Since its inception, NHS England has improved healthcare standards, patient care and workplace safety.
It has introduced important initiatives to protect staff from violence and aggression, ensuring that frontline workers have access to the training, policies and support needed to handle challenging situations.
For example, we’ve seen:
The NHS Violence Prevention and Reduction Standard, which set clear expectations on how healthcare providers should manage and reduce incidents of violence.
Improved reporting mechanisms, allowing staff to log incidents of abuse or assault more efficiently, leading to better data-driven policies.
Investment in body-worn cameras for NHS staff to deter aggression and improve safety in high-risk environments.
Training initiatives focused on de-escalation, conflict resolution, and the safe use of physical intervention when necessary.
These have been significant steps forward in the protection of healthcare workers.
But, as with all government bodies, change is inevitable.
The Prime Minister has now decided it is time to move on and has therefore made the decision to close NHS England.
What Happens Next?
With the closure of NHS England, responsibility for workplace safety and violence prevention will be redirected to another body.
On the surface, this may raise concerns about continuity, but in reality, this change presents an opportunity to take workplace safety even further.
For too long, workplace safety, especially in the areas of violence reduction and conflict resolution, has been seen as the responsibility of just a few select organisations.
This approach limits innovation, slows progress and creates bottlenecks in the system.
Now, with the PM’s announcement, there is an opportunity for more organisations to step up and contribute, provided they meet the necessary ethical, legal, medical and professional standards.
Challenging the ‘One-Size-Fits-All’ Approach to Training Providers
Historically, sectors have almost mandated that training must come from a specific awarding authority, reinforcing the idea that only certain bodies are capable of delivering effective training.
But here’s the reality: Should it really matter who the provider is, as long as the training is legally sound, medically reviewed, compliant with health and safety laws and genuinely equips staff with the competence they need?
If training meets all necessary professional standards and enhances workplace safety, then the focus should not be on who is delivering it, but on how effective it is in preparing staff to handle real-world scenarios.
That’s exactly what we do at NFPS Ltd.
We ensure that our courses and consultancy services not only meet but exceed industry requirements, allowing organisations to choose a provider that truly understands their needs, rather than being forced into a one-size-fits-all solution.
More Than Just Training – A Holistic Approach to Safety
At NFPS Ltd, we have always understood that training is not just about techniques, it’s about the bigger picture.
Whether it’s physical intervention, conflict management, or risk assessment, our approach goes beyond simply teaching skills.
We focus on helping organisations, professionals and people to connect the dots between knowledge, understanding and application to deal with real-world challenges effectively.
With that comes the responsibility to ensure that the underpinning principles of workplace safety, the legal, medical, technical, and tactical strategies, are firmly embedded in every aspect of our training.
This means that our courses are:
Legally robust – ensuring compliance with current legislation and best practices.
Health and safety compliant – prioritising the wellbeing of both staff and those in their care.
Medically reviewed – ensuring that interventions align with evidence-based medical principles.
Designed to empower staff competence – providing professionals with the confidence and capability to manage challenging situations safely and effectively.
The Bigger Picture: A New Era for Workplace Safety
The government’s decision to widen the scope of responsibility means we can create a more effective, proactive and industry-led approach to workplace safety.
Rather than relying on a single governing body, we can now allow multiple expert organisations to contribute their knowledge and experience.
This will result in:
A broader range of expertise, ensuring best practices are informed by specialists across multiple sectors.
More responsive and flexible policies, making it easier to adapt to real-world challenges in healthcare, education and all other workplace sectors.
Greater access to high-quality training so organisations can choose providers that align with their specific needs.
About Trevel Henry and NFPS Ltd
Trevel Henry is a leading authority in the field of workplace safety, conflict resolution, and physical intervention training.
As the Director of NFPS Ltd, he has dedicated his career to ensuring that organisations have the right training, policies, and risk management strategies to create safe working environments.
With decades of experience as an expert witness and training consultant, Trevel has worked across multiple sectors, including healthcare, education, and security, helping professionals and organisations improve their approach to safety, reduce the need for restraint and implement effective conflict management strategies.
At NFPS Ltd, we believe that training should be about more than just ticking boxes.
It should be about developing competence, embedding key principles and ensuring that staff are truly prepared for real-world challenges within their relevant workspaces.
As we move forward, we welcome this opportunity to raise the bar for workplace safety training, ensuring that organisations have access to specialist training that is legally robust, medically sound and built around the realities of managing risk and conflict.
The future of workplace safety isn’t about who holds the title of responsibility.
It’s about making sure the right people, with the right knowledge and values, are leading the way.
Let’s work together to set new standards and create a safer, more effective system for all.
Learn more about our course programmes – https://nfps.info/physical-intervention-trainer-course/