person who expresses suicidal ideation or makes an attempt to take their life.
• A child or young person who is self-harming (not as a result of abuse as listed above).
• A child or young person whose living situation is putting them at significant risk of exploitation or harm.

Fraud is a deliberate dishonest or unethical act carried out for gain or advantage.

Incidents relating to shoplifting or burglary should be reported into the Security and Personal Safety category.

Cyber fraud (crime committed via a computer)

• A crime committed via a computer with the intent to corrupt or steal personal, professional, and/or financial information stored online.  E.g. phishing to gain personal information (i.e. fictitious password renewal requests), emails containing fake documentation or information, spyware (software that is secretly installed on a computer), hacking into hardware or software, malicious software (viruses, ransomware), fake websites or links.

Payroll or working hours fraud

• Schemes usually involve falsification of worked hours or inaccurate payroll records e.g. duplicate employees, an employee on the payroll that doesn’t exist, employees on the payroll before their start date or after their end date, falsified or overstated hours, not working the hours paid, not recording leave accurately, inaccurate alterations to the payroll master file, diversion of pay to incorrect bank, falsified pay increases.

Expense fraud

• Relates to when somebody manipulates the British Red Cross’s expense reimbursement process in order to obtain a fraudulent payment.  E.g. fictitious expenses, travel costs coinciding with employee time off, overstated expenses, same receipts used in different expense reports, altered expense receipts, claiming for personal expenses or mileage, falsified supporting documentation or justification.

Procurement fraud

• The manipulation of a procurement process to influence any stage of the procure-to-pay lifecycle.  E.g. bid rigging, price fixing, undeclared conflict of interest, false receipting, false invoicing, bribe (receipt of gifts or entertainment from third parties influencing decision making), market sharing, overcharging, duplicate invoices, false performance reporting.

Cash fraud (including cash based assistance or cash equivalent)

• The concealed theft of cash or cash equivalents e.g. not recording a sale or donation accurately (unrecorded or under-recorded), unjustified use of petty cash, falsifying petty cash or till records, not depositing full cash and cheques, altering cheques, destroying cash and receipt records, issuing cash or vouchers to ineligible individuals, issuing invalid refunds.

Misappropriation of British Red Cross assets (misuse/stealing including Gift Aid)

• When an employee or third-party steals or misuses the organisation's resources.  E.g. concealed theft, personal use of the organisation’s assets (printers, telephone, organisation's vehicles), not returning assets after use or at the end of employment, falsifying stock and inventory records, applying Gift Aid to non-Gift Aid donations, inaccurate writing off of assets, selling the organisation's goods and withholding part or all of the money.

Bribery or corruption

• Corruption – any unlawful, unethical, or improper action or breach of trust undertaken for the purpose of personal, commercial, or financial gain.  E.g. deliberate over/under statement of financial statement balances i.e. debt write off, financial report manipulation, false invoices.
• Bribery – offering, giving, soliciting, or receiving of any item of value as a means of influencing actions.

Financial theft

• Theft of British Red Cross funds from any source including shop tills, collection boxes, donations etc.
• Receipt of counterfeit bank notes.

Fundraising donation or gift red flagged

• Any gift or donation of £25,000 or more where the donor is not identifiable e.g. unsolicited and unverified charitable gifts which could be money laundering or unethical intention.

A single subcategory of the same name covering all incidents where we identify one of our suppliers, or their supply chain, as having modern slavery practices.

The phrase 'modern slavery' is an umbrella term for the grievous exploitation of people by others for any type of gain, whether personal or commercial including through:

• Deceptive recruitment:  Signs that workers have been deceived about the nature of their job during the recruitment process e.g. false promises about the nature of work (terms and conditions of employment, accommodation, transport) and changes made in the contract between recruitment and starting the job with terms less favourable to the worker.
• Recruitment linked to debt:  A worker gets into debt paying fees to secure a job and then forced to sign contracts they do not understand. They are then paid very low sums by the employer who states most of their wages are needed to pay off debts/food and accommodation provided by the employer.
• Poor working conditions:  Poor working conditions in physically dangerous environments i.e. inadequate training, inappropriate personal protective equipment, working excessively long hours.
• Lack of employment contracts:  Working without employment contracts or working with employment contracts in a language the worker does not understand.
• No freedom of association:  Workers are not allowed to join unions and take part in collective bargaining.
• Lack of freedom of movement/communication of employees:  Workers are physically confined to their workplace or accommodation unnecessarily and are under constant surveillance.  E.g., confiscation of identity papers or travel documents, mobile phones or any other means of communication by the employer.
• Forced overtime:  Workers are forced routinely to carry out overtime in excess of that permitted by the national law.
• Workforce prevalent with women and children:  A workforce prevalent with women and/or children is a sign of modern slavery and needs to be investigated further.

Incidents where first aid has been provided for a pre-existing or sudden onset health condition in a staff member/volunteer or provided for a member of the public upon request (not in relation to British Red Cross activity).

Incidents in this vategory are initially only notified to the Health and Safety team to protect confidentiality. 

First aid required for incidents that are linked to British Red Cross activity should be reported into the Health and Safety category.

Health condition needing first aid treatment or medical Intervention.

• If a person has a health issue needing first aid while at work e.g. a heart attack, seizure, faint etc.

First aid provided on request by a member of the public (unrelated to British Red Cross service activity)

• While performing duties as a British Red Cross staff member or volunteer you are approached by a member of the public seeking first aid.