Embedded Files
21/01/2025
POLICY: Privacy Move Policy (Domestic and Family Violence Moves)
DEFINITIONS
Privacy Move: A Privacy Move (PM) is an umbrella term for moves that require a greater level of sensitivity and care than an ordinary move.
These can include:
A move booked by a support service on behalf of their client that requires a greater level of empathy and sensitivity.
A person(s) wishing to keep information about the destination(s), and contents of their move private.
A person(s) or victim/survivor of Domestic and Family Violence (DFV), engages our services for a move.
Privacy Move Group Member: Staff member who has completed further training in this policy and our Privacy Move procedures and protocols.
Used for rostering to ensure at least 1-2 movers (where required) are present during a Privacy Move.
Other Party: Refers to a person or a group of people who aren’t identified by the customer as their chosen support network. “Other party” might refer to a perpetrator, a violent party or members of the public who are not connected to the customer or the move.
AIM:
The primary aim of this policy is to provide support and direction to our current and prospective customers as well as provide safety measures for our staff.
SCOPE:
The Privacy Move policy covers the responsibility of all staff involved in all aspects of a PM from the enquiry and booking stage, up until the completion of the move, as well as the oversight and response required by members of the management team before, during, and after the move.
PROCEDURE
The Booking:
Once a member of the booking team becomes aware of the need to categorise a move as a Privacy Move, the staff member must ask to the customer the following questions: (refer to phones script)
Do they want this move to be password protected?
Have they engaged a support service, would they like any referral information?
Who will be paying for the job, are there any funding limitations?
Who will be present? eg Support worker(s), other party(ies), victim(s)/client, children, family, police, etc.?
What is the risk of violence during the move?
Are the police and/or other party (parties) aware of this move?
The booking team member must make the client aware that if an item is disputed, our staff will not take sides and will leave the item where it is. Also, in the event the situation is deemed unsafe at any stage of the move, our workers will leave.
The bookings team member will then assess the level of risk and the type of move in ascending order - Level 1, 2 or 3.
- Level 1: Support service style move (Launch Housing/Orange Door, for example.) The customer or support worker may request sensitive movers. This is not explicitly a DFV situation but will require empathy and/or patience. This move requires 1 PM Group member (where available) present. (requires completion of quiz)
- Level 2: DFV situation that will not involve the presence of the other party. Requires 1-2 PM Group members (where available) present. (requires completion of quiz)
- Level 3: DFV situation that might or will have the other party present. Requires 2 PM Group members (where available) present. (requires completion of quiz)
If a Level 3 Privacy Move is identified as having a potential risk of violence, the move cannot proceed.
However, if the customer, or the support service booking in the move, informs us that they have engaged Police to be present on the day, the move can be booked in. It must be made clear to the customer that if Police will be present due to the risk of violence, but they are not present when we arrive to begin the move, or if they leave before the portion of the move that involves the violent other party has been completed, then our movers will wait in the truck (or a safe place) until Police return or arrive to the job.
If Police will no longer be attending the move and the violent other party is likely to be present, then we can no longer perform this move.
If Police will no longer be attending the move as a result of the violent other party no longer attending the move, then the move can proceed as there is no immediate risk of violence.
Keeping MWAV staff safe is still the highest priority during a PM. It will be left up to the movers on the day to determine the overall safety f themselves and our customer before beginning or continuing the move.
Once a booking is confirmed, the bookings team member must then add all relevant details to the Private Notes:
Level of move (level 1, 2 or 3)
Preferred method of contact for customer
Parties likely to be present
Password (if required)
Name of other party (if known)
Method of payment
Add the above information into the ‘Private notes', then create a ‘HOLD SPOT’ in the assigned vehicle highlighting the level of the move and notify the Morning/relevant manager responsible for that day via the #privacy_moves slack channel.
Once the Morning/relevant manager is made aware of a PM booking, they must review and sign off on the job and its details, then assign appropriately credentialed movers to that job.
Discuss the job with the movers assigned to that move.
The movers will be informed the day prior to their shift (where possible) if they have been rostered on for a Privacy move.
THE MOVE
Pre-Move:
Prior to the move commencing, movers are required to read the Privacy Move policy and answer a short quiz on maintaining a safe working environment.
The movers should contact the client, or nominated party, en route to the job to advise of ETA and check if they are ready to receive our service. Only contact the customer, or nominated parties, through their preferred method of contact. This could be email, phone call or text. Use the MWAV phone to make calls or texts, movers should avoid using personal phones for a Privacy Move (where possible). If email is the preferred method of contact, the phones staff or relevant manager will send the email.
During the move:
Upon arrival, the moving team will:
Identify each person present and their role in the move.
Only discuss job details with the customer and/or their nominated representative (e.g. support worker) identified in the notes
Only disclose drop off address with the customer and/or their nominated representative (e.g. support worker) identified in the notes
Be aware of any children or dependants present and be sure to avoid discussing sensitive information within earshot of them.
If a person poses a risk during the move, or a situation becomes unsafe, follow the Report Unsafe Work Environment Policy
When leaving each address, be aware that you may be followed. If you think this might be happening, pull over and call the office. The Morning/relevant manager will monitor the situation and reach out to the customer, or designated contact person, to alert them to the situation.
Disputed item: If an item is disputed, our staff do not take sides. MWAV policy is to leave the item where it is and that any customer issues should be taken up with the relevant manager.
Boundaries: Never put yourself in a vulnerable situation, even if it is to help a vulnerable person(s). Despite the fact that we hold ourselves out as being highly physically capable, we are there to move furniture, not to physically intervene or become personally involved in the situation.
If you are asked to provide personal contact information and/or return after hours to move more items, do not accept this offer. This will likely be a risky scenario and you will not be covered by this policy.
If at any time you feel that you, your teammates, or a member(s) of the public are in danger, call 000.
Refer to our Report Unsafe Work Environment policy for further steps on what to do in an unsafe situation.
Post move:
Once the move is complete, movers are required to fill out a Post Move Feedback Form (https://tny.mwav.org/pmfeedback). This review will be sent to all relevant managers to learn of any improvements that need to be made to the policy and procedure and ensure that the movers had access to all the important information.
The Morning/relevant manager may need to refer to the Traumatic Response Policy if the feedback from the movers are at all cause for concern. The Post-Move feedback Form is designed to prompt managers to the mental wellbeing of the movers who completed the job, as well as their overall feedback on the procedure.
Job details to remain password protected (if password was requested) even after the move is completed.
TRAINING REQUIREMENTS
Phones staff:
All existing phone staff will be expected to read and understand the Privacy Move Policy and complete the relevant PM quiz. They will be trained in the policy, script, and how to recognise the signs of a Privacy Move during a phone call. Phone Staff who are new to the roll will be trained in the policy and procedure, however, will be advised not to make PM bookings until they are more comfortable with the bookings system.
Road staff:
All existing staff will be expected to read and understand the Privacy Move Policy and complete the relevant PM quiz. All new staff will be introduced to the policy during their induction but not expecred to perform PM's during their training stage.
A select group of staff (Privacy Move Group Members) will receive direct training from management/relevant staff in the finer details of the policy. These staff members will be identified by management during rostering for the purpose of completing these moves.
Management:
All managers will be expected to read and understand the Privacy Move Policy and complete the relevant PM quiz.
Managers who may engage with the booking process will receive training in how to book in a PM.
They will also familiarise themselves with the Privacy Move Procedure for Management document in order to ensure they understand their role in the process.
Only managers who have read, understood and undergone specific training in this policy should be involved in rostering, booking and confirming Privacy Moves.
PHONES SCRIPT
Determining if the Privacy Move Policy covers a move will mostly depend on the customer informing us of their circumstances. This may be revealed at the beginning of the process, or sometimes during.
If you have reason to suspect the move may fall under a Privacy Move you can ask the customer. Be subtle and respectful and only ask if you feel strongly that this is a PM.
“We offer a Privacy Move service, is that something that might be relevant for this move?”
“Our privacy move service aims to assist individuals leaving a domestic or family violence situation, or a move requiring a greater degree of discretion or care.”
Questions:
There are some question you can ask in order to gain important information about the situation:
I have a few questions to ask which will be kept confidential and will take a few minutes to complete. Do you have time to talk about it?
Would you like this booking to be password protected?
What would you like the password to be? (add the password to the contact notes)
What is your preferred method of contact? (email, text or phone call)
Are you engaging in any support services? If not, would you like a list of referrals? If so, what is the name of the organisation and case manager and their contact details?
Who is paying for this move? (This is the customer in our database)
Will they be contactable at the end of the job to make payment?
What are the funding limitations? (add this in Other Notes)Who will be present? Support staff, victim(s)/client, other party/parties, children/dependents, police, etc.? (This will determine the Level 1,2, or 3. Add this to Private Notes)
What is the risk of violence during the move? (If there is a likely risk of violence, we cannot proceed with the move)
Are the police and or other party/parties aware of this move? (Add info to Private Notes)
There are six key pieces of information that needs to be gained during the booking process:
Person or people present on the day.
Preferred method of contact
Who will be paying for the move
Level of move (level 1, 2 or 3)
Password (if requested)
Name of other party (if relevant)
Statements which must be read aloud to the customer:
"If an item is disputed, our staff do not take sides and will leave the item where it is."
"In the event that the situation is deemed unsafe at any stage of the move, our workers will pause the job, or leave."
REVIEW AND IMPROVEMENT
Movers will give their feedback on the move via Google Forms once payment is completed. This policy will be reviewed and updated based on feedback.
BEFORE you arrive at the customers house you MUST complete the Pre-Move Quiz tny.mwav.org/pmquiz
AFTER you have completed the privacy move and taken payment, please complete the Post-Move Feedback Form tny.mwav.org/pmfeedback
Not seeing anything above? Reauthenticate
Page updated
Report abuse