Freedom Of Information Department

NHS Lanarkshire, Headquarters, Kirklands, Fallside Road, Bothwell G71 8BB.

Date 22 August 2016 Reference FOI/LCB Enquiries to Linda Brownlie Telephone 01698 858110

Dear Mr Jones,

Further to your enquiry of 22 July 2016 under the Freedom of Information Act, please find our response below. In your request you asked for the following information:-

1. A copy of your violence reduction training programme 2. A copy of your syllabus and training manual depicting the nature and range of physical intervention strategies used in the management of violence in your services. 3. A description of the wider organisational violence reduction strategies you have in place

Response – In line with national guidelines, NHS Lanarkshire operates a zero tolerance policy against anyone who is knowingly violent or aggressive towards any of our staff and is continually working in partnership with local police in the management of aggressive and violent individuals.

Prevention and management of violence and aggression training is mandatory for NHS Lanarkshire staff to enable and equip them to manage violent or potentially violent patients and others.

NHS Lanarkshire uses a risk management framework of risk assessment, incident reporting, risk registers and escalation, monitoring and effectiveness evaluation to establish an appropriate infrastructure and culture of effective and efficient management of risk that will enable continuous improvement in decision-making and facilitate continuous improvement in performance.

In terms of the prevention and management of violence and aggression, NHS Lanarkshire recognises the importance of identifying, assessing and managing risks associated with ‘Violence and Aggression’ through effective application of the risk assessment process, to ensure suitable controls are identified and procedures implemented to manage work related ‘Violence and Aggression’. Please find attached to the email a copy of the NHS Lanarkshire Prevention and Management of Violence and Aggression (PaMoVA) policy which provides the wider organisational violence reduction strategies that are in place.

NHS Lanarkshire provides training to give staff the knowledge and skills required to assist in the prevention, prediction and management of violence and aggression, as such NHS Lanarkshire provides Prevention and Management of Violence and Aggression (PaMoVA) training rather than ‘violence reduction training’. Accordingly in terms of Section 17 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 I must advise that the information sought on NHS Lanarkshire’s violence reduction training programme is not held.

I can advise that different levels of PaMoVA training are available to NHS Lanarkshire staff which are appropriate to training needs identified through local risk assessment of staff members and their role.

Module one training is a theoretical component designed to equip staff with the theoretical knowledge required to avoid, predict and prevent instances of violence occurring or, where violence has occurred, the ability to understand, de-escalate, defuse and safely manage violent incidents.

Module one training is the minimum level of PaMoVA training. Completion of module one training is compulsory for all NHS Lanarkshire staff and is available as an e-learning module (LearnPro). LearnPro is an interactive e-learning system which is available to all NHS Lanarkshire staff. The online learning system is designed as an alternative mode of delivering training and will reduce the requirement for traditional face to face training.

The Lanarkshire Violence & Aggression Awareness online training includes the following modules: Introduction to Risk, Policy and Procedure, Aggression, Violence and Anger, De-fusion and De- escalation and Assault Cycle.

Module two training provides refresher on de-escalation and de-fusion techniques and teaches physical interventions that can be used when preventative measures such as de-escalation have failed and there is no other safer alternative such as withdrawing.

Module three training is designed to give staff the ability to carry out physical interventions that will allow them to safely hold and contain another individual who has caused the member of staff to believe they may cause harm to themselves, the staff member or another individual.

Continued Please find attached to the email a copy of the NHS Lanarkshire Prevention and Management of Violence and Aggression (PaMoVA) presentation which is delivered in modules two and three described above.

I hope this is to your satisfaction. If you have any further queries on this please do not hesitate to contact me.

If you are not satisfied with this response to your original request we can advise you that you do have a right to a review under section 20 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act. For this review you should write to Irene Barkby, Director of Nursing, Midwifery and AHPs, NHS Lanarkshire, Kirklands, Fallside Road, Bothwell G71 8BB or by email to [email protected] within 40 working days of 22 August 2016.

If, following the outcome of a request for review, you are still dissatisfied I can advise you that you have the right to make application for a decision by the Scottish Information Commissioner under Section 47(1) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002. The Commissioner can be contacted at Kinburn Castle, Doubledykes Road, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9DS or by telephone on 01334 464610, by fax on 01334 464611, and by E-mail at [email protected]

Yours sincerely

Linda Brownlie Freedom of Information Officer NHS Lanarkshire

Continued