Voices of CPI Blog

Perspectives and insights from experts and partners.

Recent Blogs

Education
Visiting Sharnbrook Academy: Winner of CPI’s 2023 Behaviour Survey prize
Blog | CPI’s Ollie Frith visits Sharnbrook Academy, the winner of CPI’s Behaviour Survey prize to immerse himself in their school culture for the day.
Health Care
Influencing, Informing and Improving Practice in Qatar
Blog | CPI Global Professional Instructor Michelle Dewsall shares her experience of delivering CPI Safety Intervention™ Foundation Training to CI’s at ISSCT in Qatar. 
Education
Regulating our Emotions in the Classroom: Practical Tips for Educators
Industry expert Dr. Lori Desautels shares practical tips to help educators regain control over their own emotions to better serve the needs of the children in their classroom.
Education
How can schools reduce student exclusion?
CPI’s Global Professional Instructors answer your question on how pupil exclusion can be reduced in schools 
General
10 Tips for Being Trauma-Informed
Blog | Here are CPI’s 10 Tips on How To Be Trauma-Informed
Education
A Holistic Approach to School Improvement: Rethinking Staff Training
Blog | Using CPI's 360-degree approach to behaviour management can foster positive behaviour, enhance school culture and create an environment that promotes academic success for all students.
General
How CPI Training programmes stay in line with international research
Blog | As we eagerly await the release of Safety Intervention 3rd Edition, we look back at how CPI MAPA has evolved over the years
General
Language and creating a positive workplace culture
Blog | CPI Professional Trainer Susy McCleery reflects on the use of negative language and how we can choose to create a more positive culture within our organisations.
 
Education
Can isolation change student behaviour?
Blog | CPI’s professional instructors answer your question on whether they feel isolation is the answer to addressing challenging behaviour in schools.
 
Health Care
A recruitment agency’s Bild ACT affiliation journey
Affiliates | CPI’s Quality and Compliance team are on hand to help customers through the Bild ACT affiliation process as Aneesa of NISI Staffing can testify to.
 
Health Care
CPI training at NHS Foundation Trusts
Blog | The pandemic increased the need for CPI training across the UK. For the NHS Foundation Trusts in the North West of England the training has been integrated really successfully into paediatric settings.
Social Care
Legislation in Scotland – Children and Young People
Blog | We’ve rounded up the legislation and guidance for care professionals working with children and young people that will shape your decision making.
Education
Legislation in Scotland – Recent case law
Blog | As part of a series of blogs on Scottish legislation and guidance, we look briefly at the first tribunal case in Scotland which found that the restraint of a young autistic female amounted to unlawful discrimination.
Health Care
Restraint and training legislation in Scotland
Blog | Keeping up to date with legislation is not always easy but it is important. We’ve rounded up the Scottish legislation that refers to restraint.
General
The Bad News Conversation: How do you handle it?
Blog | CPI Global Professional Instructor Mien Bhagwandin talks about the most effective way to deliver bad news. 
 
General
The RRN Standards, our team and you
Affiliates | Meet our Quality & Compliance team who can help you through the process of affiliation, understanding the Restraint Reduction Network Training Standards and what the Standards mean for your organisation.
Education
CPI School Behaviour Survey - Part 2
News | We recently sent out a survey to find out more about how behaviour is changing and how it's being tackled by teachers across a range of schools. Read part two of the results from our School Behaviour Survey.
Education
CPI School Behaviour Survey - Part 1
News | We recently sent out a survey to our education contacts to find out more about how behaviour is changing and how it's being tackled by teachers across a range of schools. The results highlight a number of behaviour management issues.
Education
Is the out-of-control behaviour in my classroom due to lack of pupil confidence?
Blog | A CPI Professional Instructor answers a question on how to manage out-of-control classroom behaviour and encourage pupils to complete the work set for them.
 
General
5 tips for dealing with ‘difficult’ people
Blog | We give you five simple tips that can help when trying to diffuse a situation with a difficult person.
 
Education
What are scripted interventions and how can I introduce them into my classroom?
Blog | A CPI’s Global Professional Instructor answers one of your questions on scripted interventions and explains how they benefit teachers when engaging in difficult conversations with pupils.
Health Care
Case Study: Preparing university students with skills and confidence
Case Study | Edge Hill University in the North West of England delivers CPI training to its nursing students as it meets all the NHS's conflict resolution requirements and adds to that with extra practical solutions.
Education
CPI's Leading Culture Change events are back!
Event | CPI’s education division (formerly Pivotal Education) has relaunched and rebranded its highly successful Leading Behaviour Change seminars to now be our Leading Culture Change events.
General
CPI Conference 2023 – Collaborating for Change
Event | Find out more about our CPI Conference in 2023 which will be held in Manchester on May 25th and will have the theme Collaborating for Change - Understanding Behaviour Challenges: How Experts by Experience Improve Outcomes.
General
Tips for when your employees or colleagues are working alone
Blog | Leverage these CPI training programme lone worker safety tips from our US colleagues to keep your employees safe.
General
CPI’s Powerful Adult Teaching Methods
Blog | How do you help staff learn the strategies taught in training? Everyone’s learning style is unique, but most benefit from a mix of these powerful methods.
Education
Dangerous behaviour in a science class! Help!
Blog | One of CPI's education experts takes a question on poor, and sometimes dangerous, behaviour in a large science class.
 
Education
Voices of CPI Q&A Forum - Education
Blog | CPI’s experts answer your questions on education. From behaviour management to fostering a positive classroom culture, we’ve got all the answers.
Education
Should school routines have a definite end date?
Blog | A CPI expert answers a question regarding routines and how to ensure they are successfully embedded into your school and classroom culture.
 
General
CPI receives High Commendation at HSJ Partnership Awards
NEWS | CPI's Clinical Holding training receives award in the Best Educational Programme category at the HSJ Partnership Awards.
Health Care
How Clinical Holding training can help your staff
Blog | When staff know how to implement the appropriate intervention at the right time, it can improve staff confidence, morale as well as patient safety.
General
Language Matters: Why it's important to choose your words carefully
Blog | CPI trainer Laura West looks at why it's important that we, specifically when talking about neurodiversity, try and make the right choice of words and terms.
General
Why choose Direct Delivery training?
Blog | We look at the benefits of our Direct Delivery training model, which organisations it would be most suited for and how we can help with providing training facilities if needed.
General
Why be a Global Professional Instructor?
Blog | One of our Global Professional Instructors based in Australia, Paula Elliot, talks about her role, what she likes about it and what it's like working for CPI within the training team.
General
Reasons to be a Certified Instructor and the train-the-trainer model
Blog | One of CPI's Global Professional Instructors in Australia, Paula Elliot, knows first-hand the importance of organisations, wherever they are in the world, having a Certified Instructor and the benefits of CPI's train-the-trainer model.
Education
Improving pupil attainment with a focus on whole school rapport and relationships
Blog | CPI’s Global Professional Instructors answer your questions on education, from behaviour management to fostering a positive classroom culture we’ve got the answers.
 
Health Care
What does lack of capacity really mean?
Blog | CPI Global Professional Manager for Adult Services Tim Sproston discusses what lack of capacity really means and some of the key principles that must be considered.
 
General
Depression, anxiety and children's mental health

Blog | Francis Florencio reflects on the importance of children and young people’s mental health as we head into Children's Mental Health Week in the UK.

Health Care
My first encounter with Clinical Holding training
Blog | Global Professional Instructor Huw Lloyd writes about his experiences, from his perspective as a CPI trainer, of his first encounter with our Clinical Holding training.
Education
As a pastoral worker, how can I use restorative practice in my school?
Blog | CPI’s Global Professional Instructors answer your questions on education, from behaviour management to fostering a positive classroom culture, we’ve got the answers.
 
General
Why choose CPI training? And the MAPA and Pivotal Education story
Blog | Just some of the reasons to choose CPI training and how that training has been built on MAPA and Pivotal Education philosophies.
Education
Case Study: Creating calmer, happier and safer children
Case Study | How Ladygrove Primary School built on a pivotal approach and used CPI's Safety Intervention training to create calm, consistent behaviour throughout the whole school.
Education
How do I get my unresponsive class to answer my questions?
Blog | A CPI Global Professional Instructor addresses the issue raised by a Year 6 primary school teacher about how to get pupils to answer her questions.
Health Care
Case Study: How CPI aids restraint reduction at an NHS Trust
Case Study | Joanne Adkins of Coventry & Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust told us how working with CPI for 10 years has made a positive impact on the Trust's provision of services and its mission to reduce restraint.
Education
How can I get an uncooperative pupil more involved in the class?
Blog | A CPI expert gives their advice on how to build relationships and trust with pupils from difficult home backgrounds.
Education
How do you manage low-level disruption?

Blog | A CPI trainer addresses the common problem of how to manage consistent low level disruption in the classroom.

Education
What are your feelings on behaviour management award systems?
Blog | A CPI expert answers a teacher's question around behaviour management award systems and seating plans.
 
General
Is first aid important when delivering restrictive interventions?
Blog | CPI Global Professional Instructor Steve Martin considers the importance of first aid training for staff who use physical interventions.
 
Education
Beyond the Student: How Educators Can Help Alleviate Parental Anxiety
Blog | Educators play a key role in helping children re-acclimatise to the classroom. But post-pandemic, there is a growing need for them to help alleviate parental anxiety around school transitions too.
Education
Supporting mainstream TAs as they face alarming levels of physical and verbal abuse
Blog | CPI Global Professional Instructor Huw Lloyd gives his take on the recent study by The University of Roehampton which highlights violence against teaching assistants.
 
General
Why Does Bullying Happen & What Can We Do About It?
Blog | As we approach Anti-Bullying Week, CPI Global Professional Instructor Vicki Conway considers what bullying is, why people bully and what we can do about it.
 
General
The role of precipitating factors on men’s mental health
Blog | CPI Global Professional Instructor Michelle Dewsall looks at the impact of precipitating factors on men’s mental health
 
Education
The Great Debate: Mobile phones in schools
Blog | CPI Global Professional Instructor Huw Lloyd considers the increasing use of mobile phones and other technology in schools over the past 50 years.
General
Making your mental health a priority
Blog | Our Global Professional Instructor Katharine Sell explores the importance of making your own mental health a priority amidst a cost of living crisis and other factors.
General
The Opt-Out Sequence – when to hold & when to let go
Blog | CPI trainer Adam Mellor looks at CPI's Opt-Out Sequence, which is essentially the art of knowing when to hold and when to let go to ensure the safety of everyone.
General
Let’s consider trauma
Blog | CPI Global Professional Manager Susy McCleery looks at trauma and Adverse Childhood Experiences and how we can support and understand those who have experienced them.
Dementia Care
Tips for caring for someone with dementia
Blog | September is World Alzheimer's Month. Our Global Professional Instructor Mien Bhagwandin talks about her first experiences of dealing with someone living with dementia and how to deal with changing behaviour.
General
Setting the scene for training
Blog | That hour or so before your attendees arrive is crucial to get prepared for the day. CPI Global Professional Instructor Helen Calvert provides some guidance on the things to consider when preparing a training room.
General
Recording risk behaviours
Blog | One of our Global Professional Instructors gives their advice on how to record an occurrence of risk behaviour so others can better understand the staff response.
Health Care
Delivering Clinical Holding training
Blog | Our Director of Training Chris Sheehan talks about his experiences of delivering Clinical Holding training over the past couple of years.
 
General
How to create a classroom conducive to adult learning
Blog | Global Professional Instructor Alison Grimley provides some tips on how to ensure adults are able to maximise their learning when on any training programme.
Education
Now is the Time for Teacher Self-Reflection
Blog | Reflective practice in teaching can show how you’ve responded to past successes and challenges in the classroom and help prepare you for the new school year.
Behavioural Health
What’s Behind the Aggression?
Blog | CPI’s blog discusses how the influence of precipitating factors can lead to aggressive behaviour.
Education
Find the reasons behind the behaviour
Blog | A guest blog from a teacher who wants to encourage fellow teachers to see the learner behind the behaviour and, in turn, help to build their resilience.
Education
Anxiety: The first level of the Crisis Development Model
Blog | CPI Director of Training Maria Taylor looks at anxiety, the first level of the Crisis Development Model, and how to ensure the staff response is right.
Education
Win over colleagues with a Hearts & Minds INSET
Blog | Winning over the hearts and minds of colleagues will make the implementation of a new behaviour  strategies, policy or procedure so much more efficient and effective.
General
How to unwind after a day of caring for others
Blog | CPI trainer Vicki Conway looks at how we can unwind and look after our own mental health at the end of a stressful day.
Health Care
CQC report highlights lack of improvement in reducing restraint
Blog | The CQC has released a progress report which strongly shows that not enough change has been made in the past two years to reduce restrictive interventions.
General
Communication in the training room
Blog | We can communicate in many ways when we are delivering our training; verbally, paraverbally and non-verbally. CPI trainer Steve Martin looks at how Certified Instructors and other trainers can become better at communicating.
Education
Recognising and supporting neurodiversity
Blog | How to recognise and support neurodivergent learners in your classroom.
Education
How reading can affect behaviour
Blog | For World Book Day, Global Professional Instructor Huw Lloyd takes a look at how some of the schools he trains in make the most of the event and stick to its true meaning.
General
Mental Health and Resilience
Blog | One of our Global Professional Instructors explores how, using the concept of the Intergrated Experience, you can boost your mental resilience. 
Health Care
Struggling to Cope: Violence and Aggression Faced by Mental Health Staff
Blog | To coincide with Mental Health Nurses Day, we're resharing a previous blog focusing on a UNISON report examining mental health staff and services in 2017. The pre-pandemic results indicated a sector under pressure.
General
Are you using the 6 Core Strategies for reducing restraint and seclusion?
Blog | Find out more about the 6 Core Strategies and how CPI's training can support your organisation in implementing them.
Education
Case study: Gwynedd & Isle of Anglesey County Councils
Case Study | CPI has been training instructors at Gwynedd & Isle of Anglesey County Councils for 10 years. Those trainers have then trained others within a variety of schools from small rural primary schools to much larger secondary schools - each with fantastic results.
General
How to make sure your training benefits everyone
Blog | CPI trainer Simon Rogers looks at some of the useful tools trainers can use to ensure their style of training suits and benefits everyone.
Education
Improving whole school behaviour
Blog | There is no magic strategy or silver bullet for improving behaviour. Focus on prevention and creating a culture in which problem behaviour is less likely to occur.
General
How we say what we say – Paraverbals
Blog | Looking into our own behaviours can help us address the things we say and how we say we say them (paraverbals) and how they contribute to the crisis behaviour of others.
General
What to do after a crisis
Blog | Post crisis, it's important that both the individual and members of staff feel supported as no one will want the situation to escalate again.
General
How to listen effectively
Blog | CPI's top tips on how to listen effectively.
General
5 verbal de-escalation techniques
Blog | The aim of this blog is to give you some basic verbal strategies that you could think about using when faced with an individual in distress.
General
Seni's Law / RRN Training Standards Statutory Guidance
Blog | Statutory guidance for NHS organisations in England and police forces in England and Wales underlines the need for all training that includes restrictive physical interventions to comply with the RRN Training Standards. Blog features links to the Standards and various guidance.
General
What to expect from an instructor programme
CPI's Lucy Parker tells us what to expect from CPI instructor training if you haven't done anything like this before.
Education
One Kind Word - What we can do to end bullying behaviour
Global Professional Instructor Cathy Duncan focuses on One Kind Word, the theme of this year's anti-bullying week.
General
The Power of Gratitude - #ThankYouThursday
Blog | Take some time each week to be thankful and show thanks to those around you whether they be colleagues, learners, patients, service users or friends and family. #ThankYouThursday
Education
How CPI training covers a range of behaviours
Understanding levels of behaviour and what training is right for your organisation or school.
General
CPI's Crisis Development Model
Blog | What is CPI's Crisis Development ModelSM and how can it be used to prevent or de-escalate the situation.
Health Care
Communication and mental health
It's World Mental Health Day on October 10th so let's open up our communication not just for the 10th or even the month, but as an ongoing aim.
General
CPI Conferences 2021 – The Best of Both Worlds
Blog | Everything you need to know about the CPI Education and Health & Social Care Conferences in November 2021
Education
Back to school: Communicating about behaviour
Some ideas for communicating a school’s vision for behaviour to parents / carers.
General
Training lessons from lockdown
Managing behavioural risks post-Covid.
Education
Five behaviour myths that could be affecting your Classroom Culture
Blog covering five myths that can hinder a positive culture in your school.
Education
Make your school INSET training actionable and sustainable
Training needs to be engaging, insightful, accessible but most importantly it needs to be actionable and sustainable.
Health Care
Understanding trauma and its impact
CPI’s trauma element within our core training programmes covers how trauma impacts people and how to be trauma-responsive.
Dementia Care
New: Dementia Capable Care
CPI's new Dementia Capable Care training programme is based on an enriched model of care and support.
General
Wrist Flexion Techniques and CPI training
Blog | Wrist Flexion Techniques (WFT) are pain inducing with increased risk of injury.
Education
Education professionals: Prioritise your own wellbeing
Teachers have got to prioritise their own wellbeing to avoid burn out.
Education
New: Classroom Culture training

Fostering a positive culture within all classrooms

General
From MAPA to Safety & Verbal Intervention
Guidance for those making the transition from MAPA to CPI's Safety and / or Verbal Intervention training programmes.
Dementia Care
Dementia & lockdown: how to support people with dementia & their carers
A few ideas on how to support carers and their dementia patients throughout lockdown.
General
Role model behaviour - intolerance won’t be accepted
Tolerance in education.
General
Free webinar  - Are you ready for the RRN Standards?
Be prepared for the RRN Standards | Access our free webinar
Education
Plugged in - how to empower young people
Three ways to empower young people to establish a strong, authentic sense of self.
Education
Taking the positives from a pandemic
Being challenged by Covid-19 has allowed us to reflect on the important question of why we are doing something.
Health Care
What is Bild ACT Affiliation and what does it mean for you?

Blog | RRN Training Standards certification is a legal requirement for all NHS commissioned Mental Health Services and will become a statutory responsibility for all social care providers.

Education
Staying connected while physically distanced
When young people feel attached to their school, they are less likely to exhibit disruptive behaviour or emotional distress.
Health Care
Weighing up the risks and moving forward

Training at St Andrews Healthcare during Covid 

Education
Consistency is not a fad
Blog | If we’re going to have any chance of developing and sustaining a culture of positive behaviour, it is vital we do everything in our power to embed those consistencies so even on the last day of term they are seen, heard and felt by everyone.
Education
Creating a calm and welcoming classroom
BLOG | The start of this school year is going to be a very different one for children, parents and staff.
Health Care
How do you restart face-to-face training amid a global pandemic?
North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare and CPI training.
Education
Changing the narrative
We do help to create the nurses, doctors and health workers of the future.
General
A brave new world of training
Virtual training insight from CPI's Global Professional Instructors.
Health Care
Putting the Standards into practice
The new RRN training standards mean a whole organisation change.
General
COVID-19 Update
Covid-19 CPI training updates
General
COVID-19 and the use of physical interventions
COVID-19 Message from Martyn Dadds MD, CPI International.
Education
CPI showcases campaigning work to Shadow Schools Minister
News | Shadow Schools Minister Mike Kane visited the CPI offices in Sale, Manchester to find out more about our training and our work around restraint reduction.
Dementia Care
Dementia Research: The Major Areas of Excitement in 2020
Key developments in dementia research.
General
How to get the support you need after training
How to ask for post training support from your boss. And CPI is here to help with any training questions you may have.
General
Developing a restraint reduction plan
Professor Joy Duxbury, chair of the Restraint Reduction Network in England, explores where to start with creating an organisational restraint reduction plan.
Education
Ravenswood School: How MAPA® & Pivotal MAPA® helped us to change
Case study | Ravenswood School & CPI training
Education
CPI pushes for better protection for children
News: A clear policy on the use of restraint will provide clarity for teachers and carers.
General
Tell Your Success Story
CPI Case Studies - Showcase your training success.
Health Care
Patient and Staff Safety: Why They’re Intertwined
There’s a deep connection between patient and staff safety... and an easy-to-overlook way to improve it that can actually cut costs.
Education
Educational Diversity: Sharing Good Practice
Case Study | Headteacher Ali Bellaby shares how CPI training serves mentally and medically challenged pupils in her unit.
Health Care
Understanding the Importance of Integrated Experience
The Integrated Experience is defined as the way behaviour impacts behaviour—how my behavioural choices can impact yours.
Dementia Care
Six ways to plan ahead if you are diagnosed with dementia
Dementia can be a very unpredictable condition – you will have better peace of mind by having these details dealt with.
General
Update on Seni's Law, The Use of Force Bill
The Mental Health Units (Use of Force) Bill, introduced in November 2017, continues to be modified to be an effective guidance for patient safety.
Why Renewals and Refreshers Are Important for You and Your Staff
Training may help identify common behaviours and strategies for intervention during a crisis, but training comes to life in our day-to-day experiences.
Dementia Care
A Proactive Approach to Avoiding Difficult Behaviours in Dementia
Once a person with dementia exhibits challenging behaviour, it takes a mix of empathy and skill to maintain everyone’s wellbeing.
General
6 Tiny Tips for Saving the World
A CPI Global Professional Manager shares tips to mindfully make the world a better place, paired with CPI resources that can help you implement these tips into your everyday life.
General
CPI’s Top 10 De-Escalation Tips
CPI's top ten de-escalation tips are everyday strategies for crisis prevention, and a way of seeing humanity as full of potential, and not hopelessly problematic.
General
De-Escalation Tip of the Day: Allow Time for Decisions
De-escalation tip 10
General
De-Escalation Tip of the Day: Choose Wisely What You Insist Upon
It's important to be thoughtful in deciding which rules are negotiable, and which are not.
General
De-Escalation Tip of the Day: Set Limits
Stock your toolbox with these tips, resources, and perspectives on using your CPI training at work and home.
General
De-Escalation Tip of the Day: Ignore Challenging Questions
Redirect challenging behavior and restore focus to the issue at hand.
General
De-Escalation Tip of the Day: Focus on Feelings
Sometimes just being present can be a powerful force of a calm in a crisis.
General
De-Escalation Tip of the Day: Avoid Overreacting
Keeping your cool in a crisis might be easier said than done, but it can facilitate real healing for a person in need.
General
De-Escalation Tip of the Day: Use Nonthreatening Nonverbals
A former prosecutor’s tip for connecting with jurors is readily adaptable to helping calm an individual in crisis.
General
De-Escalation Tip of the Day: Respect Personal Space
Defuse tension in a crisis by taking a Supportive Stance℠.
General
De-Escalation Tip of the Day: Be Empathic and Nonjudgmental
Mindful compassion can take a situation from conflict to connection.
Education
Singapore Philosophy and MAPA®
Lesley Kandola recently visited Singapore to deliver a MAPA Foundation Course. Here she shares her experiences and what she learnt along the way.
Health Care
How MAPA® Training Has Improved Care at St Andrew's Healthcare
Launched in January 2016, St Andrew’s Healthcare’s MAPA (Management of Actual and Potential Aggression) programme has now seen more than 1,800 clinical practitioners complete the course.
Six Key Restraint Reduction Strategies for Your Organisation
Restraint reduction has been in the news a lot here in the UK. While we obviously do train people in restraint techniques, our focus has always been on prevention, with use of safe, non-harmful physical intervention only as a last resort.
Guidance for Avoiding Staff Burnout
The National Development Team for Inclusion have released new guidance for staff to achieve a healthy work/life balance.
The Benefits of CPI Training: A Nurse’s View
“The course really underpinned my own values of working in a patient-centred and least-restrictive manner,” writes nurse Gemma Willingham-Storr.
General
Families of Vulnerable People Call for Crisis Intervention Training for Police
The families of people with mental illness are calling for more training for both police officers and NHS staff.
Restraint: Rights, Risks, and Responsibility
Training is essential for all nursing staff who treat vulnerable adults.