Ky.gov
Effective: 10/15/2024

G1.3 Safety and Transportation

Legal Authority

Introduction

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​The safety of staff and clients is always paramount when working with families. Whether on an ongoing basis or during an investigation, ensuring the safety of staff and clients should always be at the forefront. The procedures in this section work to serve as tips and information that an SSW may utilize to ensure that appropriate measures are utilized to keep everyone involved in a case safe at all times.


Practice Guidance

The SSW is encouraged to:

  • Review the following in TWIST prior to initiating a report:
    • Family/child history with the agency, particularly concerning domestic violence, substance abuse, or mental health issues of family or household members, weapons, or aggressive animals that may be in the home; and
    • A red flag in the TWIST screens that indicates safety threats have previously been identified.
  • Program 911 into their cell phone for convenient access.

Definition:

  • A non-state employee may include, but is not limited to:
  • Birth parents;
  • Relatives;
  • Community partners;
  • Adult clients in an adult protective services (APS) case; or
  • Spouses of state employees.

Procedure

Staff Safety

Cabinet staff:

  1. Use non-physical interventions, such as verbal de-escalation techniques, as the first choice of intervention when at all possible and utilize law enforcement assistance as needed.

The SSW:

  1. Considers obtaining an Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) check if criminal history is suspected or has occurred in the past (refer to AOC process);
  2. Consults with the FSOS before the report is initiated when safety threats are identified;
  3. Considers, with FSOS assistance, if a situation appears dangerous and determines if any of the following steps need to be taken to ensure safety:
    1. Requesting law enforcement assistance;
    2. Asking another Division of Protection and Permanency (DPP) staff person to accompany the investigative worker; or
    3. Conducting an office visit with the family, after unsuccessful attempts to locate the family in their home or well-documented safety threats that should be documented in the assessment;
  4. Uses the sign-out process in their office to document the date, time leaving, estimated return time, and destination.

Transportation

The SSW:

  1. Is only permitted to transport a non-state employee, in a fleet-owned vehicle, after completing the FM-6 Authorization​ to Transport Non-State Employee Passengers in a Commonwealth Owned Vehicle ​and receiving all appropriate signatures. 1



Related Information​

The following is an excerpt from the Kentucky Finance and Administration Cabinet’s “Guide for Drivers of the Commonwealth’s Vehicles” ​(page 5), and explains that cabinet’s policy on passengers in Fleet-owned vehicles:

  • Passengers in Fleet-owned vehicles are limited to state government employees and persons associated with official state business. Children transported in a state vehicle shall be properly secured in a child restraint system that meets federal motor vehicle safety standards per KRS 189.125.
  • Unauthorized non-state government employee passengers may ride in a state vehicle only during emergencies, or with prior approval of the Division of Fleet Management.
  • Requests for passengers who are not employees or agents of the state must be submitted on form FM-6, Authorization for a State Employee to Carry Non-State Employee Passengers in State-Owned Vehicles. The request will be submitted to the Director, Division of Fleet Management. This form must be approved by the Division of Fleet Management prior to transporting non-employee or agent individuals in a state vehicle.


Footnotes

  1. This does not apply to children in out-of-home care (OOHC). They are permitted to be transported in state vehicles without the use of this form.

Documents

Revisions

This date, 00/00/0000, under Staff Safety, Cabinet Staff, the following was removed: 

  1. Use interventions, such as physical restraint, only in circumstances in which a child or youth poses an imminent risk of harm to self or others; and