Impact of CPI Training 

• Increased Staff Confidence: Staff across all schools now feel more equipped to de-escalate challenging behaviour and respond to students’ needs with empathy and consistency. 

• Stronger Relationships: Training reinforced empathy and understanding, helping staff recognise anxiety behaviours and support students through co-regulation and restorative approaches. 

• Authority-Wide Consistency: A shared language of de-escalation now threads through nurture, trauma and relational-based training across all education settings. 

“It’s our response to behaviour that’s key, recognising what’s driving it and how we can de-escalate before risk. CPI gives our staff the confidence to do that.” 

Fiona Dailly 

Principal Teacher (Nurture) 

Situation 

South Ayrshire Council’s Education Directorate supports learners across 48 mainstream schools, two Additional Support Needs (ASN) schools, enhanced nurture provisions and Early Years Centres. 

As student needs became more complex, often driven by trauma, anxiety and neurodiversity, the council identified the need for a consistent, trauma-informed approach that aligned with their nurturing ethos. 

CPI’s Safety Intervention™ programme was chosen because it complements existing nurture, trauma and relational-based practice training already embedded within the authority. Its focus on empathy, communication and least-restrictive practice perfectly aligned with the council’s culture of care. 

“CPI threads through everything we do, our well-being plans, nurture work and trauma training. The messages are consistent and that’s what makes the difference.” 

Fiona Dailly 

Principal Teacher (Nurture) 

Implementation 

The Council adopted a train-the-trainer model, enabling a dedicated team of ten CPI-certified instructors to deliver training across all education settings. 

Training sessions are interactive, scenario-based and rooted in real challenges faced by teachers and support assistants, from understanding anxiety behaviour to using co-regulation effectively. 

Staff are encouraged to apply learning directly to student well-being plans, helping children identify their own anxiety triggers and preferred strategies for calming. This shared language of de-escalation has created consistency across schools. 

“We love when staff challenge us, that’s how we know they’re reflecting deeply. When they say, ‘That won’t work with my student,’ and then you see them try it and succeed. That’s when you know it’s making a difference.” 

Fiona Dailly 

Principal Teacher (Nurture) 

The Nurture Team also delivers de-escalation awareness training to parents through Family Links programmes, ensuring that positive, trauma-informed approaches extend beyond the classroom. 

Outcomes 

South Ayrshire schools report measurable improvements in staff confidence, consistency and student outcomes. 

• Significant reductions in violence and aggression forms have been recorded in several secondary schools following targeted CPI training. 

• Post-incident debriefs are now standard practice, ensuring that both staff and students are supported and that learning is captured for continuous improvement. 

• Restraint reviews and restorative conversations have reduced the need for restrictive interventions authority-wide. 

 “Our staff feel more confident, our students feel more understood, and we’re seeing de-escalation done brilliantly all over the authority.” 

Fiona Dailly 

Principal Teacher (Nurture) 

Future Perspectives 

South Ayrshire Council plans to continue expanding CPI Safety Intervention™ training across all schools, aligning fully with Scottish Government guidance on restraint and seclusion. 

The authority’s proactive stance on co-regulation, reflective practice and post-incident debriefs ensures a sustainable, trauma-informed approach that supports staff well-being and student safety. 

Regular reviews, reflective conversations and cross-team collaboration will remain central to maintaining best practice.