Tips for shift leaders - anti-vaccination protesters
The COVID-19 vaccination programme has led to some strong feelings being expressed by people opposed to the vaccination. People may come to your clinic to protest and/or try to convince people to refuse the vaccine. Your organisation will have formal processes related to threats and abusive behaviour, this tip sheet is designed to sit alongside those to help you identify key in the moment responses. It is worth having a conversation with your team, at the beginning of each shift, to ensure they feel confident of what to do if/when this happens.
Briefing for staff: •
Safety first. Assess the situation and always put your safety first. You are unlikely to
convince the person or change their view in this moment, so your priority is the safety of you and the people around you. If you feel unsafe, secure the building and/or call for assistance from others/security/police. Alert your shift leader to the situation. •
Keep calm. This is easier said than done. Slow your breathing, speak slowly and keep
your voice volume in its normal range if you can. The goal is to calm the situation and to have the person leave the premises. •
Set limits. If the person is being verbally aggressive or argumentative, don’t engage with what they are staying – it will potentially inflame the situation. If they are on private property, ask them politely to leave. If need be, use security for back up. If they are intimidating or abusing people in a public space (e.g. the street outside) or if you don’t have security to back you up, call the police for assistance.
After the event: Staff and people attending the clinic may be shaken by the incident. Check-in with those present to make sure they are OK. Note and report the incident to your COVID-19 leadership team, to enable tracking of any anti-vaccination protest activity across different sites and over time. Action may be needed to prevent future incidents, so it is useful for the team to have awareness of any incidents that occur.