Prevention and Management of Aggression and Violence (PMAV) training course focuses on early intervention techniques and non- physical methods for preventing or managing disruptive and aggressive behaviour.

The aim of this course is to provide participants with the knowledge, confidence and skills to recognise the early indicators that precede aggressive behaviour and the ability to assess and de-escalate a situation before it becomes violent. The course will also cover the principles of personal safety techniques to avoid injury if an incident becomes physical.

This course is based on the HSE’s Policy on the Prevention and Management of Work-Related Aggression & Violence 2018, their Strategy for Managing Work-related Aggression and Violence within the Irish Health Service 2008 and the Mental Health Commissions’ Code of Practice on the use of Physical Restraint.

PMAV Course Outline  

• Theory of violence and aggression in the workplace
• What violence and aggression in the workplace is
• Understanding and managing conflict within healthcare
• Ethical & Legal requirements associated with violence and aggression
• Strategies to avoid occurrences of aggression and violence
• Identification, assessment and resolution of conflict
• Recognition, assessment and management of escalating situations.
• Assault cycle
• Recognition and assessment of the escalation process
• Use of stage specific de-escalation skills
• Service user and situation specific risk assessment and management.
• Understand and managing conflict within healthcare.
• Verbal de-escalation skills
• Management of verbal aggression
• Crisis management
• Physical and psychological risks involved in physical interventions
• Safe practice in lone working and working alone
• Personal safety in providing physical care
• Risks associated with the use of physical interventions

Physical Interventions and breakaway techniques

• Physical intervention
• Team Physical techniques
• Disengagement interventions
• Safe physical containment
• Evasive techniques

Course Pre-Requisite Requirements

This course is suitable for learners of varying fitness levels

Learners will need to adhere to the training safety requirements and dress code for the course

Course Safety and Dress Code

PMAV and Breakaway courses includes, instruction of particle physical intervention skills.

Learners will be required on the day of the course to be suitable attired;

• No hard shoes, boots, hiking boots or steel toe-capped footwear should be worn. Ideally it is recommended that trainers are worn.
• Jeans should not be worn; ideally it is recommended that tracksuit bottoms or leggings are worn.
• No items of clothing should be worn with studs, decorative zips or embellishments such as beads, sequins for example. It is not recommended that hoodies with strings be worn.
• Items of jewellery such as chains and watches are not recommended.
• Learners have to be over 18