De-escalation techniques for keeping people safe in the NHS
NHS staff engaging in a team exercise during a training course, discussing challenges within their roles.
Written by James Crown, Training and Development Manager, IKON Training
What is needed for effective de-escalation?
De-escalation is a critical skill that can help prevent harm to patients, nurses and healthcare workers. As a type of conflict resolution, it involves using various techniques to manage challenging behaviour and reduce agitation and anxiety.
Effective de-escalation requires compassion, empathy, and a willingness to understand the patient’s perspective. It is an essential skill for nurses and healthcare professionals who work with patients who may be agitated or aggressive.
Identifying why and what has triggered the individual’s behaviour to become agitated will provide you with the opportunity to support them and keep everyone involved safe.
Violence and aggression can arise in many settings, including healthcare, social services, and law enforcement, making de-escalation a necessary component of any organisation’s training program.
At IKON, we recognise the importance of de-escalation training and have developed a comprehensive program that covers essential topics such as communication, active listening, and conflict resolution strategies. De-escalation training equips healthcare workers with the skills and knowledge to manage challenging behaviour effectively and prevent escalations into more severe incidents.
Is training in de-escalation enough on its own?
While de-escalation training is undoubtedly valuable and essential for healthcare professionals, it is important to remember that it is not a solution for all situations.
De-escalation techniques for nursing and healthcare staff primarily focus on defusing situations before they escalate into physical violence or aggression. While it teaches how to approach situations calmly and confidently, they may need more tools to manage challenging behaviour beyond this.
Suppose a patient or a family member is displaying dangerous or unpredictable behaviour. In that case, employing more comprehensive approaches to conflict resolution may be necessary.
In these cases, de-escalation training may not be enough, and additional training and support may be required to manage the situation effectively. Furthermore, de-escalation techniques are only one aspect of a broader range of skills and knowledge that nurses and healthcare professionals need for challenging situations.
For example, empathy, active listening, cultural competence, and effective communication are all critical skills for managing challenging behaviour in a healthcare setting.
De-escalation training is an essential and valuable part of managing challenging behaviour in healthcare settings. Still, it should be recognised that it is only one component of a broader range of skills and knowledge needed to handle difficult situations successfully.
The importance of recognising precursors to challenging behaviour
Precursors are behaviours that often precede challenging episodes and may be an obvious prelude to distressed or aggressive behaviour. Identifying and understanding precursors is crucial for pre-empting and managing challenging behaviour. Triggers are specific to individuals and can be recognised from earlier episodes, making it essential for staff to be aware of them. By doing so, healthcare professionals can effectively plan and prepare for challenging situations and ensure the safety and well-being of all parties involved.
Identifying patterns
To enhance your ability to prevent and manage challenging behaviour, it is essential to identify patterns in the occurrence of such behaviour. Searching for patterns can help a team predict when challenging behaviour is more likely, to plan, prepare, and prevent it.
Challenging behaviour in many individuals tends to occur during specific interventions, such as care tasks, administration of medication, or at particular times of day, such as mealtimes.
Understanding triggers
Understanding an individual’s triggers is essential. Triggers can be environmental, physical, or emotional factors. They may include the care environment, interventions, activities, objects, thoughts, feelings, pain, or discomfort.
Once identified, many triggers can be avoided, making it essential for healthcare professionals to observe, identify, and document potential triggers as part of a proactive strategy for minimising stressful or distressing situations.
10 effective communication techniques for de-escalation in the NHS
- Engage: Build a personal connection by introducing yourself, making eye contact, smiling, and asking how the individual wants to be addressed. The LEAPS model of communication is a simple and influential tool.
- Reassure: Spend time with the individual to acknowledge concerns and anxieties verbally and non-verbally.
- Clarify: Check your understanding, repeat what you’ve heard back, check it is accurate, ask them to repeat if necessary.
- Be transparent: Be open, honest, and transparent when communicating what needs to be done.
- Distraction: Change the environment, task or yourself
- Understand: Speak slowly and keep the information simple to ensure the individual can understand and respond.
- Question: Use alternatives to multiple questions, such as making statements or offering choices.
- Collaborate: Work out a compromise between what you need to do and what the individual wants or will accept.
- Explain: Explain and discuss options and choices, use facts and evidence not opinion.
- Inquire: Explore what the individual is thinking and feeling, use clear and simple communication.
These are just a few techniques and tips commonly taught in de-escalation training for healthcare professionals in the NHS.
It’s important to note that de-escalation training should be tailored to the specific needs and challenges of each healthcare setting, so the techniques and tips may vary depending on the context.
A comprehensive approach
De-escalation training is crucial in managing challenging behaviour courses but it should not be the sole focus. A comprehensive approach to conflict management should also include threat identification, warning signs, and handling of aggressive individuals. De-escalation training can result in significant benefits, such as reducing overall expenditure, lost workdays, and complaints and improving staff retention.
However, it is more effective when combined with other training to create a comprehensive toolkit for staff. Isolated skill-based training should be part of a wide-ranging strategy that includes managing challenging behaviour and conflict resolution training.
By providing a comprehensive approach, you will support the safety of frontline NHS Healthcare professionals with the tools needed to limit the daily impact of violence and aggression.
Working with the NHS delivering vital training
Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust delegate:
“In our line of work, we encounter many aggressive patients in ED, and although physical violence is rare, the important training provided by IKON has given me confidence to deal with any type of challenging situation.”
North Middlesex University Hospital delegate:
“Interesting, interactive practical sessions were provided by IKON. The techniques we’ve been taught have already proved very useful in our working environment.”
North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust delegate:
“Thoroughly enjoyed the course, best I’ve attended in 23 years working from the NHS.”
Are you looking to provide your healthcare staff with the best possible training to ensure their safety and well-being?
Our comprehensive approach to de-escalation training covers everything from communication skills to physical techniques, conflict resolution, and managing challenging behaviour. While de-escalation training is essential to any healthcare worker’s training, more is needed.
At IKON Training, we recognise that a complete approach is necessary to ensure your staff are equipped with the tools to handle any situation.
Our expert team is passionate about helping healthcare organisations create safe and positive working environments by providing the necessary skills to effectively manage conflict and challenging situations.
Our NHS Healthcare professional courses:
- NHS Breakaway training
- NHS Conflict Resolution Training
- NHS Conflict Resolution & Personal Safety Training
- NHS Lone Worker Training
- NHS Managing Challenging Behaviour Training
- NHS Security Teams Managing Violence & Aggression Training
- NHS Resolving Telephone Conflict Training
Trust IKON Training to provide your staff with the comprehensive knowledge they need to stay safe and secure while delivering excellent care.
If you’d like to know more about what makes our training so effective, convenient and popular, simply look around our website.
Alternatively, if you’d like to speak to us directly about your needs, call us on 01473 927333; we’d be happy to help. Or email [email protected].
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Written by James Crown, Training & Development Manager at IKON Training
James has over twenty years of experience in training and development.
With a background as a Personal Safety and Physical Trainer for Suffolk Constabulary, James is committed to using his real-life experience to continually review, adjust, and enhance new and current training programs.
He ensures the health, safety, and well-being of all program participants and leads the IKON team to minimise the use of restrictive practices.
James encourages a vibrant, interactive, and rewarding learning environment, making him a people person dedicated to providing knowledgeable and engaging programs.