After having just one shift as a support worker, I felt pretty overwhelmed and out of my depth. Luckily, my company booked me in for the deescal8 course and after completing it, I feel much more able to care for the person that I'm supporting. The course emphasises treating the person you're caring for as you would like to be treated, with dignity and autonomy. It also teaches you physical skills in a safe and relaxed environment, and that is in the best interests of your safety, your colleagues and that of the person that you're supporting, in a way that's least distressing. Des would remind us that "when you have the assurance that you can use these skills, it increases your confidence and therefore less likely to need them". I'd recommend this course to anyone already in the care sector and to people interested in working in the care sector.

I'm so glad that this was the first training course I've done for supporting people in distress. I've been reflecting on the course since and everytime I do I learn something new. The course teaches you how to support an individual in the least restrictive way possible but more importantly it teaches you about how to manage your emotions and perceptions so that you can reduce the need for restraint in the first place. Thank you for an amazing learning experience!

Thank you for the 3 day Supporting People in Distress training. The training is completely different from any other training of this nature that I have done previously, in the best way possible. The training is engaging and thought provoking. It really does make you think about interactions with people. The training is also made to feel real, and not forced or unnatural as other training can be. The training felt very safe and felt that all on the course where able take it at their own pace but feel including in the course. Thank you again and look forward to my update day!

Hey Des hope you're well,just wanted to reaffirm how game changing this training is compared with any other training I've done before.

The least restrictive methods always first and foremost.

All of the techniques taught were techniques I've not seen before and worked so much better and were tested in very realistic scenario's during the training whereas the different maneuvers I've been taught before weren't tested and easily forgotten.

To sum it all up, an amazing 3 day training course I for one suggest the whole of the sector uses because it is by far the best training out there! And will greatly benefit the incredible people we support, ourselves and our co-workers.

I felt this course perfectly balanced, both the theory and law, focusing on ACEs and how this affects a young person’s behaviour then going on to cover de-escalation techniques that historically staff have maybe not had when working with young people.

Also, the physical side of the training, with the trainer giving us a list of profiles to choose from which give an overview of a young person before acting this out and expecting us to work through what we had learned while under pressure.

I found this to be the most realistic training I have been on, and it really put you in the type of situation that staff find themselves in while working in the services.

In my 20 yrs in the industry and 100’s of courses I have attended this was by far the most thought provoking, relevant and realistic approach to supporting individuals. This course could make an unmeasurable difference, not only to the individual’s you support but to staff moral within your team. Couldn’t recommend highly enough.

D.ESCAL8 helped me feel confident and safe in the most distressed state that service users could find themselves in, but more importantly opened my eyes to the sheer amount of things we can do before we have no choice but to physically get involved. I would recommend to anyone who wants to protect and improve the lives of those we care for.

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I have attended many types of intervention training over my 25 years working in health and social care, DESCAL8 is the first training I have attended that puts the focus on the individual as the centre of the process, the focus on working with the individual to ensure everyone is kept safe whilst anxiety is high but without the need for force and control to ‘manage’ the risks. The psychology behind the theory gives a strong thought structure to ensure application of physical practice is applied with the right value basis attached. I have completed the 3 days walking away with a fresh perspective, with the right value basis and knowledge that I can support myself/team to stay safe without the need to control individual when they are experiencing high levels of distress- ensuring that the support they receive is build on trust and respect that is not broken at these times. Absolutely amazing!

I have been working with individuals who display behaviour that may challenge for about 6 years. In this time, I have completed various types of physical intervention training from different providers.

Although these were good, I have found the D.escal8 training to be significantly better at helping me understand and consider the reasons behind challenging behaviour. The interventions were taught in a way that made them both memorable and adaptable. In addition, the positive impact on my confidence and attitude has extended beyond my work life.

Des is very knowledgeable. His qualifications and experience speak for themselves.

Hi Des trust you are doing well. On Monday while on duty with another member of staff we had a major incident in the community that lasted for nearly thirty minutes.

I thought you would like to know we used the De-esculate techniques you taught and they worked extremely effectively.

Nothing like proving something works well when in a real life situation.

The training is very informative and challenges expectations about challenging behaviour. It encourages it's participants to think in a more person centred way than they may be used to from other training. The practical aspects of the course are vital for improving form and building confidence

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The experience was incredible I learnt so much as a support worker. I feel as though after taking this training I can be so much more confident and so much better at my job . Des is incredible he teaches you so much and gets you to really think outside the box!

Des course has provided me with so many pro-active strategies and taught me that there is so much we can do before we restrain a person. The compassion, trauma informed and focus on dignity and respect really came across to me during the course. He is extremely interactive and we feel we have had the opportunity to practice well and receive feedback. Highly recomended!

I have been involved in care/ support work for over thirty years and this was the sixth provider of this type of training I have attended. I was also a company trainer for several years as well.

I really wish I had recieved the D.ESCAL8 training many years ago it is way beyond any other training both in practice and theory.

The practical is so hands on and in the past I have left training with doubts that it would ever work in practice. The role plays on the third day left me with no doubt this training is extremely effective and works.

There was a real focus on the relationships with clients and supporting people in distress when everything else has tried and failed involving discussion that really encouraged the whole group to contribute.

We were told at the beginning of the course we would not hear the words "challenging behaviour" but focus on supporting people in distress and I that was just they way the course was presented.

If you have had doubts in the past about training then I would strongly recommend you attended this course as I believe that you as I was will not come away disappointed.

In one word "Brilliant"

The course is a real eye-opener. Not only does it holistically make connections between theory and practice, it allows the practitioner to unpick their own understanding around matters such as ACEs and trauma, and helps us to understand why we see the world as we do, and why our practice is as it is.

There is time given for meaningful introspection, which makes D.Escalate more than just a behaviour tool, but an integral part of one's modus operandi.  Once you've been on the course, you really cannot see the concept of 'behaviour' as a single entity, an unattached reaction or simply a negative response to an unwelcome instruction or set of rules again.

The course affords the opportunity to see behaviour as an integrated and connected part of so many other factors developmental and social factors in the life of a child. It helped me to realised that when we see behaviour as the whole story and not just as series of inconvenient parts, we can see ourselves, and the part we play in the whole process - recognising that behaviour is a multifaceted thing to be acknowledged, deliberately thought about, sometimes taught or modelled, and definitely nurtured from beginning to end;

Behaviour is not just a single word, or an interesting chapter in a child's life-  it's the whole book.

I just wanted to take the time to thank you and say how much I enjoyed the D-ESCAL8 course.

I truly felt it provided so much engaging and interesting information about the different levels of mental states people can find themselves in when they are distressed. The course has equiped me with the tools needed to be able to recognise and understand the different degrees of distress and then assess and deal with the situation effectively dependent on the actual level of intervention needed.

With the focus being on changing the way WE work and think as opposed to changing the individual and their behaviour, I can see why some of my colleagues didn't get on with the course as they couldn't escape the mindset of "this is rewarding bad behaviour." I can understand this being a struggle for them as we ourselves were taught under the guise of you do what you're told when you're told and you don't answer back, and even though we ourselves often disagreed with this way in our youth, the idea of well it's how I learnt so they have to learn the hard way too is still our go-to. This course shows you that this isn't the only way and is often not very effective as it creates counter control. However, if you can get over that way of thinking, look past your own perception of individual's intentions and are able to reliquish the desire for control then you will open yourself up to be more flexible not only with the people you support, but with all people you interact with through your life.

Again, thank you for providing the course to us, I really feel it has had a major positive impact on the way I will work and interact with all people. It pleases me to know that some of the thoughts I have had before regarding punishment and learning weren't actually far off and that there is someone out there who has thought and developed on those ideas and has effectively and successfully put those into practice.

I recently attended the 'Descal8' training with Des and I am really impressed.

I have attended a few [other company name removed] training courses in the past and thought this would be similar. However it was not.

There are two aspects that really stood out to me:

1. The course is cleverly designed to increase your confidence over the course of 3 days, using techniques such as role play and practice sessions that slowly increase in intensity. This is great as it can feel like a real representation of a situation that can occur and gets you thinking fast! - By day 3 I definitely had more confidence and do feel I could implement what I have learnt should a situation arise (which, of course, we always hope it won't).

2. This was the most important part which stood out to me.  This course taught me the least restrictive practice I've ever come across! Previous training programs I have attended, taught maneuvers that were very hands on and in some cases restricted the movements of the service user, which has the potential to cause more distress. Descal8 shows you ways that help you gain control over the situation and not the person. And that, to me, is perfect.

Thanks again - It's definitely a course you will remember! :)

Thank you so much for the training you did with me & the other staff at my work place.

I found it very interesting & relatable. Your training is very informative & true. The way you deliver the training is so good as it makes you think about why am I doing this. Should I be doing this at this point.

It has also given me confidence to know when to interven & when to not. So Thank you so much and I look forward to a refresher session when it is needed.

Here is my comparison to other training I've received

I found the training from De-escalate unique from anything else I have done. It takes a unique perspective, which will definitely change my approach in how I support service users.

Really enjoyed it all. Thanks again

As expected, Des was very approachable and welcoming, consideration was paramount in adhering the COVID-19 requirements, even with the restrictions being lifted, he ensured the environment was safe for all attendees.

As I have previously been a trainer in PBM, much of the theory base is what I had expected with some differences in style of approach which offered food for thought, whereas, the physical interventions taught appeared in practice to be less complex than previously taught techniques  but as effective, with the emphasis always on the least restrictive.

Des made the training fun, interesting and thought provoking. Look out for the ‘scenarios’!!

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I attended the 3 day course delivered by Des. Des was extremely engaging and facilitated the 3 days very well. The 3 days were challenging and thought provoking but Des delivers the training with such skill that all trainees appeared relaxed and able to learn.

I have been an instructor of PBS training as part of my role, including the theory and physical techniques, for many years,  so prior to the course I was looking forward to seeing some alternative techniques. I approached the course interested to see some alternative physical interventions. The theory element was pretty much similar to what I deliver but the alternative physical techniques I was very impressed with and after 30 years of working within this area and having attended many physical intervention training packages over the years I have to say this course has really made me think about the overall approach to physical interventions. I believe all staff would benefit from attending this training, even if they have vast experience of delivering PBS training and physical interventions.  

Des made a huge difference to Woodbridge Park. We have been on a rapid journey towards a more holistic, trauma-informed approach with our children and young people; moving away from traditional black and white behaviourist principles. Des joined us at the right time in this journey and provided some intensive staff support and training which has had a significant impact on our procedures and on staff practice. Thanks to Des’ calm, reassuring manner, our staff engaged intently with training and it was clear that many had a few ‘light bulb’ moments when it all suddenly made sense.

Des inspired and motivated our whole service to think differently about behaviour and to focus on what is really going on with a child or young person. As a result of Des’ support, we have developed a trail-blazing pupil induction and targeted support toolkit which clearly identifies underlying causes of negative behaviours and personal triggers. We revised our Development Plan to focus on trauma, attachment and reducing staff and pupil stress and anxiety and focused all our energies in approaching children and young people with curiosity, not judgment. Since 2018, our challenging behaviour incidents have fallen around 50%, our fixed-term exclusions have reduced from over 100 per year to less than 15, with no pupils; for over a year; with more than one exclusion. Our school attendance has also improved over the last two years and we remain above national averages. Des was part of this success and this journey and we cannot speak highly enough about him, his energy and approach.