Bespoke Training Delivers Lowest Passenger Accident Rates

Merseyrail credits the bespoke conflict management training course created by IKON with helping them to achieve their lowest passenger accident rate ever.

Merseyrail is an essential part of the transport infrastructure of Merseyside.

All 900 frontline staff (revenue protection, station retailers, station assistants and guards) receive basic conflict resolution training. However, station staff face frequent physical and verbal threats and there have been accidents around the network.

The company came to IKON to help them create a bespoke training package which would improve the performance of station staff and have a positive affect on customer relations and safety. They were also looking for strategic advice which would help them manage future challenges.

‘We spent significant time working alongside revenue protection teams and station staff so that we could develop a thorough understanding of the challenges they faced,’ says Jason Keeley, IKON’s Managing Director, ‘we also took time out to have detailed face-to-face discussions with frontline staff and management, listening directly to the concerns they had.’

IKON designed a bespoke training course that directly meets the needs of staff but reflects Merseyrail’s customer excellence ethos:

• Conflict resolution – communication skills and physical self-awareness
• Legislation – use of force, health and safety and rail bylaws
• Risk assessing individuals and situations

Feedback from Merseyrail staff who have taken the training is excellent, with 99% of delegates ‘very satisfied’ or ‘satisfied’ overall.

Since the initial training, Merseyrail has commissioned bi-annual follow-up courses for staff and a comprehensive training programme for managers, enabling them to maintain continuity and consistency of learning.

‘We continue to work with IKON to reduce passenger accidents on the network, increase awareness of mental health issues, and improve outcomes around aggressive behaviour.

Their delivery methods, adaptability, professionalism and knowledge in this area has allowed us to achieve our lowest passenger accident rate ever,’ says Merseyrail’s Competency Training Manager

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