Hate Crime

Help & Support for Victims

Many hate crimes go unreported for a number of reasons.

• For many people, exposure to abuse is a life-long experience and not perceived as crime.
• Some people may know the perpetrators and be frightened of the consequences of reporting. They may even be suffering at the hands of people claiming to be their friends.
• Some people may have a fear or mistrust of the police.  Others may have previously reporting a hate crime but feel it wasn’t taken seriously.

If you are in a position to talk to people who may be at risk of hate crime then ask the question. Many people will want to be asked but are never given the opportunity to disclose. 

If someone discloses a hate crime to you there are steps you can take to support that person to make a formal report even if they don’t want to be identified.

If you witness a hate crime you can contact the police and report it. This can also be done anonymously

How to Report a Hate Crime

If it’s not an emergency (if there is no immediate risk to the wellbeing of the individual) you can call 101 and make a verbal report to the police. 

You can also report a Hate Crime online by going to https://www.scotland.police.uk/secureforms/hate-crime/ 

The form can be used by anyone who

• is the victim of hate crime
• has witnessed a hate crime, or
• is reporting the crime on behalf of someone else.

Hate Crimes can be reported anonymously. If you are working with a patient or client who does not want to give name but wants you to support them to report it you can assure them of their anonymity.

This may mean Police are restricted in the action they can take, but just reporting a perceived offense will allow Police to target resources to a particular area so you may see things like an increased police presence.

999 should be called in any emergency.

Staff Datix Reporting

All Hate Incidents should be recorded on DATIX.

A Hate Incident field should be selected and completed under the category ‘violence and aggression’. Incidents are regularly reviewed by NHSGGC’s Violence and Aggression Team and any developing trends or ‘hotspots’ can be identified and appropriate interventions made. Local managers with reviewing and approval responsibilities will interrogate the Datix reports and ensure appropriate outcomes are achieved.

We Stand Against Hate – A3 posters and A5 leaflets encouraging hate crime reporting. Contain QR code link to the Hate Crime web page. For copies contact equality@ggc.scot.nhs.uk

Responding to Hate Incidents – An Employee Guide   A guide for NHSGGC employees on the organisational position in relation to hate crime, what to do if you are a victim of or witness to a hate incident or if a hate incident is disclosed to you in the course of your work.

Hate Crime Reporting – E learning module The module covers topics such as types of hate crime, why hate crimes go unreported, why hate crime laws are needed and support for victims. Go to the Learn Pro home page and search for GGC 056 Hate Crime.

Hate Crime Awareness Session on MS Teams This short session gives participants an understanding of what hate crime is and how to report if witnessed in the workplace. It is an important safeguarding learning opportunity for all members of staff working in frontline roles. To view dates and to register, please visit our Staff Training page.

Active Bystander Training on MS Teams Promoted as part of our Stand Against Racism campaign, this training session provides skills to challenge unacceptable behaviours, including those which may have become normalised over time. Our anti-racism campaign is based on the words of our own staff from their experiences at work. To find out more or register for training, visit our web page.

Lord Advocate’s Guidelines: Offences aggravated or motivated by prejudice – LAG: Offences aggravated or motivated by prejudice | COPFS

Personal Safety As well as complying with our health and safety policies and processes, there are a number of things that staff can do themselves to keep safe. Tips include:

• Raising the alarm – if you are in imminent or immediate danger or a crime is in progress, call Police Scotland on 999. If a crime has already happened, report this to Police Scotland by calling 101. You can also report crime online on the Police Scotland Website. Most smartphones also have an inbuilt Emergency SOS feature – consider setting this up on your personal mobile.
• Be alert and aware of the people around you – avoid ‘autopilot’ and pay attention to your surroundings.  If wearing headphones, make sure you are still able to hear outside noise. Keep your head up and out of your phone when you’re walking. Walk with purpose and confidence. If you receive verbal racial abuse outside of work, do not engage with the aggressor – continue progressing to your intended destination or to another place of safety. Take a description of the aggressor and note your location, date and time – this information is important when reporting to Police Scotland. If you receive physical abuse, attempt to maintain your own safety – you may have to use reasonable force to aid your escape.
• If you receive verbal or physical abuse in the workplace: verbal and physical aggression from patients and visitors should be managed using The Standards of Behaviour Protocol – as well as reported to Police Scotland and reported on DATIX. Violence Reduction Training is available across GGC to support staff at risk of violence and aggression.

Further reading and guidance:

• Keeping safe | Crimestoppers (crimestoppers-uk.org)
• Violence Reduction Service (Health & Safety)
• Violence Reduction Service – Toolbox Talks
• Lone Workers Personal Safety – Toolbox Talks.docx
• Violence Reduction Service – Education and Training
• Violence Reduction Service – Post-Incident Checklist
• Online Reporting Form | Police Scotland

Risk Assessment Where a member of staff or groups of staff report risk and request support – for example, if there is a heightened risk of racist or Islamophobia incidents – it will often be appropriate for their manager to conduct a risk assessment. These risk assessments can be useful to identify actions to that will improve the safety of staff, patients and service users and provide them with additional reassurance that we are prioritising their safety.

Some key tips

• The Health and Safety Executive advise on 5 Steps to Risk Assessment. The link Managing risks and risk assessment at work – Overview -HSE will support and guide staff on how to manage a risk, which will include verbal and physical racist attacks.
• The Generic Risk Assessment Template should be used to record the hazard, risks, controls and risk ratings relating to racist abuse.
• Reviewing the risk assessment is also crucial to ensure the controls remain appropriate to reducing the risk as low as reasonably practicable.
• There is risk assessment training available in the Training and Education link.
• Safety Health and Wellbeing Practitioners can support managers with this. You can find their contact details in this document: local Health and Safety Practitioner

Please note, it is important not to confuse a hazard and a risk as these are completely different. For example:

• A Hazard is – verbal racist comments from an abuser.
• Risk is – the abused is subject to mental health issues and fear of physical attack.