Under the Use of Force Act 2018, all PMVA training delivered to staff providing care to those within mental health, healthcare, social care, and education settings, must be aligned to the Restraint Reduction Network (RRN) Training Standards.

Between 2013 to 2019 several high-profile cases were identified that involved unnecessary and dangerous use of restrictive physical intervention skills within healthcare settings. As a result, the NHS commissioned the Restraint Reduction Network (RRN) to develop appropriate restrictive practice training standards, focusing on prevention, de-escalation, and human rights.  
 
Bild ACT are currently the only UKAS certified provider of the RRN training standards to certify organisations, such as The Health & Safety Group, as being aligned to the RRN Training Standards.  
 
Under the Use of Force Act 2018, restrictive training aligned to the RRN Training Standards is a legal requirement for all UK healthcare professionals providing care for individuals with some form of mental illness, learning disability, dementia, or autism.

When booking this course, candidates will be enrolled onto a short theory Elearning module, providing them with the underpinning knowledge needed prior to attending the 3-day practical course.

During the 3-day practical course, candidates will expand their knowledge of primary, secondary and tertiary strategies. They will also receive training in a variety of physical intervention skills, enabling them to make informed decisions when responding to challenging behaviour in their specific populations and settings.

The Health & Safety Group are currently the only provider offering nationwide Bild Certified PMVA open courses suitable or accessible for all workers to attend.

The Health & Safety Groups’ unique PMVA training programme has been created to support all healthcare professionals to meet their statutory training requirements, with a primary focus on agency workers and recruitment agencies in the UK.

Once you complete your training, you can share your BILD Certified PMVA training certificate with a fantastic range of top employers through our FREE Healthcare Certificate Register verification service. This certification opens up job opportunities with leading agencies, NHS Trusts, and private organisations right across the UK!

Due to the physical nature of the course, certain restrictions have been put in place for candidate safety. All candidates must be able to lower to the floor and rise unaided. We cannot accept any pregnant candidates on the course and post-natal learners should seek advice from their GP prior to attendance.

All candidates must wear suitable clothing, e.g., tracksuit bottoms, trainers, and t-shirt.

Theory Elearning

• Legislation, Legal Frameworks + Ethical Considerations
• Legal Responsibilities + Reasonable Force
• Mental Capacity + Mental Health
• Reflective Feedback Questions

Day 1

• Re-cap on Reflective Feedback Questions + Group Discussion
• Challenging Behaviour, Behaviours of Concern
• Root Causes of Distress
• Creating a Supportive Culture
• Health, Therapeutic Relationships + Person Centred Care
• Populations and Locations
• Dynamic Risk Assessments
• Stages of the Assault Cycle
• Situational Awareness
• Identifying, Managing + Reflecting on Triggers
• Listening + Communication Skills (communication models)
• Indicators of Confrontational Behaviour
• Overview of Martyn’s Law (The Terrorism [Protection of Premises] Act 2025)

Day 2

• Risks Associated with Restraint
• Verbal + Non-Verbal De-escalation Techniques
• Disengagement techniques:
  • Wrist Grabs
  • Body Grabs
  • Bites
  • Hair/Clothing Grabs + Strangulation
  • Avoiding Punches and Kicking

Instruction + practice of:
Friendly Come Along - Non-Contact and stage one, two and figure of four:

• Clenched Fist Hold
• Team Approach Techniques 
• Chair De-escalation Single Upper Arm Wrap All angles
• Turning from secure Hold into rear facing position
• Separating Two Patients Fighting 2 Staff
• Role of the head Person (HP)

Day 3

Instruction + practice of: -

• Supine Descent
  • Rear team Approach Ready to descend to floor (2/3 Staff Team)
  • Controlled descent backwards into Supine position
  • Staff moving from Supine Descent to elevated Supine position
  • Elevated Supine rest position
  • From elevated rest position to straight arm

• Seated de-escalation
  • Supine De-escalation, Role of Head person
  • Three C’s
  • Supine Leg Hold
  • Supine- Changing arm holds
  • Supine Safety Pod
  • XL Cushion

• Unexpected and/or unintentional controlled decent to the floor where the aggressor dictates or initialises the downward movement (prone)
  • Prone controlled decent to floor 2 staff (arms) Last Resort
  • Upper rest position (URP) to Lower rest (LRP)
  • Prone Controlled decent to floor Last Resort
  • Disengagement at kneeling while descending towards prone (2/3 Staff)
  • Last resort: Re-enforcing in Lower Rest Position Floor-de-escalation
  • Prone position leg hold-leg hold trouble drill- removing leg hold
  • Turning- Patients Supine to prone
  • Turning patients from prone to supine

• Seclusion Options
  • Seclusion exit (leaving via head), Seclusion Exit-Rapid Exit Option
  • Safety pod
  • Doorway Headperson 3 Persons

By the end of this course, candidates will be able to:

• Assess and evaluate levels of risk posed by difficult/challenging people
• Understand lawful use of restrictive intervention
• Create a supportive environment to meet a person's needs
• Balance quality of life with reducing restraint
• Identify negative factors affecting staff and persons supported
• Understand use of 'reasonable force' as described in law and its limitations and requirements
• Recognize procedural and environmental factors affecting conflict situations and their importance in decision making
• Use primary strategies to proactively meet a person's needs, leading to reducing distress and behaviours of concern
• Place emphasis on verbal and non-verbal communication during conflict situations
• Recognize impact of cultural differences on communication
• Identify causes of communication breakdown and the importance of creating conditions for communication to succeed
• Describe common causes of conflict and stages of the assault cycle
• Recognize behavioural patterns of individuals during conflict
• Recognize warning and danger signals displayed by individuals during a conflict situation
• Summarize appropriate methods and actions for conflict situations
• Understand importance of early intervention
• Identify short and long-term support available to those affected by a violent incident
• Provide support to those directly affected by a violent incident for wider organizational benefits
• Understand different types of de-escalation strategies
• Define appropriate Secondary and Territory Non-Restrictive and Restrictive Strategies to manage aggressive individuals
• Provide an overview of Martyn’s Law, highlighting its purpose and key components