Behaviours that Challenge Course

This online course has been written at an intermediary level that fits the criteria to take training as part of their role. This includes:

• Refresher training
• Inductions
• Awareness
• Knowledge enhancement

Training for managing behaviours that challenge in the UK is crucial for health and social care professionals, as well as for individuals in roles that may come into contact with people exhibiting these behaviours. These types of behaviours can include aggression, self-harm, destructiveness, and other forms of psychological or emotional disturbance. Their management requires comprehensive training to ensure safety, promote understanding, and provide effective support.

Health and Social Care Roles

1. Mental Health Nurses: Skilled in dealing with challenging behaviour related to mental health conditions.
2. Social Workers: Involved in support planning and often face challenging behaviours during client interactions.
3. Care Workers and Support Staff: Engaged in daily care in residential, hospital, and community settings.
4. Occupational Therapists: Advising on activities and environment adaptations to reduce challenging behaviours.
5. Psychiatrists: Diagnosing underlying conditions and prescribing treatments that can alleviate challenging behaviours.
6. Clinical or Forensic Psychologists: Working to understand the causes and providing therapeutic interventions.
7. Speech and Language Therapists: Helping those with communication difficulties which can contribute to challenging behaviours.
8. Learning Disability Nurses: Working closely with individuals who may have behaviours that challenge as a result of their condition.
9. General Practitioners (GPs): Offering medical assessments and ongoing health support, which includes managing challenging behaviour.
10. Emergency Services Personnel: Including police and ambulance staff who may encounter individuals with challenging behaviours in crisis.
11. Specialist Teachers: Providing educational support for children and young people who may exhibit challenging behaviours.
12. Care Home Managers: Ensuring their staff are trained and that policies are in place to manage behaviours that challenge.

Roles Outside Direct Care

1. Human Resources Professionals: Developing workplace policies to support staff who may face challenging behaviours.
2. Legal Professionals: Working within areas of law such as mental capacity, who need to understand the implications of challenging behaviour.
3. Facilities and Security Staff: Managing behaviours that challenge in public spaces such as shopping centres or transport hubs.
4. Community Outreach Workers: Engaging with individuals in the community who may be at risk of presenting challenging behaviours.
5. Education Professionals and School Staff: Identifying and managing behaviours that challenge in educational settings.

Importance of Training

Effective training for managing behaviours that challenge is required for several reasons:

• Safety: Providing tools and strategies to prevent harm to the individual, staff, and others.
• Understanding: Helping professionals to recognise the reasons behind challenging behaviours, which can include communication difficulties, environmental triggers, or mental health issues.
• Household and Community Involvement**: Including the individual’s family or carers in the training can enhance supportive networks and consistency in approach.
• Compliance: Ensuring care is delivered within legal frameworks such as the Mental Health Act and the Mental Capacity Act.
• Prevention: Offering proactive strategies to reduce the likelihood of challenging behaviours occurring.
• Dignity and Respect: Training emphasises the importance of treating individuals with understanding and without judgement.
• Person-Centred Care: Focusing on tailored support plans that meet the unique needs of each individual.
• De-escalation Techniques: Teaching staff how to effectively de-escalate potential or actual incidents non-violently.

Training is usually delivered through a combination of theoretical learning and practical exercises, often involving role-play scenarios, reflective practice, and the development of personal de-escalation techniques. It aims to build confidence and resilience in staff, ensuring that they can provide the best possible care to individuals who exhibit behaviours that challenge them while maintaining personal and public safety.