Managing Challenging Behaviour Training

We have provided training in managing challenging behaviour for Child Care and Learning Disability staff since 1998. We believe that the effective management of challenging behaviour in residential and day care settings is vital for social care services, their staff and their service users. Our training typically leads to a reduction in the numbers of incidents of challenging behaviour and the need for physical interventions (restraints) can improve the service user experience, raise staff morale, and reduce the need for more specialist placements.

 

Positive approaches to challenging behaviour (4 day course):

This 4 day course is for staff and supervisors of residential and day care services. It focuses on developing strategies for positive behaviour management, defusing and de-escalating situations of violence and aggression. It provides high quality and effective training in physical interventions including breakaway and restraint and in dealing with the aftermath of such interventions. The format of the course is three days initial training with a follow up day after 6 weeks to ensure that the training is effective in the workplace environment. This course is recommended for staff who regularly encounter challenging behaviour from service users, and who would benefit from in-depth consideration of the issues affecting them.

Key topics covered:

• Understanding challenging behaviour - definitions and causes
• Stages of emotional arousal
• Conflict management, defusion and de-escalation low arousal techniques
• Body language Positive behaviour management
• Legal and procedural context use of customer's procedures and guidance
• Disengagement and breakaway techniques
• Restrictive physical interventions (restraints)
• Post incident practice and support
• Record keeping

Positive approaches to challenging behaviour (3 day course):

This is a three day intensive covering the same issues as the 4 day course above, but in a condensed format.  This course can be run on 3 consecutive days but is most effective if run in a 2+1 day format with day 3 taking place approximately 6 weeks after the first 2 days.  This course is suitable for staff in most children and adult residential or day care units.

Key topics covered:

• Understanding challenging behaviour - definitions and causes
• Stages of emotional arousal
• Conflict management, defusion and de-escalation low arousal techniques
• Body language Positive behaviour management
• Legal and procedural context use of customer's procedures and guidance
• Disengagement and breakaway techniques
• Restrictive physical interventions (restraints)
• Post incident practice and support
• Record keeping

Positive approaches to challenging behaviour (2 day course):

This 2 day course is for staff in residential, day care and fieldwork settings who may need to manage challenging behaviour, violence and aggression in the course of their work. It focuses on developing strategies for positive behaviour management, defusing and de-escalating difficult and potentially dangerous situations. It includes training in effective disengagement (breakaway) techniques, but not physical restraints.

Key topics covered:

• Understanding challenging behaviour, definitions and causes
• Stages of emotional arousal
• Conflict management, defusion and de-escalation low arousal techniques
• Body language
• Positive behaviour management
• Legal and procedural context use of customer's procedures and guidance
• Disengagement and breakaway techniques

Developing Organisational Strategies (Consultancy):

Recent research has shown that the development of positive organisational strategies can be much more effective than training alone in reducing the incidence of violence and aggression and the need for physical interventions. Such a reduction can have major benefits for social care organisations and their service users, including the reduction in the need for expensive specialist placements, avoidance of criminalisation of service users for assaults on staff, and major impacts on staff morale.

Our approach includes:

• Risk assessment and appraisal of systems and processes
• Incident analysis
• Developing management strategies
• Developing policies, procedures and practice guidance.
• Support for implementation