Insights

Personal Entertainment v Personal Safety?

In an era where technology is intertwined with daily life, headphones and earphones have become daily accessories. 24+ per cent of people choose to wear headphones for a significant portion of their day. They provide an immersive experience for music, podcasts, and phone calls, serving as both entertainment and a buffer against the outside world. However, this convenience comes with … Read more

1 Jun 2024 · 4 min read

Diagnosis or Phenomenon…You Decide?

My first recollection of being knowingly introduced to this subject was around 2001 watching a video regarding the subject of Excited Delirium. Back then the heading of cocaine induced psychosis and the disproportionate superhuman strength it gave to people was one of the non-clinical terms used. This I felt had the unfortunate bias of implying if people displayed the behaviours … Read more

22 May 2024 · 6 min read

Clearing the Air

Among the concerns of using physical intervention, several long-standing misconceptions persist, contributing to dangerous misunderstandings and potentially lethal situations. One of the most prevalent misunderstandings is the belief that if someone can talk, they can breathe. This misconception has led to tragic outcomes, particularly in cases involving physical restraint, where individuals have died due to insufficient oxygen intake despite being … Read more

17 May 2024 · 3 min read

The Paradox of Restraint Reduction: Why Fighting Restraint Might Fuel Its Persistence

In the realm of organisational management, particularly in sectors dealing with vulnerable populations such as healthcare facilities, schools, and correctional institutions, the discourse around physical restraint has undergone significant evolution. Restraint reduction programmes have emerged as a seemingly noble initiative aimed at minimising the use of physical force in managing challenging behaviours. However, beneath the surface of good intentions lies … Read more

9 May 2024 · 5 min read

Who’s In Your Speed Dial Telephone Numbers?

Subject to which survey you read, there are: Between 123 and 205 daily assaults on lone workers Between 44,850 and 74,750 attacks on lone workers per year, and Between 159 and 266 daily instances of verbal abuse on staff Working remotely offers flexibility and freedom, but it also presents unique challenges, especially in emergency situations. Whether you’re working from a … Read more

19 Apr 2024 · 3 min read

Safeguarding Schools across the Scottish Borders and Beyond

Whilst UNISON survey exposes ‘shocking’ levels of violence in Borders schools, are things any different in your area? 85 per cent of respondents reported experiencing/witnessing slapping or punching – that figure rose to 88 per cent regarding kicking incidents. More than 55 per cent of respondents said they experienced violence multiple times a week. In recent months, the Scottish Borders … Read more

9 Apr 2024 · 5 min read

Red Card…Your Banned!

QMC recorded 1,800 incidents of aggression, violence and harassment during 2022-23. Notting University Hospital recorded 1,806 incidents. Staff have been hit, spat at, threatened, verbally and racially abused. What are some of the main triggers for the abuse of staff: Treating drunks Rival gangs People high on drugs People with mental health problems Homeless people, seeking a place of warmth … Read more

26 Feb 2024 · 5 min read

Elevating and Setting Standards in Aggressive Behaviour Management

The recent BBC Disclosure programme, shown on 5th February 2024, brought to light the need for continued expertise and experience in preventing and managing aggressive behaviours. The programme featured the review into one of Scotland’s most high-profile deaths in prison custody (2015) cases at the Fatal Accident Inquiry which followed. Physical intervention is a very contentious issue and will always … Read more

12 Feb 2024 · 7 min read

Observation – A Crucial Perspective In The Use of Physical Intervention

Up to the year ending March 2023 overall there were 2.1 million offences against the person recorded. This was a 20% rise compared with the pre-covid pandemic year ending March 2020. Violence with injury was 6% higher (573,791 offences) than levels recorded in the year ending March 2020 (540,870 offences). Violence without injury increased by 14% to 828,673 offences compared … Read more

29 Jan 2024 · 3 min read

I’m Not In Charge, So Not My Problem

I was reading several news articles related to inquests, where several things stood out. In one case, a point that particularly caught my attention was that when asked about the ‘assumption the two-security staff working on the night of incident had been trained in physical intervention’, the person replied “yes”. Assume…you know what you get when you break down the … Read more

27 Jan 2024 · 3 min read

The Essence of Compliance, Competence, and Common Law in Physical Intervention Techniques

Yet again I received a phone call stating that because someone conducting a review had not heard of a particular technique that was being used, the reviewing person was saying that what they (the person being reviewed) had done was wrong! My question to the reviewing person, who as it turned out had no known physical intervention or conflict management … Read more

23 Jan 2024 · 3 min read

Is Big Brother Really Watching You?

According to reports there are between 124 and 205 assaults every working day on lone workers. That equates to approximately between 45,000 and 74,000 attacks on lone workers each year. Situation…you’re working away on your own, and your concerned for your safety but you don’t feel you can just get up and leave. My question is not who you are … Read more

22 Jan 2024 · 2 min read