Our approach to managing engagement

While Transport Scotland will work to support positive engagement, there are some situations that may need to be responded to, or managed, because of a negative impact on the wellbeing of staff and our ability to provide a service. It is accepted that individuals may be upset and distressed when they contact our organisation, and support will be provided in these situations to support them to engage appropriately and constructively.

Transport Scotland will seek, whenever possible to restore the relationship and to ensure it can communicate as normal. However, it is recognised there may be need to take action if unreasonable demands are made on our organisation or there is unreasonable behaviour towards our staff.

When engagement must be managed in this way, responses will be proportionate to the behaviour and the impact on Transport Scotland’s work and staff. This guidance gives general advice, but will, whenever possible, clearly explain the reason for any specific decision to the person affected and keep a separate documented record. When making decisions, it is important to assess behaviours reasonably and consistently.

The decision to take a management approach does not affect the right of any member of Transport Scotland staff to end contact they find personally distressing or uncomfortable.

This is the case even if the criterion for active management is not met.

De-escalation and restorative approaches

Where possible, the organisation will seek to act in a way that recovers the relationship. Staff may seek to defuse and de-escalate by suggesting breaks: if conversations are becoming heated; intervene early before behaviour escalates; and make proactive adjustments to help individual users manage any anxiety and stress.

Actively managing expectations can help to prevent issues from arising in the first place. It can be detrimental to positive engagement to continue a conversation which has become circular or repeats statements already made by other colleagues. If this happens, staff will end the conversation and seek to re-engage again later, if appropriate.

Actively managing behaviour, delivering our service

When restorative approaches are not possible, appropriate or have failed, an active management approach will be taken. Active management seeks to maintain our ability to deliver our services while minimising the impact of the situation that is causing the disruption.