Our Director of Training, Gerard O’Dea, and Professor Chris Cushion worked with a number of experienced conflict and physical intervention trainers from NHS boards around Scotland to introduce them to the SCENA Scenario-Driven Training Approach in early March 2022. The team – already competently teaching a variety of approaches to tactics including Maybo, GSA, Functional (read more)
Positive Handling Training for Schools
Positive Behaviour Strategies and Protective Physical Interventions

Knowing when - and when NOT - to use physical restraint is imperative, and your team need to know how to, and be able to, safely hold or control even a vulnerable person effectively at the point of crisis.
“Training is often VERY detailed and complex; what made the Dynamis training different – and better! – was that it was simple and clear. There wasn’t too much to remember and it was all taught and set within a framework of common sense and the practical day-to-day activities and situations that arise in a school.
The pre-course information around the legislation underpinning positive handling also gave me the confidence to know I am legally and professionally in a position to use positive handling without an excessive risk of negative repercussions.
I was able to put the training into practice immediately and, several weeks later, can still use the training without looking back at the materials. THANK YOU. “
Head Teacher, Smallthorne Primary School
Stoke on Trent
One Full Day of Positive Handling Training
For teams who can find the time, this option gives your staff the most practice time and question/answer time with the trainers about the decision-making framework for physical interventions, focussed on holding skills. Assimilation of the legal ‘rules’ and long-term retention of the physical skills is best with this duration of contact time. Be aware though that INSET days are booked LONG in advance! It is prudent to consider the Twilight options below also.
A Short-format Intensive course using Blended In-Person and Online Learning
We are finding that many schools want the training as soon as possible, without needing to book a full INSET day. This convenient Half-day or Twilight option blends online learning with an in-person training session and can be booked on any convenient date. Your team are engaged by a mandatory pre-course study of the ‘knowledge and theory components’ using our online learning system. Our trainer then visits with you to complete the training with Q&A and physical skills development, taking about 3 hours in the AM, PM or Twilight, at a time which is convenient and expedient for you.
>>> http://www.positivehandling.co.uk/training/positive-handling-twilight-blended-online/
More Specialist Needs: a Special School or Care Context
A 2-day course which blends our unique Breakaway and Self-protection training with the 1-day Positive Handling course in order to give teams working in very challenging environments (Respite Care is a good example) the correct level of skill development to deal with the widest variety of challenging behaviour from distressed children.
>>> http://www.positivehandling.co.uk/training/care-and-control/
60- or 90-minute Positive Handling or Behaviour Management or De-Escalation Skills Briefing
This is a briefing on the rules and principles only, with no physical skills development for the staff. It can be useful to establish a baseline school-wide. We sometimes run these as a whole-school briefing first-thing in the morning prior to taking a specialised team for in-depth training throughout the rest of the day.
Baseline Everyone at Your School
A video-based training course which gives you the confidence that all staff know what they need to know about the powers and duties they have in regard to behaviour, safety and restraint or use-of-force.
Success in Engaging with Parents
A workshop course which teaches your team how to communicate effectively with parents who are the subject of difficult conversations about behaviour, attendance, safeguarding or other issues. We teach your staff non-escalation and de-escalation strategies which offer a structure within which parents can be treated with respect while being challenged or informed of decisions to which they may react defensively.
Managing Behaviour for Foster Carers / Adopters / Parents
A workshop course for Foster Carers which teaches – based around the National Guidance for Fostering – a range of strategies which carers can use in cases of extreme difficulty where a fostered child becomes a danger to themselves or others.
>>> http://www.positivehandling.co.uk/foster-carer-training/
Our school client list grows year after year.
Primary and Secondary Schools


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...
Painless Positive Handling Training
The power of evidence-based training
High Staff Engagement
Because of the immediate relevance your staff see in our course design and delivery, they are engaged, motivated and energised during and after the training.
Better Transfer to the Workplace
Because sessions are all driven by your own scenarios, issues and challenges with the people you meet in your work, it has immediate relevance and transfers directly to your day-to-day workplace.
"Time Well Spent"
Your teams get many, many opportunities to learn and practice their new skills during 'countless reps' of the target skills, actively learning in every session. There are no boring powerpoints!
Measurable Change Happens
With highly targeted new skills, your teams can make measurable changes to their interactions and truly realise your organisation's safety ethos, focussing on dignity and respect, safety and wellbeing.
Enter your name and email address below and get instant access to a mini-course about Positive Handling, delivered by our experts.
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.

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.
Join Over 3,000 Happy Customers

Tailored to our school needs really well...
“Course was tailored to our school needs really well, Gerard had done his homework on our school and I was really impressed with the style and techniques that were shown. Good pace and Gerard is very good at keeping to task.”
HEAD OF YEAR // The Centre School

not as complicated as others...
“Practical and the techniques were not as complicated as other similar courses that I have attended.”
Deputy Head Teacher // North London
What our customers are saying:

simple, straightforward...
“Everything was simple, straightforward and made a lot of sense. Glad I don’t have to remember about 20 holds like you do on other courses”
Head Teacher / Tickford Park Primary School

really valuable having as much time as we did...
“we appreciated the tailoring of the course to include de-escalation and talking around this as well as the physical intervention itself. it was well worth doing the online training element ahead of time as it was really valuable having as much time as we did to work practically. gerard answered our questions fully and talked specifically about some of the children we have particular concerns about (eg very young children in nursery). thank you”
SENCO // Peterborough
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
Frequently Asked Questions
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In going through the Conflict scenarios for the ED, we made sure that staff were really successful in establishing initial contact with the people, by carefully Being Alert and Decisive – noticing things about the patient or their family, by addressing those visiting or travelling with the person. We discussed perhaps opening the encounter with (read more)
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Mitchell St
Edinburgh EH6 7BD
0844 812 9795