image 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

 

The Stakeholder approach

The practical result of our "whole organisational" philosophy is our commitment to a "stakeholder" approach. CALM Training seeks to establish an ongoing collaboration with customer agencies. Our involvement in current research and practice agendas enables us to help customers to keep abreast of developments and emergent best practice standards, a key factor in the legal defensibility of practice, in this high risk and litigious area. Formats include:-

· The annual CALM conference, involving top national & international speakers
· Workshops
· Briefing meetings with key experts.
· Newsletters.
· Information updates on specific topics.
· Publication
· Customer Support Line

 

 Policy Development

The development and implementation of policies on the management of risk behaviours is an obligation on employers imposed by a variety of statutes, care standards and guidance documents. Regrettably a growing body of national reports and research studies illustrate that the development of meaningful polices remains a problem for many care, health and education sector employers. Common problems include:-

  • Absence of policies
  • A policy focus on what staff can’t do. Permitted actions are not made explicit
  • Crisis focused policies which discuss reactive management of behaviour , rather    than prevention, management and recovery (The Public Health Model)
  • Polices which “individualise” the problem, making staff, rather than the organisation responsible for safety
  • Policies inconsistent with national standards ( e.g. hands off etc )
  • Inconsistency and/or contradiction across organisational policies (e.g. Challenging Behaviour; Violence: Risk Management; Moving & Handling etc)
  • Policies which fail to recognise differences in standards across UK jurisdictions and service sectors

 

The literature therefore recognises that clear policy structures are a make or break issue. They can promote organisational vision and safe practice, or they can compromise it. They are also fundamental to employers’ liability.

The absence of management time and/or expertise in policy development is a common legacy of organisational restructuring and downsizing.

CALM Training has considerable experience in the development of policies for user agencies. We have, for instance, developed the Challenging Behaviour policies of a significant proportion of Scottish Councils, based on a Positive Behavioural Support perspective. We are able to provide a range of services including:-

• Development of policies on most areas of practice
• Integration of agency polices
• Updating of agency policies in line with legislative and best practice developments
• Co ordinate, chair and/or project manage agency policy initiatives
• Review of existing policy structures
• Support to internal policy development initiatives