GBH on the NHS: The reporters story

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Title – GBH on the NHS: The reporters story
Source – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 26th February 2007

Staff in many different environment suffer from workplace violence, bar staff, waiters & waitresses, door supervisors, council staff, transport workers and teachers As despicable as any violence against anyone performing a public duty, attacks on the staff of the NHS are all too common. These staff work on the front line of a war every night from drunks, drug users and those that just don’t have any respect for people trying to help them when they most need it.

Workplace Violence affects workers in all sorts of roles and they can all benefit from measures that responsible employers take to reduce violence, protect their staff and train them in basic skills to reduce the incidence of violence and resolve it when it arises.

NHS staff are on the front line of work place violence and have started to take measures to prevent the regularity of assault on staff, some that can lead to severe and permanent injuries.
At Beyond The Blue we run Conflict Management & Resolution Courses (CMR) for employers who are looking for ways to reduce the risks presented by aggression and violence in their workplace. The aggression itself is often just the tip of the iceberg and the problems of stress and fear and the associated costs, can be reduced by providing key skills training.

Please visit our website www.btbl.co.uk

Extra guards for violent patient

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Title – Extra guards for violent patient
Source – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 26th February 2007

Abusive patients can cause the health services difficulties beyond all reasonable control, they put doctors and nurses in impossible positions, the dilemma between their own safety, the safety of other staff and their dedication to help everybody who needs it equally.

But individuals are not the biggest problem, the general attitude within the NHS that people it treats can act violently towards staff without consequence and in an environment where tolerance is not just a skill, but a devotion, is eroding the service and contributing to some of our societies most dedicated and professional carers leaving the organisation.

Training is a key element in reducing the risks and giving staff confidence, it can have a significant effect. We runs courses in Conflict Management & Resolution (CMR) helping individuals working in fields where workplace violence is a concern, to gain the skills to deal effectively with aggressive or violent situations they may face, without the need to resort to outdated overzealous techniques that may cause harm to themselves or others.
Our Physical Intervention Courses (PI) can add a further layer of protection to staff on the front line, specialising in low impact techniques our break-away and disengagement skills are designed to allow individuals to master them quickly and effectively. This enables you to extricate yourself from situations when they turn violent.

Please visit our website at www.btbl.co.uk

Violence cost NHS ‘£100m a year’

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Title – Violence cost NHS ‘£100m a year’
Source – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 26th February 2007

Violence seems to be accepted as part of our modern day society but that doesn’t mean that society has to accept it. Not only does violence cost millions of pounds each year to society as a whole, but individual companies and organisations have to foot much of the bill themselves; this latest estimate putting the cost of violence to the NHS at £100million every year.

Not only does it cost, more importantly it often seems to be directed at people who’s only ambition is to help those committing the violence. There can be no excuse ever to act aggressively or violently towards NHS staff, it is a fact that not only cost millions that should be spent on health care itself but places stress on those people who dedicate their lives to helping others. Stress and fear are two factors that no one wants health care employees to feel when they are treating us, in our hour of most need.

Staff within the NHS as well as many other areas can reduce some of the stress and anxiety experienced in the workplace by attending a Conflict Management & Resolution Course (CMR) or in the most volatile workplaces a Physical Intervention Course (PI). This enables them to be able to physically deal with aggressors when required as a last resort.
We offer courses in managing conflict and specialises in helping staff who work in environments where they come under pressure from members of the public and are vulnerable from workplace violence.

Please visit our website at www.btbl.co.uk

Party drug that killed my sister should be classed alongside heroin.

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Title – Party drug that killed my sister should be classed alongside heroin.
Source – Evening Standard
Date – 25th January 2007

Understanding the actual effects of drugs rather then folklore enables individuals to make educated decisions, so whenever a tragic death occurs there are calls for tougher drug legislation. The class any drug falls into is often falsely taken as a sign of its potency and the dangers involved with its use. Unfortunately with any drug classed below the A rating, a public perception of relative innocence follows and this is certainly not the case.

A reaction to any drug can lead to medical complications and in the worst cases death. Individuals working within industries where drug use is prevalent have to understand the nature of drugs and drug related symptoms and behaviour. Those working within the Security Industry, Licensed Retail Sector, Universities, Health Services, Working with Young People and Local Authorities are just few of the individuals to whom this knowledge is essential.


We run the BIIAB National Certificate for Licensees Drug Awareness course (NCLDA), In-House Security Induction courses (IHSI), Conflict Management & Resolution courses (CMR), National Certificate for Door Supervisors (NCDS) courses and provides Consultancy Services to various industries. These courses contain the latest information on current drug trends and information on individual drugs, their dangers and affects. Candidates leave our courses fully prepared to work effectively in their particular environments.



Please visit our wbsite at www.btbl.co.uk

Crystal meth made a class A drug

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Title – Crystal meth made a class A drug
Source – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 18th January 2007

Methamphetamine otherwise known as methylamphetamine or desoxyephedrine and under the street-names crystal meth, tina, krank, tweak, and ice has reached epidemic levels in many parts of the world including the USA, Australia and South East Asia. In the UK steps have now been taken to re-classify it as a Class A drug before what is currently a small user group, expands to the almost pandemic proportions of other countries.

We run In-House Security Induction Courses (IHSI) that cover all aspects of the role and responsibilities and key skills of those working within the Security Industry and the licensed retail sector specific to their venues. These courses consider the current situation from a legal standpoint as well as the signs and symptoms of use and users. We examine the particular demographic of the venues customers to enable us to focus on the most relevant information.
We also run BIIAB National Certificate for Licensees Drug Awareness Course (NCLDA) and the National Certificate for Door Supervisors Courses (NCDS) which also cover aspects of illegal drug awareness and understanding.

Please visit our website at www.btbl.co.uk

On the town with London’s booze bus

Title – On the town with London’s booze bus
Source – The London Paper
Date – 19th December 2006

The emergency services in cities round the country face increased pressures driven mainly by alcohol related incidents, over 38,000 annually in London alone. Ambulance staff and paramedics know that a large part of their duties on a Friday and Saturday night will involve dealing with alcohol related incidents, many may resent it and many feel like their time and skills are being wasted by these cases, which are essentially self inflicted.

Within the licensed retail sector and security industry, professional door supervisors are realising that they have a role to play in ensuring that this increasing problem is controlled, managed and redressed. Although the pressures on bars and clubs to reach sales targets are continually increasing, many are realising the advantage of responsible alcohol retailing rather then discounting and encouraging binge drinking. Some in the industry are realising that while selling 4 discounted drinks to binge drinkers is one way to ensure maximum turnover, selling one at full price to a customer (with the lower overheads this can offer in staff cost alone) is just as profitable.

Door supervisors, managers and licensed retail staff rely on their ability to call the police, fire brigade or ambulance service whenever they are needed and assume that they will turn up in support. But if we are to start working as a team with the emergency services, then we can not just demand their assistance, we also have to offer ours.

The professionalism spread via the Security Industry Authority and those working to promote better levels of training in the industry, has made managers and staff stop and start to realise; that controlling those within our venues has the potential to reduce the number of drink related incidents that spill onto the streets and tie up the time of those emergency service staff we rely on to support us.

On the other side of the equation, as much as door supervisors and managers are employed to protect staff and other members of their team, by considering members of the emergency services are part of the bigger support team and essentially being on our side, we have a duty to protect them too. Assaults against ambulance and NHS staff are at unacceptable levels and responsible licensed retailing sector has a role to play in reducing these attacks.

We believe that training is the basis of making the security industry more professional. By presenting In-House Security Induction Courses (IHSI) we can train your staff specifically for your venue and where required provide the National Certificate for Door Supervisors (NCDS) to help individuals attain their SIA Door Supervisors Licence. We help our clients through Consultancy Projects to put systems into place to ensure that all staff are aware and capable of playing their part in providing safe and responsibly managed venues.

We also provide courses for NHS staff, ambulance staff and paramedics in Conflict Management and Resolution (CMR) to enable them to control volatile situations and reduce violence toward them and their colleagues.

Please visit our website at www.btbl.co.uk

Virginia police sign out on code words

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Title – Virginia police sign out on code words
Source – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 7th December 2006

Communication is just one of the skills taught in Beyond The Blue’s Conflict Management & Resolution course (CMR). But communication comes in various forms. To be effective working within the security industry we have to understand both communication with our customers who ever they may be and in whatever state they are in and also effective communication between our own teams.

As this article proves even the police get it wrong and have to evolve. Codes are used both by the police and the security industry. The point of code words is to make communication of key information clear and concise, to allow individuals communicate vital information or ask for help without needing to give a big explanation. This information is often transmitted over two way radio or in environments where there is excessive noise or where individuals are under extreme pressure. These communication blocks often lead to communication break downs.

As the police in the New York found during the 9/11 terrorist attack, when many different forces came together to help and support each other, communication broke down as each individual team had slightly different code words. This balance is very important, enough code words to cover emergencies and common problems, but not so many that they become confusing.

In the security industry code words are commonly used and every bar and club seems to have a different set of codes they work from. Through Consultancy Projects, we help develop communication systems that allow all members of staff to understand each other whatever area they work in. This process can be reinforced by In-House Security Induction training (IHSI) and Venue Specific Manuals that we can develop to set systems for your venue. For clients with more then one venue these systems are especially useful as they can be rolled out across all venues, so that staff who may be interchangeable will be able to work in any venue, rather then having to learn a whole new set of rules and systems each time they move.

We have staff who have been developing systems for over 15 years, they are tried and tested and work effectively in many different environments. When we start a Consultancy Project we examine your current set up and reinforce the positive systems already in place and review and replace those that are letting your team down. We work within your environment with your staff and management so that the changes we advise on, already have the support of those people who will need to enforce them once they are in place. We don’t assume we know best and don’t dictate, because each venue has its unique features, but our systems help clients to achieve their goals.

Please visit our website at www.btbl.co.uk