CALM Training Services Ltd Elmbank Mill, The Charrier Menstrie, Clackmannanshire Scotland, FK11 7BU Tel: 01259 763681 Fax: 01259 763699 Email: info@calmtraining.co.uk

CALM - Crisis, Aggression, Limitation and Management

 

History of the CALM System

The CALM approach to crisis management lies in a long term collaboration between a number of professionals, commencing in the late 1980's which included consultant physicians and psychiatrists; police and prison service trainers, social work trainers, mental health nurses, trainers and academics, concerned about the neglect of aggression management issues within national policy and research agendas and committed to the development of evidence based responses. The group also shared grave concerns about the validity and safety of the currently available training programmes on aggression management and restraint.

The activities of this group included:-

•The establishment of MIGVAMT (Multi Disciplinary Group for Violence
  and Aggression Management and Training), a violence management
  support group

•The first National Conference on Occupational Violence

•The first conference on the use of physical restraint in social care

• Establishment of "The Centre for Crisis Management" - a registered
  charity aimed at promoting evidence based solutions to occupational
  violence.

• Involvement in national research and policy development initiatives

• Publication and research

• Support in developing the CALM physical intervention system

The CALM System was developed with the aim of producing an effective, criteria and evidence based system of training in aggression management, to help protect both staff and service users from abuse and injury.

The system is divided into two modules;-

CALM Theory Module (Module 1):- The Management of Critical incidents/Challenging behaviour. The module follows a 'whole organisational, systems-based approach', with positive behavioural support and trauma informed care as key perspecitives.

CALM Physical Restraint Module (Module 2):- A hierarchical model based on "Core" and "Supplementary" curricula. All techniques are non aversive and have been independently bio mechanically evaluated, with most restraints taking place in a standing or seated position. Programmes can be customised on the basis of Risk Assessment and Care Planning.

The programme was developed with the help of members of the Centre for Crisis Management all of whom had extensive practical experience of working with challenging behaviour, knowledge of the theoretical and practice literature, and a wide range of experience in physical intervention training.

CALM Training Services Ltd. was established as the co-ordinating agency for CALM training programmes in 1997. The CALM system is now widely used by Health, Social Care and Education services across the UK and, more recently the USA and other countries.