DAMAGE MANAGEMENT THINK OF THE CHILDREN
While experiencing flood or fire damage is traumatic for anybody, it is particularly so for children, according to new research. Here, the British Damage Management Association (BDMA),
tell us about a new training course aimed at better supporting families and young people during these stressful times.
Anyone who is involved in the clean up and recovery of properties following water or fire damage will know how important it is to have the relevant qualifications and technical expertise, to ensure every job is dealt with professionally and complies with industry standards and best practice guidelines.
Often this type of work will result from incidents that can be contained and dealt with reasonably quickly, without too much disruption to a business or home owner. At other times, the damage will be such that the property owner faces significant and long term interruption to their life or business.
Whatever the scale of an incident, customer care and treating people fairly should lie at the heart of everything we do. In the case of major disruptive events, such as flooding, it is therefore essential that we take time to understand the implications for those affected.
Many in the professional cleaning and restoration industries will carry out work in commercial properties, where recovery after fire or flood damage will be focused on keeping business interruption to a minimum and getting the company up and running again as quickly as possible. However, the
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pressure both management and staff experience in these situations will undoubtedly have some impact on their personal lives. When domestic properties suffer significant damage the implications can often be life changing and last for many years.
Most organisations will have clearly defined Customer Care procedures that ensure the needs and priorities of those affected are taken into account. Anyone carrying out recovery and restoration work on site will be expected to be aware of the impact this may have on residents and families, especially if it involves them moving out of their home or being unable to access parts of the dwelling.
Everyone leads busy lives these days, often requiring quite detailed planning to fit everything in. As adults, most of us are aware how even a small unexpected change can interfere with our usual routine, so something that potentially turns our lives upside down can have a massive impact on us and everyone around us.
This may all seem fairly obvious but recent research has highlighted a need to recognise that this kind of disruption raises very specific concerns among children and young people, which we need to be aware of.
Anyone with children will know very well that they deal with difficult situations differently to adults, and the trauma they experience after being flooded is now known to be particularly severe. It is vital, therefore, that we understand and take into account the issues children themselves have identified as particularly stressful, and learn from their recommendations in order to improve their experience during incidents which disrupt their lives.
Publication of the report on Children, Young People & Flooding, which delivers outcomes of the research project undertaken by Lancaster University and Save the Children, has reinforced the need for widespread awareness of this issue. Consequently, the BDMA has commissioned a new training course, which will be delivered by Lancaster University, to allow anyone involved in dealing with domestic property damage to learn new skills, in order to better support families and young people during the inevitable disruption.
Whether or not you are directly concerned in communicating with flood affected households, you will be surprised by some of the points children have raised and amazed by the common sense, practical solutions they suggest.
As professionals we will always aim to give customers the best possible experience. Being prepared to take on board the realistic and uncomplicated advice of young flood victims will give us the best possible chance of meeting this objective.
The course on 30 November, entitled ‘Supporting Children & Young People After Flooding’, is open to any interested party and full details together with online booking can be accessed here.
You can also download the full research project report here.
www.bdma.org.uk Tomorrow’s Cleaning | 39
Children,Young People and Flooding:
Recovery and Resilience
Maggie Mort, Marion Walker, Alison Lloyd Williams, Amanda Bingley and Virginia Howells
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