Translation and adaptation of the Survey of Violence Experienced by Staff for the French-Speaking Home Care setting (SOVES-Fr-HC)

Abstract Background Workplace violence towards formal caregivers in home care affects staff health, working conditions, and quality of care. The Survey of Violence Experienced by Staff German version Revised (SOVES-G-R) documents the frequency, context, and consequences of workplace violence and includes the Perception of Aggression Scale short version (POAS-S) and the Perception of Intervention Skills Scale (POIS). This study aimed to translate and adapt the SOVES-G-R for French-speaking home care, assess the face validity of the resulting SOVES-Fr-HC, and examine the factor structure and internal consistency of its French POAS-S and POIS components. Methods The questionnaire underwent forward–backward translation and contextual adaptation, followed by expert review involving eight professionals. An electronic cross-sectional survey was conducted among formal caregivers working with care receivers living at home in French-speaking Switzerland between March and November 2022. Of 177 respondents, 175 met the eligibility criteria. Complete data were available for the POAS-S ( n = 174) and POIS ( n = 169). Confirmatory factor analysis assessed the published factor structures. Following inadequate model fit, exploratory factor analysis with oblimin rotation was performed. Internal consistency was estimated using McDonald’s total omega. Results The expert panel supported the adapted questionnaire’s face validity. Neither published factor structure showed satisfactory confirmatory fit. Exploratory analysis suggested a three-factor POAS-S solution explaining 31.1% of the variance, with total omega of 0.64. For the POIS, a two-factor solution explained 47.9% of the variance, with total omega of 0.88. Reallocating one POIS item improved model fit. However, the revised factor structures were explored and subsequently tested in the same analytical samples and therefore require independent confirmation. Conclusions The SOVES-Fr-HC was systematically translated and adapted for French-speaking home care, with expert-supported face validity. The POIS showed a total-score omega of 0.88, whereas the POAS-S showed limited internal consistency and an unresolved factor structure. Total-score reliability does not establish the reliability of individual subscales. These findings do not establish comprehensive validation of the adapted questionnaire. Further content-validity assessment, reliability testing, and independent psychometric evaluation of its embedded scales are needed before recommending routine use as a validated measurement instrument.