Let us be your guide: Empowering individuals together

Written by Jason Keeley, Managing Director and Founder of IKON Training  

This blog delves into how IKON Training prioritises individuals, offering valuable insights and advice on establishing sustainable safety cultures within organisations. Jason Keeley, our Managing Director, shares his expertise and sheds light on the importance of supporting healthcare workers in challenging situations. 

The rise in incidents of violence and aggression against nurses and healthcare workers in the NHS has presented significant challenges for the NHS with cases of abuse and violence impacting staff members and affecting their well-being, it is crucial to address the need to empower and equip individuals with the necessary conflict resolution skills and emotional support. 

The frustration and anger of people are palpable when they receive a call informing them about the postponement of their planned hospital visits. A recent article by ITV News highlights incidents of abuse in hospitals. Prompting Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust to take a stand against the verbal abuse suffered by their staff during patient appointment rescheduling. 

We are committed to providing healthcare organisations and their staff with valuable guidance and unwavering support. The current landscape highlights an undeniable need for effective conflict resolution, conflict management, and de-escalation tools in face-to-face interactions and telephone conversations.  

We deeply empathise with the challenging situations nurses, and healthcare workers often encounter, and our mission is to empower people to feel safer and more confident and provide them with the skills, proven techniques and emotional support to manage conflict.  

“The vast majority of patients and the public show nothing but respect and thanks for the skilled care they receive, but the unacceptable actions of a small minority have a massive impact on the professional and personal lives of our colleagues.”  Amanda Pritchard, NHS Chief Executive (February 2022).

The 2021 NHS Staff survey, of which there were nearly 600,000 responses from 220 NHS trusts, found that

• 14.3% of NHS staff have experienced at least one incident of physical violence from patients, service users, relatives or other members of the public in the last 12 months. In the ambulance sector, our paramedics have experienced a much higher volume of abuse (31.4%). 
• The impact on staff is significant, with violent attacks contributing to 46.8% of staff feeling unwell as a result of work-related stress in the last 12 months, with 31.1% said thinking about leaving the organisation. 

We understand the importance of the support that provides practical skills and techniques and underpins the staff’s emotional well-being. Our NHS security teams managing violence and aggression course provides learners with the tools to assess and manage risk effectively, communicate confidently, and de-escalate potentially violent situations. In addition, we also offer breakaway training to help staff protect themselves in physical altercations. Our conflict resolution course helps frontline NHS staff to recognise and resolve challenging situations. They will be shown the attitudes, behaviours and skills to resolve conflict in a safe and confident way. 

Introducing LEAPS: A powerful communication model 

In our training, we introduce a highly effective communication model called LEAPS. It is a valuable tool for fostering understanding, resolving conflicts, and reaching favourable conversation outcomes. 

Listening is the foundation of effective communication. When we truly listen — without judgment or interruption — we enable the other person to express themselves fully and safely. Active listening may seem simple, but how often we fall short in practice is surprising. 

Our emotions, values, time pressures, and workload can affect our ability to listen and be present in challenging situations. It’s important to recognise our human limitations. So, how can we demonstrate active listening? Genuine indicators include: 

• Positive eye contact 
• Undivided attention 
• Refraining from interrupting  
• Providing verbal agreements (such as “mmhmm,” “yes,” or “okay”) 
• Nodding 

When we genuinely hear and understand the other person, they feel validated, listened to, and acknowledged. This understanding cultivates empathy and genuine interest, empowering us to progress through different stages of communication. We can explore options, offer alternatives, seek compromises, and ultimately find resolutions. 

By following each step of the LEAPS model, we diminish the likelihood of continued heightened behaviour from the other party. Such behaviour often stems from a desire for attention, which is no longer necessary when genuinely engaging. This concept aligns with the principle of ‘behaviour breeds behaviour’ proposed by Betari’s box. Consequently, when the time comes for us to respond, we are more likely to be heard and acknowledged, fostering constructive dialogue. 

Combining LEAPS with an awareness of our environment, the presence of others, and potential distractions further enhances the effectiveness of our conversations. Creating a suitable time and safe space for constructive interaction significantly increases our influence on the outcome. 

When reflecting on LEAPS as a conflict resolution tool, I encourage learners to share examples of situations where they have applied LEAPS effectively or revisit past incidents where LEAPS could have led to more favourable outcomes. These discussions often offer valuable insights and reinforce LEAPS as a straightforward yet highly influential model. 

Read more about LEAPS in this IKON Training blog  

Managing challenging behaviour tools 

When it comes to managing challenging behaviour, providing frontline NHS staff with the necessary tools and techniques is crucial in reducing the likelihood of risk, particularly for those working with vulnerable groups such as elderly patients, pediatric teams, theatre teams, portering staff, security teams, site managers, and ward managers. At IKON Training, comprehensive training plays a vital role in ensuring the safety of both staff and service users by equipping them with techniques for safely holding or moving individuals to a position of safety. Our expert trainers deliver a balanced curriculum that covers both theoretical knowledge and practical skills, including: 

Theoretical tools: 

Assessing risks 

• Behaviour changes
• Clinical cause 

De-escalation and prevention skills 

• Communication models 
• De-escalation strategies 

Legal rights and responsibilities 

• Policies and procedures 
• Legislation 

Incident reporting and support 

• Documentation and systems 
• Post-incident procedures 
• Options for support 

Practical skills: 

Distance, stance and positioning 

• Posture 
• Tactical awareness 

Relocation and distraction 

• Safe moving 
• Hip checking 

Clinical safe holding 

• Safe holding in pairs 
• Standing, supine and seated interventions 
• Scenarios 

Medical implications of techniques 

• Positional asphyxia 
• Safe practice 

By providing frontline NHS staff with comprehensive training encompassing theoretical knowledge and practical skills, IKON is helping to create a more positive and productive environment, and ultimately, a better community for everyone.  

Enhancing safety with the revolutionary Safety Pod 

We’re all about finding innovative ways to enhance safety in the healthcare industry. We’re excited to work with UK Pods and introduce their unique Safety Pod. It’s a game-changer for organisations that need graded environmental support and safety. This fantastic piece of equipment will make a huge difference in ensuring the safety of both staff and patients. We’re thrilled to offer a range of courses that utilise the Safety Pod, so keep an eye out for updates on our upcoming Safety Pod courses. 

Our IKON Trainers recently had the opportunity to learn from Palkesh Darbar of UK Pods and they’re buzzing with excitement about the possibilities. Stay tuned for more exciting news! 

Act now to prioritise safety and empower your healthcare staff. Explore our range of NHS Healthcare professional courses by clicking on the relevant course links below. 

Alternatively, if you’d like to speak to me directly about your needs, call me on 01473 927333; I’d be happy to help. Or email the office directly on [email protected].

For more information on what sets our training apart and why it’s effective, convenient, and popular, browse our website.

Trust IKON Training to equip your staff with comprehensive knowledge to ensure their safety while delivering exceptional care. Our training programs focus on prioritising individuals and establishing sustainable safety cultures. Empowering people together. 

• NHS Breakaway Disengagement Training. 
• NHS Conflict Resolution Training. 
• NHS De-escalation & Personal Safety Training. 
• NHS Lone Worker Safety Training. 
• NHS Managing Challenging Behaviour Training. 
• NHS PMVA (Prevention & Management of Violence & Aggression) Training.
• NHS Resolving Telephone Conflict Training.

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Written by Jason Keeley, Managing Director and Founder of IKON Training