D.ESCAL8™ know it can sometimes be difficult finding somewhere to take the individuals we support on holiday. Concerns around behaviour - particularly noise and breakages - make supporters feel limited in the choice of accommodation. D.ESCAL8™ recommend Fronrhydwen, a family run smallholding in Pembrokeshire, where Des Cooke lets out a cottage for holidays. The four bedded accommodation is set in a rural 4 acres, affording space and quiet, whilst being situated a short drive from all the area has to offer. Des and his family have welcomed individuals and their carers on many occasions. They have a relaxed and flexible approach e.g. acceptance that noise is part of life.

If there is any indication or suspicion that anyone has suffered an injury or psychological trauma following the incident / use of physical intervention they must receive treatment and support as soon as is reasonably possible. Debriefing is misused as a term, and while analysis is important in a Positive Behaviour Support framework, your D.ESCAL8™ facilitator discussed these two areas and the differences between debriefing and offloading. 

When under pressure we respond in a small number of differing ways. These tend to be in 2 main camps. Those who feel the need to control and those who have a more relaxed attitude. The question is which has a better effect on the person in distress? Picture this, you are under pressure and in distress and you shout at your partner "just get me my dinner!" and your partner replies "No, you will not talk to me in that manner! ENOUGH now."

the D8 admin system has developed steadily over the last few years and is now at the point where we can release individual participant online access to their own digital certificates. This has been a while coming and the certificates do not look anything like their physical solid card counterparts. However it does mean participants who for one reason or another do not get their certificate from the course organiser or have lost it, can gain a digital replacement themselves online.

From Inception D8 was formed as a method of getting high quality training to those who care for individuals in distress. Part of that concept involves smaller companies and individuals who find accessing training prohibitive for various reasons. Apart from the obvious cost implications with running a full training course there are also the implications regarding closing a business to release staff for the course to occur.

Over the last few years we have been having many conversations with family members who say they never receive support with their child or relative's behaviour.For a long time we debated how to achieve supporting family around their person. I grew up with disabilities as part of my family life and therefore am quite close to the fundamental idea that we are in a great positions to assist others.

The term debriefing is an industry-used term. In our industry while useful it is often misunderstood when talking about application at ground floor or grassroots level. When discussing the term de-briefing we @de-escalate.com have separated the term debriefing into different areas. I will discuss one of these here.

A brief conversation around the administration system that we use on a daily basis.

Recently I was lucky enough to attend the latest BILD seminar entitled - Attachment Trauma & Relationships D.ESCAL8 has, from its inception, focused on attachment, trauma and resilience in relationships and in our main course titled – “Developing Positive Relationships with Individuals in Distress”. I was therefore interested in this seminar in particular and was able to swing my timetable to go in the last few days prior to the event.

PBS, Positive Behaviour Support Training focuses us to follow a path, yet there has not been a succinct summation I cared to share until now. The British Institute of Learning Disabilities’s new Centre for the Advancement of Positive Behaviour Support has commissioned a video animation to help explain PBS. I have put it here and also an easily memorable short link for you to this video.