Death of a customer

Purpose

This procedure describes the actions to be taken in the event of the death of a customer.

Responsibility

All staff

Process

If the customer is already dead:

Where staff arrive at the premises and the customer is already dead and no one else is present, they should:

• Make a quick assessment of whether the death appears to be from natural causes or as a result of violence or there are signs of a forced entry.
• Be careful not to disturb anything in the dwelling.
• Staff must then phone the police and ambulance to request that they attend the scene of a death.
• Leave the premises, closing the front door if it was closed on arrival and wait outside for the arrival of the police.
• Provide a hand-over to the police and ambulance service to include contacting the customer’s next of kin.
• Ensure a detailed call log & job sheet is completed with all the relevant details.

NOTE:  The Response Officer should clarify with the police that they will be contacting NOK.

Where staff arrive at the premises and the customer is already dead and someone else is present, they should:

• Politely ascertain the name and relationship of the person present to the customer and the believed cause of death.
• Ascertain how long the person has been on the premises.
• Make a quick assessment of whether the death appears to be from natural causes or as a result of violence or there are signs of a forced entry.
• If the person could have been on the premises at the time that the alarm was operated, ascertain what type of assistance was being requested when the alarm was operated and by whom.

NOTE: Someone has operated the alarm and the assumption must be that this was a deliberate request for assistance. For this reason, the Response Officer should ensure police attendance to record and clarify matters.

• Ascertain whether the police and ambulance / the customer’s GP have been called.
• If the police have not been called to the premises, phone the police and ambulance and request that they attend the scene of a death.
• Be careful not to disturb anything in the dwelling.
• Provide a hand-over to the police to include contacting the customer’s next of kin - unless the only next of kin is present. (See above.)
• The Response Officer should update the contact centre on or before departure.
• Ensure that detailed call log & job sheets are completed with all the relevant details.