Compassionate Care Group: Creating Safer Environments

Impact of CPI Training

• Proactive management: Safety Pod™ Training supports CCG to manage behaviour more effectively, reducing the need for invasive physical interventions.

• Trauma-informed approach: The training offers a safer, therapeutic alternative for children with emotional and behavioural difficulties, focusing on person-centred care.

• Consistent methods: All staff receive the same training, ensuring a united approach to handling difficult situations across the team.

Situation

Compassionate Care Group (CCG) traditionally operated within adult services, providing domiciliary care and supported living for adults with mental health and complex needs, helping them reintegrate into the community. However, at the beginning of this year, CCG made the decision to expand into children’s services, hiring David Boylan, a professional with over 20 years of experience in children's social care, to oversee the transition. Their first children’s home is set to open soon and Safety Pod™ Training will play a key role in the care model for young people with complex behavioural challenges.

With a background in paediatric nursing, David had previously seen the Safety Pod™ used in the NHS and recognised their potential for more therapeutic and person-centred interventions. He shared this insight with CCG leadership, aligning it with the broader shift in social care towards safer, less restrictive practices.

In CCG’s children's residential home, around 90% of the young people present with emotional and behavioural difficulties (EBD). Common challenges include aggressive behaviour, such as physical altercations or attempts to run away, especially among older teenagers. Other cases involve young girls at risk of exploitation, where physical interventions may be required to prevent harm.

The children being referred to their new home in Knowsley present complex needs and may require physical intervention. By incorporating Safety Pod™ Training into their organisation, CCG aims to be proactive in managing challenging behaviour, reducing the need for more invasive interventions and offering a safer, more supportive environment.

Implementation

To roll out Safety Pod™ Training, three key members of CCG were selected to attend the Instructor Certified Programme: David and two other in-house trainers (who are already trained by CPI to be Certified Instructors). David’s role, being operationally based within the homes, made him ideal for training staff on-site as new members join, especially given the high turnover when managing complex children. While the two in-house trainers, responsible for staff inductions, wanted to integrate the Safety Pod™ Training techniques alongside their existing CPI Safety Intervention™ Training.

CCG are now incorporating Safety Pod™ Training into their induction process for new starters. The full-day training includes Safety Intervention™ Training in the morning, followed by the Safety Pod™ Training in the afternoon. For the initial roll-out to current staff, they plan to train 14 staff members in two sessions, ensuring their teams are fully prepared to handle challenging situations in a safe, calm manner.

The Training Experience

David highlights that one of the key advantages of combining Safety Pod™ training with the use of the pods themselves is the focus on trauma-informed care, which is becoming increasingly essential in the children’s sector. Many children in care have experienced trauma, abuse, or neglect and the Safety Pod™ offers a more therapeutic, person-centred approach that can reduce the negative impact of traditional physical interventions.

David explains that a young girl soon to be placed at their Knowsley home has been subjected to highly restrictive floor restraints for months. The use of the Safety Pod™ will significantly reduce the emotional and physical risks to both staff and children, offering a safer and less traumatic alternative.

The training itself reinforced the safety aspects, such as maintaining open airways during interventions, which is a key benefit of the pod’s design. David also appreciated the consistency that the training brings across the team. By ensuring all staff are trained in the same methods and use the same equipment, everyone is aligned and working from a shared understanding of how to handle challenging situations safely and effectively.

“It’s a safer approach to physical intervention and exposes the staff and the young person to less risk.”

David Boylan - Children's Register Manager

Future Perspectives

As CCG continues to grow, they are already considering the logistical needs of expanding their use of the Safety Pod™. Currently, they have invested in two pods for their children's home—one for each floor to ensure quick access during incidents.

However, as the organisation scales, David recognises the need to add a pod at the head office for more efficient staff training. While it's manageable now to conduct training on-site at the children's home, having a dedicated pod at the office will become a practical necessity as the children’s services expand and more homes are established.