Insights

The Importance of a Medical Risk Assessment in Physical Skills Training

Physical skills training encompasses a wide and varied range of activities, from fitness and sports to vocational and recreational pursuits and while these activities offer numerous benefits, they also carry inherent risks to the participants health, safety and wellbeing. This is why conducting a comprehensive medical risk assessment before an individual engages in physical skills training is of paramount importance. … Read more

10 Aug 2023 · 8 min read

Defining Reasonable Force – Balancing Control and Injury Prevention

The concept of reasonable force is a fundamental principle in legal frameworks worldwide, governing the permissible level of force individuals can use in various situations. However, the term “reasonable” is inherently subjective, making it difficult to create a universally applicable definition. This article looks into the complexities of defining reasonable force and highlights the need to get balance right between … Read more

5 Aug 2023 · 3 min read

Operation Digital Presence: A Mission Critical For All Trainers

Establishing a robust online presence through a professional website is no longer optional – it’s mission-critical. Whether you’re a trainer in conflict management, security, physical restraints intervention, PMVA, or a first aider, a well-structured website can be your key to wider reach, enhanced credibility, and ultimately, business success. Without further ado, let’s navigate through the strategy of creating your own … Read more

3 Aug 2023 · 4 min read

The Changing Landscape of Police Response and How Selecting The Right Physical Intervention System is Paramount

In recent times, there has been a shift in how police services respond to calls for assistance from NHS Mental Health Units. Many of you will have heard of the ‘Right Care Right Person’ (RCRP) operational model developed by Humberside Police. In a letter sent to leaders of London health and social care providers on 24th May 2023, Commissioner Sir Mark … Read more

2 Aug 2023 · 6 min read

Flight Attendant Chased Home by Irate Passenger that yelled ‘f*** your Airline’

An Airline flight attendant posted a tearful video on TikTok describing how an unruly passenger chased her out of the airport parking lot and followed her home. The safety and well-being of employees is of paramount importance and a duty that all employers must address. Workplace violence tends to be far more prevalent in occupations that involve prolonged interaction with … Read more

29 Jul 2023 · 6 min read

The Challenges in Moving a Restrained Person Up or Down a Flight of Stairs

Moving individuals up or downstairs under restraint poses numerous challenges for caregivers, healthcare staff and other professionals. This task falls under manual handling activities, requiring careful consideration and risk assessments to ensure the safety and well-being of both the person being moved and the staff involved. ‘slips, trips and falls are the most common cause of injuries at work’. In … Read more

21 Jul 2023 · 5 min read

The Use of Neck Restraints in Restraint Techniques: An Argument for and Against

Introduction: The recent instruction by the Public Safety Minister to ban the use of neck restraints by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has sparked a debate on the effectiveness and safety of such techniques. The RCMP’s Management Advisory Board has stated that neck restraints can be justified as a less lethal alternative to lethal force in some cases. Read … Read more

20 Jul 2023 · 3 min read

Has Aggression towards Reception and Healthcare Staff become Routine?

Research studies across 5 countries including the UK, show that Aggression towards GP receptionists is a ‘frequent and routine’ occurrence. Fact sheets covering the period 2010 to 2018 recorded an increase in reported incidents of aggression from 6 per 10,000 staff to 10+ per 10,000 staff. How much more would these figures have increased by if staff felt more empowered … Read more

10 Jul 2023 · 6 min read

Pain Compliance on Children is Permissible & Why Adopt Standards For A Mental Health Unit, If You Are Not a Mental Health Unit?

The use of pain compliance on children is an emotive subject, it is contentious and one that many organisations fail when issuing legally robust policy and guidance. NFPS has covered this subject in previous publications and links to these will be given at the end of this post. Of course, applying pain to a child is the absolute last thing … Read more

19 Jun 2023 · 18 min read

Serco fined £2.25 million for H&S Failings following the Death of Custody Officer

Ms Barwell, a 54-year-old grandmother was kicked twice at Blackfriars Crown Court in 2015 during the restraint of a prisoner in custody. She died from brain injuries caused by the second blow. Ms Barwell had worked for Hampshire-based security firm Serco for 10 years when the attack took place. The incident led to an investigation by the Health and Safety … Read more

12 Jun 2023 · 8 min read

Are You Sleepwalking Your Way into a Complete Disaster?

There are many training providers who will not deliver training which they insist falls outside of their approved training course. So rather than receiving training which meets your needs, you are being presented with a fixed system of training which you are expected to make your needs and concerns fit their training programme. How many training providers are there claiming … Read more

5 Jun 2023 · 3 min read

Ambulance Service Ordered to Pay £49,000 in Wrongful Dismissal Case After Staff Member Was Dismissed for Allegedly ‘Assaulting’ a 14 Year-Old Patient Who Had Attacked Him

  A veteran paramedic ambulance worker who was assaulted by a 14 year-old was awarded £49,000 by an industrial tribunal after he was wrongfully dismissed for gross misconduct by his employer for allegedly assaulting a 14 year old who had attacked him. In August 2021 Mr Edwards, a senior paramedic with 18 years service was attending a call. It involved … Read more

29 May 2023 · 14 min read