• Home
  • |
  • Blog
  • |
  • Restraint Training Programmes and Accreditation

February 3, 2015

Restraint Training Programmes and Accreditation

While reviewing documentation in regards to training needs analysis recently, I came across an interesting piece of research carried out by the Health and Safety Executive and published in 2006. In it, the researchers sought to evaluate training in violence management in the UK and find good practice advice. The document emphasises in a very clear way the importance of adequate training needs analysis and the evaluation of training against the discovered needs in any business, and whether the training meets the learning outcomes from the analysis. Interestingly, it also touches on the issue of accreditation and its rightful place in the decision-making process of a training commissioner when they seek to contract a training provider for their needs:
Accreditation of training programmes provides a sound benchmark against which training can be reviewed, however this does and should not exclude any training programmes from rigorous, systematic and independent evaluations. End user utility has to be the final arbiter of training effectiveness and not accreditation in purely educational terms.

Violence and aggression management training for trainers and managers:  

A national evaluation of the training provision in healthcare settings

Health and Safety Executive Research Report 440, 2006

Training commissioners would do well to focus on 'end user utility' and not simply rely on accreditation as a marker for the quality, appropriateness or relevance of any given training package.  The Health and Safety Executive itself says so, and it is probable that they would be the final judge of whether or not a training package delivered to a staff team was fit-for-purpose and suitable and sufficient for the control of risk.

------------------------------------------

Gerard O’Dea is a conflict management, personal safety and physical interventions training consultant.  He is the training director for Dynamis, a specialist provider of personal safety and violence management programmes and the European Adviser for ‘Verbal Defense and Influence’, a global programme which addresses the spectrum of human conflict.  www.dynamis.training

Related Posts

Improving safety for Lone Workers: Three Considerations For Employers

In the rapidly evolving workplace, the safety of employees – particularly those who work alone – has emerged as a key area of focus. This post, based on a recent Dynamis training session, summarizes three key considerations for workplaces seeking to improve lone worker safety. Risk assessments Why are risk assessments important for lone workers?

Read More

The Benefits of Personal Safety Training for Real Estate and Letting Agents

Personal Safety Training for Real Estate and Letting Agents Real estate agents are often at risk of personal harm when showing properties to strangers. They are required to meet and greet potential buyers and show them around unfamiliar properties, which can expose them to various safety hazards. Personal safety training is essential for real estate

Read More

What are the risks of Distressed Behaviour in Care Homes?

Distressed Behaviours in Care Homes – what are the risks?We have met hundreds of care home staff in our training sessions, and this article aims to clarify some of the issues related to managing aggression and violence with older people, or vulnerable adults in care. We recently received gratitude from a client company that achieved a

Read More

A stalker at work what can we do?

A stalker at work – what can we do? table of contents 1Why would an employer offer personal protection training to an individual employee?What behaviour counts as stalking?2Health and Safety issues of a stalker at workFour warning signs that behaviour is ‘stalking’:What are the challenges for people who are being stalked and harassed?3What’s the most

Read More

Gerard O'Dea


Gerard O'Dea is the Director of Training for Dynamis. Training Advisor, Speaker, Author and Expert Witness on Personal Safety, Conflict Management and Physical Interventions, he is the European Advisor for Vistelar Conflict Management, a global programme focussing on the spectrum of human conflict.