This course teaches you to recognise the early warning signs of aggression, understand its causes, and use verbal and non-verbal de-escalation techniques to keep patients, colleagues and yourself safe. It covers personal safety, the legal framework for restrictive interventions, post-incident support and reporting, with worked examples and a case study.
What you will learn
- Describe the common causes of aggression in healthcare settings, including clinical causes that must be identified and treated.
- Recognise the early warning signs of escalating aggression using a simple stages model.
- Use verbal and non-verbal de-escalation techniques, including active listening, offering choices and managing your own response.
- Apply personal safety principles, including positioning, exits and calling for help.
- Explain the legal and professional framework for restrictive interventions, and the importance of post-incident debrief, reporting and support.
Course content
- Why de-escalation matters (2 min)
- Understanding the causes of aggression (2 min)
- Recognising early warning signs (1 min)
- De-escalation techniques (4 min)
- Personal safety and calling for help (2 min)
- Adapting de-escalation for specific situations (3 min)
- Restrictive interventions: law and principles (2 min)
- After an incident: debrief, reporting and support (3 min)
- Knowledge check (10 questions, 10 min)
- Guided reflection (15 min)
Standards and guidance covered
- NICE guideline NG10: Violence and aggression: short-term management in mental health, health and community settings
- Mental Health Units (Use of Force) Act 2018 and its statutory guidance
- Restraint Reduction Network Training Standards
- Mental Capacity Act 2005 (including the conditions for restraint in section 6) and Mental Health Act 1983 Code of Practice
- Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
- NHS England: NHS Violence Prevention and Reduction Standard
- GMC: Good Medical Practice (2024); NMC: The Code; HCPC: Standards of conduct, performance and ethics; GPhC: Standards for pharmacy professionals
Certificate
Courses are free to study. When you pass the knowledge check (80%) and complete your reflection, you can buy a verified certificate showing your CPD time, with a unique ID and QR code that anyone can check on our verification page.
Study free at your own pace on any device.
Practitioner Insight is an independent education provider. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the GMC, MPTS, NMC, HCPC, GPhC or any NHS organisation, and this information is not legal advice. If you have been referred to a regulator, speak to your defence organisation, trade union or legal representative.