Enable Your Mental Health Secure Escort team to Keep Everyone Safe

We bring skills to Mental Health Secure Transport teams who look after vulnerable - sometimes unpredictable - people in their work.

Dynamis training for Mental Health Secure Transport teams gives you the peace of mind that your teams are able to:

  • Use communication skills to achieve non-escalation and de-escalation when they interact with your patients, your NHS colleagues and your customers so that at each touchpoint, people feel respected and safe.
  • Balance their duty of care to their patient, to themselves and to the community when they are engaged in escorting patients (with care, custody and control of vulnerable persons).
  • Assess and Manage Risk so that the chance of an adverse incident during a secure transport is reduced to the lowest possible level and foreseeable difficulties are spotted early and adequately managed.
  • Manage their Personal Safety by deploying effective habits - staying alert and being decisive - with effective attitudes for enhanced safety on Patient Secure Transport tasks.
  • Working as a team in cooperation with their colleagues in both lower-risk, common situations and in high-risk, physical restraint scenarios.
  • Be ready and able to employ reliable and robust methods for last-resort physical interventions, when words and persuasion alone fail to resolve high-risk Secure Escort conflict situations
  • At Dynamis we provide evidence-based and scenario-driven conflict management training through the whole spectrum of conflict, enabling Mental Health Secure Transport teams with the skills and knowledge they need to professionally respond to any level of conflict.

    To learn about how to access BILD ACT RRN certified training through Dynamis, please click here

    Book your free Training Needs call now, to find the right training for your Mental Health Secure Transport service.

    AUDIO INTRODUCTION: Listen as our Director of Training introduces our Secure Mental Health Transport training.

    This is what we do

    Non-Escalation

    Wouldn't it be better if we could avoid escalating these situations in the first place?

    De-Escalation

    Tried and trusted pathways for managing people who are abusive, refusing or resistant.

    Crisis Intervention

    Using empathy as a guide to create safety and to aid recovery for people who are in emotional distress.

    Last-Resort Physical Response

    A system of physical alternatives which may be required if we can not create safety any other way.

    Make your workplace a safer environment for everyone who meets there.

    Our wide range of courses are designed for public-facing teams who deal with vulnerable individuals and those capable of spontaneous aggression. Our aim is that every person is treated with dignity and is shown respect, even when there is disagreement.

    Book a tailored training course from Dynamis Training and your team will:

  • Be aware of conflict triggers and emotional control
  • Use approaches which prevent situations from escalating
  • Redirect negative behaviour without taking it personally
  • Be persuasive using influence to win people around
  • Listen and Empathise in order to resolve flashpoints
  • Create and maintain a social contract in every interaction
  • Van 03

    Read an in-depth article from our team about our Secure Escort course, here.


    Personal Safety for Secure Transport Teams

    Mental Health Secure Transport staff are frequently exposed to the risk of aggression and violence because of the nature of the work. Taskings often require Secure Escort teams to encounter vulnerable people who may be distressed or agitated because of poor mental health or are suffering from the effects of drugs and alcohol intoxication. Developing effective habits and attitudes for maintaining situation awareness and personal safety in such Secure Escort situations is a critical area for staff both new to the job and veterans. Our '9 Attitudes' methodology provides a framework for developing these skills and our conflict resolution program helps to ensure that Contacts with vulnerable people in the community are both non-escalatory and effective.


    Secure Escort-specific Breakaway Skills programme

    Where Mental Health Secure Transport personnel are confronted with acts of physical violence, the use of protective physical interventions may become necessary and therefore it is prudent for services to provide training and skills for disengagement and breakaway for personnel.  Our system of self protection offers, in a short period of time, skills which are instinctive, easy to learn, are retained well over time and which are extremely effective in helping Secure Escort staff to prevent themselves being injured in the result of physical attack.  Because the methods we use are based on protective instincts, they are very court defensible and appropriate for use by healthcare staff.


    Control Tactics for Ambulance Service Violence Management Scenarios

    There are times in some Mental Health Secure Transport tasks - when words alone fail to create safety - the use of force to control or restraint a patient becomes necessary.  These situations may arise when Mental Health Secure Transport staff are attempting to prevent harm from occurring, when a patient is refusing treatment or refusing to attend hospital at a time when they are judged not to have capacity or autonomy to make these decisions, for example.  In these limited scenarios the skilful application of control tactics and physical interventions, while working as part of the Secure Escort team, can reduce the risk of potential harm to the patient and increase the overall safety of the attending personnel.


    Patient Transport Service Secure Escort Tasks

    Where the Mental Health Secure Transport service is engaging in an escort task, often it will be necessary for the  Escort team to have a full understanding and knowledge of the control and restraint tactics which may be appropriate to safely complete the transport of a patient.  This sometimes will include the use of holding techniques and procedures which reduce the risk of the patient absconding from the care custody and control of the team with whom they have been placed.  Secure Transport staff may need to have a high level competency in these tactics in order to safely carry out their taskings.


    Restraint Devices for Secure Transport - Handcuffs, Soft-Cuffs and Soft Restraint Systems (*if* necessary and subject to the training needs analysis)

    For some high secure patients it will be necessary for escort staff to safely apply restraint devices. Training should ensure that any application of restraint devices is both safe and appropriate and effective, proportionate to the needs identified in the escorting procedure.  For example, handcuff training should include elements of the proper care of the devices, the mechanical principles which underline their use, the legal rules which accompany their use and tactics for use with both compliant subjects and non-compliant subjects.

    FUNDAMENTALS OF BEHAVIOUR FOR PEOPLE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS (Mental Health and Dementia focus):  Where the Mental Health Secure Transport staff do not have clinical level of understanding about the special needs of those they may interact with during transfers, it is imperative that the initial and ongoing training in the Prevention and Management of Violence and Aggression should offer a baseline level of advice to staff.   It has been identified that secure escort staff sometimes meet service users with Demential, Learning Disabilities, varied Mental Health conditions, intoxication/drug use and, in the most challenging circumstances, a mixture of these.   Staff need to have a common language for describing the behaviour that they are seeing and experiencing, so that there is a foundation of understanding from which good decision-making can emerge.   Staff should be given an insight into the essential characteristics of the conditions along with conflict non-escalation, de-escalation and crisis management strategies for effective communication with people who display the behaviours in question.


    THE STATUTORY DUTY OF REASONABLE CARE:  Mental Health Secure Transport team members need to understand their duty of care in any scenario which may carry a risk of injury.  Section 7 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, which specifically addresses the duty of employees, provides the basis of our advice in this respect.  The Act requires employees to take reasonable care for themselves and for others who may be effected by their acts or omissions.   The training will endeavour to make sure that staff understand the need to balance their own safety (as a primary consideration) with the need to take action which also creates safety for the Patient (the secondary consideration).


    NATIONAL-LEVEL GUIDANCE for PHYSICAL INTERVENTIONS WITH Patients:  Mental Health Secure Transport staff will need to have an understanding of the national-level guidance and good practice advice in relation to physical interventions and use of force with Patients. (NICE Guidance NG10) and the Mental Health Code of Practice.


    THE STATUTORY POWER TO USE REASONABLE FORCE:  The legal basis for any physical intervention with a Patient in an Mental Health Secure Transport setting is currently laid down in the Common Law, the Criminal Law Act 1967, the Mental Health Act and the Mental Capacity Act among other places, which grants staff the power to use ‘such force as is reasonable in the circumstances’ with vulnerable persons, in the pursuit of certain lawful purposes. Staff who carry out physical interventions will need to make robust decisions about the use of force during often rapidly-unfolding or high-stress incidents.  They will also need to articulate their decisions post-incident in written reports and debriefing by their line management and/or any investigating authority.  Clear principles which establish the foundation of the use of Reasonable Force will be explored by the staff, specifically the key components of Necessity and Proportionality as they relate to those decisions.  Key issues will include the ambiguity of circumstances, perception and justification.


    AWARENESS OF RISK IN PHYSICAL INTERVENTIONS: Through long and sometimes tragic experience, there is a considerable body of knowledge and accepted advice in regard to the management of risk in physical interventions.  The most critical risk is that a person subjected to a physical intervention would succumb to a sudden, restraint-related death.  The risk factors which increase the possibility of a sudden, restraint-related fatality are well known and will be explored with staff so that they understand the types of physical intervention which should be AVOIDED whenever possible in Mental Health Secure Transport work.    They will also explore the warning signs which would alert them to the possibility that the risk of fatality is presented in a scenario and the alternative measures they should take if such a scenario should present itself.  key issues will include the difference between emergency interventions and planned interventions and the need to be aware of manual handling regulations/advice to avoid musculoskeletal injury where possible.


    OPTIONAL:
    THE USE OF RESTRAINT DEVICES AS A LESS-INTRUSIVE RESPONSE  Systems of soft restraint are now in use throughout the UK which offer alternatives to the traditional metal handcuffs and prolonged, intrusive manual restraint by staff.  Soft-restraint systems are a direct replacement for metal handcuffs and have been medically reviewed, legally tested in court as a “less intrusive” method of restraint and offer a risk-reduction strategy for staff, organisations and for the patient.  Where properly incorporated into the system of work for the Mental Health Secure Transport staff, soft-cuffs have the potential to significantly increase the safety of the staff in some of the most difficult situations they face.

    Exterior

    Hundreds of safer clients...

    FEEDBACK ON MENTAL HEALTH SECURE TRANSPORT TRAINING:
    “Exceeded all the criteria we needed to achieve, interesting, interactive, informative and enjoyable. A really impressive course in all aspects, my team came away visibly more confident and closer as a team, I am certain the experience will give us the right foundations enabling excellent care to the patients we manage. A sincere thanks.”

    "I have been on many training courses and this has to be the best one I have been on and I believe that it was down to the amazing trainer. He understood our needs and situations we could get in to and then used these to practice and learn different techniques. He took his time with each member of staff and treated us as individuals and as a team."


    “Overall the course was well presented. Made a welcoming change to focus on patient role play and de escalation techniques! Really found the hands on part of the course very useful compared to other companies techniques. Very good course.”

    Our Process for Working with You

    1. 1
      Book your free training needs assessment. Every organisation is unique and so you need a unique training course. Our free training needs assessment is a 30-minute process where we identify the risks your staff face and the training solutions you need.
    2. 2
      We formulate a Bespoke Training Course. Having understood the needs of your organisation we will create a bespoke training course tailored to your conflict flashpoints, issues and incident profile.
    3. 3
      Your Staff experience relevant and beneficial training. We will conduct your bespoke training course.
    4. 4
      Satisfaction and Course Follow-up Following the training session, we will conduct questionnaires with all attendees to give tangible before and after data.

    HI! I'M GERARD O'DEA

    Director Of Training At Dynamis

    Hi and thanks for visiting our website today.

    In over 15 years of working with frontline staff who face difficult, distressed and dangerous behaviour, i have seen time and again how prepared staff can perform well and respond to challenging circumstances.

    From teachers to nurses, teaching and care assistants to security officers in our hospitals and social workers in the community, if you deal with people every day, managing conflict becomes a necessity.

    I became involved in this work because i saw the power of training and preparation in helping people to stay safe at work and to be more successful in working with their colleagues to create better outcomes.

    I and my team of professional trainers now teach in over 200 training engagements every year around the uk and internationally for a wide variety of public-facing organizations just like yours.

    We have sought out the best conflict management training content and the best learning methods in the world and bring them together for you and your team.

    Our Courses and What they Cover

    1. 1
      Scenario-Driven Non-Escalation and De-Escalation Training for frontline staff which incorporates elements of how to identify escalating conflict, what to do when a person is being aggressive or resistant, and what to do when the resolution of conflict requires empathy and listening or persuasion skills.
    2. 2
      Task-Focused Protective Physical Interventions for frontline staff which enables them to survive, reverse and respond appropriately to circumstances of physical violence where as aa a last resort they may need to protect themselves or others using the least intrusive interventions possible in the circumstances.
    3. 3
      Consulting and Expert Support for organisations facing specific challenges, such as for example the current increasing levels of violence towards staff in Citizen Services, the similar rises in the Retail context and the ongoing search for effective ways to realise Restraint Reduction in our health and care services.

    Join Over 3,000 Happy Customers

    What our customers are saying:

    Best Course I have attended in the NHS...

    “This was by far the best course I’ve attended in the NHS. Fit for purpose, current, relevant and extremely well delivered. 10/10 for delivery, professionalism and structure.”

    ANDY W. // Security Management Specialist

    Made it Relevant...

    “Very good training, and great effort to make it relevant for the type of conflict and situation we face. Excellent Trainer – 10//10”

    MICHAELA G. // Community Engagement Officer

    Tailored to situations we actually face...

    “Gerard was a great teacher, he was very knowledgeable and friendly. He tailored the training to situations we might actually find ourselves in which I found incredibly useful.”

    Louise C. // Homeless Shelter Support Worker

    Confident...

    I left feeling confident that I could safely apply the techniques I had been shown and know when to use them. Since completing this training another member of staff and I who where both on the course have been able to safely escort a child, whom we have previously struggled and felt unsure/ unsafe with escorting when dis-regulated back in to the school building safety. We were both on the same page as were the other members of staff who witnessed the incident (and were also present for the training that day) and this greatly helped us to safely bring the child back in to school. I would like to once again give my thanks to the team who came in to teach us that day. They were both amazing!

    Classroom Teacher // Blossom House School March 2020.

    Grab a coffee and speak to our training advisor.

    With over 15 years of experience working with clients, we are confident that we can gain an understanding of your issues, resources, timeframes and budget quickly and soon propose a training plan which fits your needs.

    How to Organize Training Painlessly!

    Dignity and Respect in Mental Health Secure Transport

    We help contact professionals to manage difficult, distressed or dangerous people in their workplace in the most effective and professional way possible, to keep everyone safe, verbally if we can, and physically only if we must.


    Our core value as a business is that everyone should be able to work and interact with services in the world while retaining their dignity and being treated with respect, even in circumstances which are difficult. We train your staff to create safety from chaos.

    • An Accredited Quality Award Centre with the ICM
    • All programmes audited and vetted by a qualified Expert Witness on Violence/Conflict
    • Backed by a University of Loughborough Professor of Coaching and Pedagogy
    • Over 15,000 staff trained in 15 Years of Coaching and Advising
    • Our clients recommend us to their colleagues at a world-class scale

    Our Partners and Accreditation

    MEMBER OF THE INSTITUTE OF
    CONFLICT MANAGEMENT

    Dynamis is a Quality Award Centre with the ICM, a recognised accrediting body in the U.K. for workplace training in the prevention and management of workplace violence.

    Healthcare Myth 2: If I Say Something It Will Make Things Worse 2

    EUROPEAN PARTNER FOR

    VISTELAR

    Dynamis is the premier European Partner for Vistelar, a global consulting organisation covering training across the entire spectrum of human conflict.

    REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR 9 ATTITUDES BEHAVIOURAL TACTICS

    Dynamis represents the 9 Attitudes system, a fully behavioural approach to self-protection and physical control which is based on the observable realities of physical confrontation.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Where is the training carried out?

    Usually the training venue will be our client's responsibility and full details of this are made clear around the time of booking so that you know what we are going to need to give your people the best possible experience of training with our team.


    We have often helped our clients to source appropriate training venues, where that assistance was requested!


    Due to the nature of our training approach, we often require a good-sized training room which has the capacity for your team to move around in and in which we can set up scenarios which are as close as we can get them to real-world applications of the material we teach your people.

    What is the investment in training?

    Our training costs are often calculated on a per-day basis and directly related to the Needs Analysis which we carry out with you.

    We are constantly working to make sure that the investment level is reasonable and competitive.

    We generally ask for an investment which takes into account the type of content we are going to work on with your staff, the numbers of staff involved, the risk level of the encounters they engage in and the number of days of training which will be required to get your people up to the proper standard.

    We are VAT registered and all pricing sent to you is 'plus VAT at the prevailing rate'.

    We also charge travel expenses which you should discuss with our training advisor so that these are as clear as possible as you book in your training course.

    How quickly can I book training to happen?

    Our training advisor is waiting to have a call with you to discuss your timelines and preferred schedule. We generally book training 4-6 weeks out from today, however we always have been able to respond to clients who need training 'as soon as possible' when urgent needs pop up. The sooner we talk with you, the sooner we can get the training in place!

    How many people can attend a training course?

    There are numerous formats which we use to deliver training with your team, whether it be a large group or a smaller team. We know that the best group sizes for learning depend on the complexity of the material to be covered, the amount of time we have with your people and also the constraints you may be working with in your budget and resources. Most of our clients put 12-16 people in our less-physically demanding training courses, and often fewer people than this into our more demanding courses. Let's talk about the best solution for your needs....

    Is Dynamis training Accredited?

    Dynamis has attained the respected Quality Award Centre status (QAC #2201) with the Institute for Conflict Management (ICM), demonstrating our commitment to quality assurance and strict adherence to the most recent guidance on the management and prevention of workplace conflict.  All our trainers are fully qualified and attend CPD development on a regular basis in accordance with ICM requirements.

    Is the training suitable for my staff and my context?

    Our goal is that you see a tremendous improvement in your team's ability to prevent and manage difficult encounters with the people in your service, so we focus on making sure that each training session with your people feels directly connected to their everyday work and is compliant with the relevant guidance which governs it.

    100%

    100% Satisfaction Guarantee

    You are fully protected by our 100% Satisfaction-Guarantee. If you are not fully satisfied by the training we deliver for your team, just let us know and we'll send you a prompt refund.

    Gerard O'Dea