Low Arousal Approach Train the Trainer Course

Studio 3 Training Systems is a highly specialized research based training organization, which provides high quality and specialized behaviour management training.

Over 70% of our work is in the field of learning disabilities and autism, however, in recent years ‘low arousal’ behaviour management training has been developed specifically for staff working with people with an acquired brain injury, older adults, people with mental health problems and children/young people with emotional behavioural difficulties.

Behaviour of concern is an area of worry for carers, educators, therapists, and support staff and often represent a significant challenge to services leading to a breakdown of placement and injuries to care staff and the service users.

However, research shows us that many incidents of behaviour of concern can be relatively easily managed by well trained and experienced staff.

Research also shows us that confident, well trained staff know when to intervene or withdraw, that they can often quickly defuse situations before they become critical and that positive management of situations using person centered, non-punishment and non-aversive based approaches often leads to a reduction in incidents involving physical and verbal aggression over a longer period of time.

Training the Trainer Plan

There are two aspects to Studio 3 Canada’s ‘Training the Trainer’ plan. The first is the completion of the 3 – 5 day intensive training weeks as described in Detail and Delivery Section.

During this time, trainees will be expected to achieve competency in delivering all aspects of the course to the point where they can be formally assessed in the last week of the course.

The second component of the plan requires trainees to attend Trainer Events to maintain their continuing professional development. These are normally one-day workshops which cover teaching the various elements of the course as well as other topics which contribute to a broader knowledge base on behaviour management.

It is important to achieve this level of knowledge so that the trainer can become a valuable in-house resource, not only to deliver training but supporting staff in other aspects of behaviour management.

What Kind of People Make Good Trainers?

Based on our experience, professional qualifications are not in themselves prerequisites for successful outcomes.

Successful candidates have included: clinical psychologists, qualified and unqualified nursing staff, service managers, staff from residential children’s homes, teachers, educational assistants, occupational therapists, and care assistants.

The following section represents a person specification that will aim to provide services with an outline of what can make a successful trainer.

Essential Skills

• Commitment to a non-aversive approach to behaviour management
• The ability to role-play people who present with challenges
• A minimum of five years of practical experience of working with people who present with challenges
• Computer literacy
• The ability to respond to constructive criticism
• The ability to present to a room full of people
• A commitment to completing the training
• Empathy and a sense of humour
• Good health record
• Honesty

What Type of Training are Trainers Expected to Deliver?

Successful trainers will generally run a range of behaviour management training within their own organization.

It is expected that trainers can best develop these skills by learning to deliver our core three day training course in the managing behavior of concern (see McDonnell, 2010 and McDonnell et al, 2008 for further information).

Core Three Day Course Aims

The defined objectives of the course are:

• To increase staff confidence in the management of behaviour of concern
• To instill in staff the principles and benefits of working within a non- aversive framework
• To demonstrate to staff the importance of understanding how their own behaviours can affect others
• To provide staff with the skills to defuse challenging situations with the aim of negating the need for physical intervention
• To provide staff with an understanding of some of the causes of behaviour of concern to help view service users in a more positive way
• To make staff aware of the importance of working within the law and the need for and use of policies
• To emphasize the importance of de-briefing after incidents
• To help staff understand the difference between managing and changing behaviour and when to address or avoid difficult behaviours
• To provide staff with a range of physical intervention skills which are safe and acceptable to both staff and service users alike

Course Content

The three days of the training course have three separate themes:

Day 1:

Philosophy of Studio 3 Training Systems and the management of behaviour of concern. This is an important day.

It sets the tone for the course and outlines the agenda and objectives of the three days. During the day, challenging behaviour and the context within which these behaviours are displayed and managed will be explored.

Day 2:

Passive Avoidance Training, non-violent methods of managing physical behaviours. This is also described as philosophy in practice or the Low Arousal Approach in action.

Simple physical movements designed to reduce injuries to staff and individuals within their care that are used to manage some of the most common physical behaviours within the client group specified.

Day 3:

A non-violent physical restraint method is taught to care staff and its reason for use and its design is discussed at length.

During this final day, the three-day course is consolidated and participants are assessed through the use of role plays. On each of the days various training aids and teaching tools and methods are used.

Details and Delivery of the Trainers Plan

Assessment Process

The training process occurs in 3 clear teaching phases totaling 15 working days.

Phase 1: Introduction to the Program – 5 days

This is a full 5 day induction workshop which covers all elements of teaching content and delivery.

Candidates are provided with a framework to deliver the programme. At the end of this course, trainees are allocated specific components that they must deliver on phase 2 of the program.

Topics in this Phase Include:

• Methods of teaching
• Use of audio visual materials
• Teaching physical interventions
• Health and safety issues
• Low arousal approaches.
• Use of role play
• Risk assessment

Phase 2: Training Rehearsal – 5 days

In this phase participants practice delivering elements to their peers. The first two days of the training course are practiced in this manner.

There is a strong emphasis in this phase about training staff to debate issues pertaining to low arousal approaches and de-escalation.

In addition, the lower key physical interventions have to be delivered to the group. Each candidate is then allocated teaching goals in phase 3.

Phase 3: Training Teaching Assessments – 5 days

At this stage candidates will be assessed in terms of their competency. Candidates are expected to present the key elements of the course and are assessed on their competency to deliver the full programme.

Participants will receive feedback from Studio 3 trainers after completing each session. Trainees will be advised in writing at the end of phase 3 and they will receive one of four grades at this point.

• Pass: they have satisfied the trainer that they can successfully deliver the program.
• Pass with areas of support: in this situation pairs of candidate will be deemed Passed, but with specific areas of minor improvement which they will have to provide evidence that these are remediate.
• Remedial work required: A candidate may have to repeat phase 3.
• Fail

Monitoring of Trainers

Each trainer who has successfully completed the assessment process must maintain a personal CPD log in the password protected trainer’s ‘back office’ section of the Studio 3 website.

The trainer’s senior manager or training supervisor and senior Studio 3 Trainers use this system to monitor and aid the trainer’s progress on the system.