Lewisham Council has seen a rise in reported incidents of verbal abuse and threatening behaviour across its locations, according to a recent Corporate Health & Safety Board Update. The increase was highlighted during the Health and Safety Committee meeting on 1 July 2025, where members discussed the implications of the data.
The report indicated a jump from 24 incidents in the previous year to 52 in the current reporting period. This increase has driven a slight overall rise in reported incidents, even as other categories have remained stable or decreased. The committee requested a focus on the locations where these incidents are occurring.
According to Richard Benjamin, Head of Assurance, the rise in reported incidents could be attributed to the council's new health and safety software, which allows for live monitoring. He clarified that the category of 'verbal abuse' includes incidents over the telephone, while physical altercations are classified separately after a review of the incident report.
The report specifies the most common locations for verbal abuse or threatening behaviour:
- Housing (10 incidents)
- Catford Library (7 incidents)
- Laurence House (4 incidents)
- Public areas (3 incidents)
- Downham Library (2 incidents)
- Deptford Library (2 incidents)
- Contact Centre (2 incidents)
- Social Care (2 incidents)
- Hither Green Crematorium (1 incident)
- Health Centre (1 incident)
- Cemetery (1 incident)
- Unknown (1 incident)
While the report identifies hotspots like Housing and Catford Library, it doesn't specify what specific measures are being taken to address the rise in incidents at these locations. However, the committee can request additional, focused reports on areas that will allow them to fulfill their duty.
The rise in reported incidents was a key point of discussion at the Health and Safety Committee meeting on 1 July 2025. The agenda included a corporate health and safety board update presented by Richard Benjamin, Head of Assurance, and Tracey Van Der Merwe, Corporate Health and Safety Manager. The agenda and public reports pack are available online.
The committee acknowledged that the new health and safety software implemented by the council has played a role in the increase in reported incidents. The system allows for live monitoring and reporting, providing a much-improved ability to tailor and query reports. Previously, the analysis of incidents was largely a manual task, which limited the council's ability to use the data to shape policy response.
During the meeting on 10 October 2024, the committee noted that the new software was enabling staff to instantly monitor and report incidents. It was noted that staff could also tailor and query reports at a much-improved basis than was previously the case. The minutes from that meeting are publicly available.
The committee also discussed the importance of training for staff in public-facing roles to de-escalate situations where residents may express emotions about their personal concerns when accessing council services. The committee welcomed information that staff were receiving the necessary training to help them respond appropriately to local people.
The Health and Safety Committee, chaired by Councillor Pauline Dall, plays a crucial role in ensuring the council meets its responsibilities, especially to non-domestic service users. The committee can request additional, focused reports on areas that will allow them to fulfill this duty.