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Voices of CPI Blog

Perspectives and insights from experts and partners.

Editor's Picks

General
02 June, 2023 From CPI's MAPA to CPI's Safety & Verbal Intervention

Guidance for those making the transition from CPI's MAPA (Management of Actual and Potential Aggression) to CPI's Safety and / or Verbal Intervention training programmes.

Health Care
14 July, 2022 Delivering Clinical Holding training
Education
09 June, 2022 Anxiety: The first level of the Crisis Development Model
General
12 October, 2021 CPI's Crisis Development Model

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Health Care Education Dementia Care General De-escalation Skills Verbal Intervention Trauma Behaviour Management

Recent Blogs

Education
12 September, 2023 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.
General
11 July, 2023 10 Tips for Being Trauma-Informed
Blog | Here are CPI’s 10 Tips on How To Be Trauma-Informed
Education
04 July, 2023 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
03 July, 2023 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
29 June, 2023 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
28 June, 2023 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.
 
General
22 June, 2023 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
15 June, 2023 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
13 June, 2023 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
13 June, 2023 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
12 June, 2023 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
02 June, 2023 From CPI's MAPA to CPI's Safety & Verbal Intervention
Guidance for those making the transition from CPI's MAPA (Management of Actual and Potential Aggression) to CPI's Safety and / or Verbal Intervention training programmes.
General
23 May, 2023 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
23 May, 2023 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
11 May, 2023 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.
General
18 April, 2023 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
17 April, 2023 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
14 April, 2023 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
28 March, 2023 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
27 March, 2023 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
24 March, 2023 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
24 March, 2023 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
24 February, 2023 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
14 February, 2023 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
07 February, 2023 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
07 February, 2023 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
01 February, 2023 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
19 January, 2023 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
11 January, 2023 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.
 
Education
04 January, 2023 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
19 December, 2022 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
16 December, 2022 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
29 November, 2022 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
29 November, 2022 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
29 November, 2022 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.
 
Education
29 November, 2022 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.
General
24 November, 2022 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
18 November, 2022 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
17 November, 2022 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
04 November, 2022 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
17 October, 2022 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
04 October, 2022 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
30 September, 2022 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
07 September, 2022 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
06 September, 2022 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
25 August, 2022 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 the changing behaviour.
General
12 August, 2022 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
02 August, 2022 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.
General
19 July, 2022 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.
Health Care
14 July, 2022 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.
 
Behavioural Health
27 June, 2022 What’s Behind the Aggression?
CPI’s blog discusses how the influence of precipitating factors can lead to aggressive behaviour.
Education
27 June, 2022 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
17 June, 2022 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.
Education
09 June, 2022 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
13 May, 2022 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
26 April, 2022 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.
Education
21 March, 2022 Recognising and supporting neurodiversity
Blog | How to recognise and support neurodivergent learners in your classroom.
General
18 March, 2022 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.
28 February, 2022 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
22 February, 2022 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. 
Social Care
21 February, 2022 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
16 February, 2022 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
08 February, 2022 Case study: Gwynedd & Isle of Anglesey County Council
Case Study | CPI has been training instructors at Gwynedd & Isle of Anglesey County Council 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
02 February, 2022 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.
General
01 February, 2022 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
18 January, 2022 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
05 January, 2022 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
06 December, 2021 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
06 December, 2021 How to listen effectively
Blog | CPI's top tips on how to listen effectively.
General
06 December, 2021 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
01 December, 2021 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 with links to Standards and guidance.
General
05 November, 2021 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
28 October, 2021 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
21 October, 2021 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
12 October, 2021 How CPI training covers a range of behaviours
Understanding levels of behaviour and what training is right for your organisation or school.
General
12 October, 2021 CPI's Crisis Development Model
What is CPI's Crisis Development ModelSM and how can it be used to prevent or de-escalate the situation.
General
29 September, 2021 Instructor Conferences 2021 – Ensuring your training is future proof
Blog | Everything you need to know about the Instructor Conferences in November 2021
General
19 July, 2021 Training lessons from lockdown
Managing behavioural risks post-Covid.
Education
09 July, 2021 Five behaviour myths that could be affecting your Classroom Culture
Blog covering five myths that can hinder a positive culture in your school.
Education
28 May, 2021 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.
General
20 May, 2021 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
13 May, 2021 New: Dementia Capable Care
CPI's new Dementia Capable Care training programme is based on an enriched model of care and support.
General
11 May, 2021 Wrist Flexion Techniques and CPI training
Wrist Flexion Techniques (WFT) are pain inducing with increased risk of injury.
Education
04 May, 2021 Education professionals: Prioritise your own wellbeing
Teachers have got to prioritise their own wellbeing to avoid burn out.
Education
22 April, 2021 New: Classroom Culture training

Fostering a positive culture within all classrooms

Dementia Care
07 April, 2021 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
03 March, 2021 Role model behaviour - intolerance won’t be accepted
Tolerance in education.
General
16 February, 2021 Free webinar - Are you ready for the RRN Standards?
Be prepared for the RRN Standards | Access our free webinar.
Education
12 February, 2021 Plugged in - how to empower young people
Three ways to empower young people to establish a strong, authentic sense of self.
Education
30 November, 2020 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.
Education
02 November, 2020 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
30 September, 2020 Weighing up the risks and moving forward

Training at St Andrews Healthcare during Covid

Education
24 September, 2020 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
18 September, 2020 Creating a calm and welcoming classroom
The start of this school year is going to be a very different one for children, parents and staff.
Health Care
11 August, 2020 How do you restart face-to-face training amid a global pandemic?
North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare and CPI training.
Education
23 July, 2020 Changing the narrative
We help to create the nurses, doctors and health workers of the future.
General
21 July, 2020 A brave new world of training
Virtual training insight from CPI's Global Professional Instructors.
General
20 July, 2020 Putting the Standards into practice
The new RRN training standards mean a whole organisation change.
General
15 June, 2020 COVID-19 Update
Covid-19 CPI training updates
General
31 March, 2020 COVID-19 and the use of physical interventions
COVID-19 Message from Martyn Dadds MD, CPI International.
Education
02 March, 2020 CPI showcases campaigning work to Shadow Schools Minister
Shadow Schools Minister visits CPI offices.
Dementia Care
06 February, 2020 Dementia Research: The Major Areas of Excitement in 2020
Key developments in dementia research.
General
17 January, 2020 How to get the support you need after training
Post training support.
General
17 January, 2020 Developing an organisational reduction plan
Where to start with creating a restraint reduction plan.
Education
13 January, 2020 Ravenswood School: How MAPA® & Pivotal MAPA® helped us to change
Case study | Ravenswood School & CPI training
General
02 October, 2019 Tell Your Success Story
CPI Case Studies - Showcase your training success.
Health Care
26 September, 2019 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
26 June, 2019 Educational Diversity: Sharing Good Practice
Headteacher Ali Bellaby shares how CPI training serves mentally and medically challenged pupils in her unit.
Dementia Care
07 February, 2019 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.
06 June, 2018 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.
Dementia Care
29 January, 2018 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
10 October, 2017 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
06 October, 2017 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
29 September, 2017 De-Escalation Tip of the Day: Allow Time for Decisions
De-escalation tip 10
General
27 September, 2017 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
26 September, 2017 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
25 September, 2017 De-Escalation Tip of the Day: Ignore Challenging Questions
Redirect challenging behavior and restore focus to the issue at hand.
General
22 September, 2017 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
21 September, 2017 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
20 September, 2017 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
19 September, 2017 De-Escalation Tip of the Day: Respect Personal Space
Defuse tension in a crisis by taking a Supportive Stance℠.
General
18 September, 2017 De-Escalation Tip of the Day: Be Empathic and Nonjudgmental
Mindful compassion can take a situation from conflict to connection.
Education
27 June, 2017 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
05 June, 2017 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.
22 May, 2013 Guidance for Avoiding Staff Burnout
The National Development Team for Inclusion have released new guidance for staff to achieve a healthy work/life balance.
15 May, 2013 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
14 May, 2013 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.
13 May, 2013 Restraint: Rights, Risks, and Responsibility
Training is essential for all nursing staff who treat vulnerable adults.
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