Escape Techniques are included in the wider CALM curriculum to provide a means by which a member of staff can effectively disengage from a hold or grab by using minimum force whilst still being mindful about the welfare of the person they support. In many environments with habitual behaviours they can be a helpful adjunct to other strategies involving functional assessment, primary prevention, and de-escalation. They are often an important part of organisations’ strategies towards reducing restrictive interventions.
Please note, CALM only teaches physical skills in specific contexts and situations subject to training needs analysis. Risk assessments and behavioural audits must be engaged in to ascertain not only whether there is a legitimate need for physical skills training but also importantly WHICH techniques should be taught. To assist with skill acquisition, retention and ultimately safety, techniques must be limited and must be chosen to meet current operational risks only. Only staff exposed to risks directly, and/or those with the responsibility to intervene, should receive training in physical skills, as should their managers. ALL staff MUST have undertaken the CALM Core Theory course PRIOR to undertaking CALM Physical skills training.
At CALM, we believe that the safest intervention is the one you never have to apply.
We believe: there is always a reason for the distress which presents as challenging behaviour; that skilled support and planning is the key to humanely working with such distress; and that restrictive physical interventions should only ever be used as a last resort.
CALM’s approach is always to reduce the use of restrictive techniques, placing emphasis on primary prevention and strategic approaches to restraint reduction.
To place the training of escape techniques in the correct legal and ethical context
To enable Instructors to deliver in house courses – on the basis of risk assessment and evidenced need
To enable participants to achieve competency in and competency in teaching a broad range of escape techniques
