Prevention & Management of Violence or Aggression. (PMVA)

Conflict Management Level 2

Breakaway Techniques

Effective Skills Training Ltd offers specialised Preventing and Managing Violence or Aggression (PMVA) training. This crucial course is specifically designed to enhance the skills of healthcare professionals, providing them with the necessary tools and techniques to effectively prevent, de-escalate, and manage aggressive situations in various healthcare settings.

PMVA Training: Fostering a Culture of Safety and Care

Definition: The Training in the Prevention & Management of Violence or Aggression (PMVA) course is a vital program for healthcare professionals, equipping them with both theoretical knowledge and practical techniques to handle potentially violent or aggressive encounters safely and effectively. It focuses on early recognition of escalating behaviour, de-escalation strategies, and, as a last resort, safe physical interventions to ensure the safety of both staff and patients. This training promotes a proactive approach to minimise risks and foster a secure and caring environment.

Key Learning Outcomes and Content Typically Include:

• Understanding Aggression and Violence:

  • Defining aggression and violence in a healthcare context.

  • Identifying the causes and triggers of aggressive behaviour (e.g., medical conditions, pain, fear, frustration, mental health crises, substance abuse, environmental factors).

  • Understanding the stages of escalation and de-escalation.

• Legal and Ethical Framework:

  • Exploring relevant legislation and guidelines concerning violence at work, use of force, duty of care, human rights, and consent (e.g., Mental Capacity Act, Mental Health Act, Health and Safety at Work etc. Act).

  • Understanding professional accountability and ethical considerations when managing aggression.

• Risk Assessment and Prevention:

  • Techniques for proactive risk assessment of patients and environments.

  • Implementing preventative strategies, including environmental adjustments, communication styles, and care planning.

  • Recognising early warning signs and subtle cues of escalating aggression.

• Communication and De-escalation Techniques:

  • Verbal de-escalation skills, including active listening, empathetic responding, maintaining personal space, and clear, calm communication.

  • Non-verbal communication strategies (e.g., body language, stance, eye contact).

  • Strategies for building rapport and trust to defuse tension.

• Breakaway and Disengagement Techniques (if applicable to course level):

  • Practical, safe, and ethically sound physical skills to disengage from holds, grabs, or assaults.

  • Emphasis on minimising harm to both staff and patients.

  • Understanding the principles of proportional response and last resort interventions.

• Post-Incident Management:

  • Procedures for reporting incidents, critical incident debriefing, and accessing support services for staff.

  • Learning from incidents to improve future practice.

• Self-Care and Resilience:

  • Strategies for managing personal stress and emotional impact when dealing with aggressive situations.

  • Building personal resilience to workplace aggression.

Who is it for?

This training is essential for all healthcare professionals across various settings, including:

• Nurses and Doctors

• Healthcare Assistants and Support Workers

• Mental Health Practitioners

• Allied Health Professionals (e.g., OTs, Physiotherapists)

• Paramedics and Ambulance Staff

• Care Home Staff

• Receptionists and Administrative Staff in healthcare environments

• Security Personnel in healthcare facilities

By offering this training, Effective Skills Training Ltd helps healthcare organisations comply with safety regulations and cultivate a proactive culture where staff feel confident and supported in managing challenging behaviours. This ultimately ensures a safer and more positive environment for everyone.

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Conflict Management Level 2

The Conflict Management Level 2 course is designed to equip individuals with the foundational knowledge and practical skills to identify, understand, and effectively manage everyday conflicts in various professional and personal settings. Moving beyond basic awareness, this course focuses on proactive strategies for de-escalation, effective communication, and achieving positive outcomes when faced with disagreements or escalating tensions.

Key Learning Outcomes and Content Typically Include:

• Understanding Conflict:

  • Defining conflict and its various forms (e.g., interpersonal, intergroup, organisational).

  • Identifying common causes and triggers of conflict (e.g., communication breakdowns, differing values, resource scarcity, personality clashes).

  • Recognising the positive and negative impacts of conflict.

  • Understanding different conflict styles (e.g., accommodating, avoiding, compromising, competing, collaborating) and when each might be appropriate or inappropriate.

• Recognising Escalation and De-escalation:

  • Identifying the stages of conflict escalation.

  • Learning verbal and non-verbal cues that indicate rising tension.

  • Developing proactive strategies to prevent conflict from escalating.

• Effective Communication in Conflict:

  • Active Listening: Techniques for truly hearing and understanding the other party's perspective.

  • Assertive Communication: Expressing one's needs and boundaries clearly and respectfully, without aggression.

  • Questioning Techniques: Using open and closed questions to gather information and clarify understanding.

  • Paraphrasing and Summarising: Confirming understanding and demonstrating empathy.

  • Non-Verbal Communication: Awareness of body language, tone of voice, and personal space.

• De-escalation Strategies:

  • Techniques for calming agitated individuals.

  • Creating a safe environment for discussion.

  • Using empathy and validation to reduce emotional intensity.

  • Setting appropriate boundaries and expectations.

• Problem-Solving and Negotiation Basics:

  • Identifying the core issues underlying a conflict.

  • Brainstorming potential solutions.

  • Moving towards mutually acceptable outcomes.

  • Understanding the difference between positions and interests.

• Self-Management in Conflict:

  • Managing one's emotional responses (e.g., anger, frustration, fear).

  • Maintaining a professional demeanour under pressure.

  • Recognising personal triggers and biases.

• Reporting and Referral:

  • Understanding when a conflict is beyond one's scope and needs to be escalated to a supervisor or HR.

  • Knowing internal and external resources for conflict resolution.

Who is it for?

This course is highly beneficial for a wide range of individuals across various sectors, including:

• Front-line Staff: Customer service representatives, retail workers, receptionists, and public-facing roles.

• Team Members: Anyone working collaboratively in a team environment.

• Junior Supervisors/Team Leaders: Those starting to manage interpersonal issues within their teams.

• Healthcare Support Workers/Carers: Individuals who interact with patients, clients, and their families, where emotional situations arise.

• Volunteers: Especially those in roles involving public interaction or support.

• General Employees: Anyone seeking to enhance their interpersonal skills and contribute to a more harmonious workplace.

The Conflict Management Level 2 course empowers participants to approach conflicts constructively, reduce tension, and work towards resolutions that benefit all parties involved. This leads to improved working relationships and a more positive environment.

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Breakaway Techniques

A Breakaway Techniques Course is a specialised training program focused on providing individuals with safe, effective, and legally defensible physical skills to disengage from or manage a violent or aggressive physical encounter. This training is crucial for professionals who may face physical aggression or assault in their line of work, enabling them to protect themselves and others without causing unnecessary harm.

Key Learning Outcomes and Content Typically Include:

• Understanding Physical Aggression:

  • Recognising the dynamics of physical aggression and assault.

  • Understanding the "fight, flight, freeze" response and its implications for personal safety.

  • Identifying common types of holds, grabs, and attacks.

• Legal and Ethical Framework:

  • Understanding the legal principles of self-defence, reasonable force, and duty of care (e.g., common law, relevant national legislation like the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 in the UK).

  • Ethical considerations surrounding the use of physical intervention emphasise minimum force and de-escalation as primary goals.

  • Importance of reporting incidents.

• Risk Assessment and Prevention:

  • Proactive strategies to identify and avoid situations that could lead to physical confrontation.

  • Understanding personal space and boundary setting.

  • Using verbal and non-verbal de-escalation techniques to prevent physical contact (often a prerequisite or integrated element of the course).

• Practical Breakaway Techniques:

  • Wrist and Clothing Grabs: Techniques to safely release from various single and double-handed wrist grabs, lapel grabs, hair grabs, or clothing grabs.

  • Body Holds: Skills to disengage from front and rear body holds, bear hugs, or headlocks.

  • Ground Defence (basic): Basic principles for protecting oneself if taken to the ground, focusing on creating space and standing up safely (not a comprehensive ground fighting course).

  • Avoidance and Movement: These drills focus on footwork, balance, and strategic movement to create distance and avoid being cornered.

  • Safe Disengagement: Techniques to create enough space to escape a situation and summon help safely.

• Post-Incident Management:

  • Procedures for immediate safety after disengagement.

  • Importance of reporting the incident promptly and accurately.

  • Accessing support services for staff involved in physical incidents.

  • Learning from incidents for continuous improvement.

Who is it for?

This training is critically essential for professionals who, as part of their job role, may encounter physical aggression or violence. This includes:

• Healthcare Professionals: Nurses, doctors, healthcare assistants, mental health staff, paramedics, and allied health professionals working in hospitals, clinics, residential care, or community settings.

• Social Care Workers: Carers, support workers, and social workers.

• Educators: Teachers and support staff in schools, particularly those working with challenging behaviours.

• Security Personnel: Door staff, event security, and corporate security.

• Public Service Workers: Police community support officers, park rangers, housing officers, and other public-facing roles.

• Customer Service Roles: Where aggression from customers can be a risk.

The Breakaway Techniques Course aims to empower individuals with confidence and competence, enabling them to safely protect themselves and others, de-escalate situations, and minimise harm when faced with unavoidable physical aggression. Breakaway Techniques Course