What are the Restraint Reduction Network Training Standards?

About the Standards

Commissioned by the NHS, the Restraint Reduction Network Training Standards provide a national and international benchmark for training in supporting people who are distressed in education, health and social care settings. The Standards aim to facilitate culture change, not just technical competence.

They are designed to:

• Protect people's fundamental human rights and promote person-centred, best interest and therapeutic approaches to supporting people when they are distressed
• Improve the quality of life of those being restrained and those supporting them
• Reduce reliance on restrictive practices by promoting positive culture and practice that focuses on prevention, de-escalation and reflective practice
• Increase understanding of the root causes of behaviour and recognition that many behaviours are the result of distress due to unmet needs
• Where required, focus on the safest and most dignified use of restrictive interventions

The NHS commissioned the Restraint Reduction Network to develop the Standards following several high-profile cases that exposed the unnecessary and inappropriate use of restrictive interventions in health and care settings. Every NHS and social care organisation in England that uses restrictive practices and supports people with mental health conditions, dementia, learning disabilities or autism is expected to comply with the principles.

This has been a long-held aim of the Restraint Reduction Network, a national charity set up with the sole aim of reducing the use of restraint.

What do the Standards cover?

The Standards cover four key areas related to the provision of restrictive intervention training in health, education and social care services:

• Section 1 (Standards 1.1 to 1.8) covers the part of the process that needs to be completed before a curriculum is developed and authorised for each service
• Section 2 (Standards 2.1 to 2.15) covers what must be included in the curriculum
• Section 3 (Standards 3.1 to 3.6) relates to post-delivery processes
• Section 4 (Standards 4.1 to 4.7) focuses on trainer competence, development and quality assurance
• Appendices 1 to 21 address specific considerations where particular populations are being supported (1 to 8), in particular settings (9 to 16), or in particular countries (17 to 20)

Staff must have face-to-face training in preventative (primary) and secondary strategies before they are taught to use restrictive interventions.

What is required from NHS and social care organisations?

Since 1 April 2020, it has been a requirement of the NHS and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) that health and social care services have certified restrictive intervention training that complies with the Restraint Reduction Network Training Standards, first published in 2019.

Health and social care providers are expected to demonstrate that they comply with the Standards when they are inspected by the CQC. To do this, they need certification that their training complies with the RRN Training Standards. Certification can be granted directly by the BILD Association of Certified Training (BILD ACT), or by a BILD ACT certified training service.

The implementation, embedding and maintenance of the Standards will also be viewed by regulators and inspectors, as well as by families, as indicative of an organisation committed to best practice and characterised by therapeutic care and support.

How do I become compliant and achieve certification?

There are three ways to achieve certification:

1. Go to BILD ACT directly
2. Have training delivered to your organisation by a training service that BILD ACT has certified, such as Maybo
3. Become an affiliate organisation of a certified training service such as Maybo, so that your own trainers are qualified to deliver its curriculum in house

What is a certified training service?

Certified training services have a BILD ACT approved training curriculum and authorised trainers. They have been through a rigorous, independent assessment audit in which 20% of their training is observed.

Once certified, a training service can authorise NHS and social care organisations to operate as affiliate organisations that deliver its training programme in house. This follows an evidence-based assessment of the organisation, which is reviewed and approved by BILD ACT.

What will the outcomes be for the people supported?

The Standards focus on human rights, restraint reduction, prevention, de-escalation, safe use and recovery, with the aim of ensuring that people who use services:

• Are consulted and engaged about the care they receive
• Have the opportunity to share their point of view and have their voices heard
• Benefit from the elimination or reduction of restraint, so that it is only ever used as a last resort
• Only have techniques used with them that are safe, more comfortable and less frightening
• Have a care plan and record of any techniques used, agreed and reviewed with care staff, families and guardians

This aims to help achieve positive and safer outcomes for everyone.

Are the Standards likely to be rolled out more widely?

Organisations ranging from Ofsted to the Local Government Association have signed up to the RRN Training Standards, demonstrating wide-ranging support.

They are currently mandatory only for certain services in England, but are likely to become compulsory for education, health and social care services across the UK, probably incrementally over several years. While only some organisations need to prove compliance, everyone should be working to the standards of care they advocate.

Which Maybo courses are certified?

Maybo training programmes certified by BILD ACT include:

• Promoting human rights and reducing restrictive practices
• Understanding behaviour: a positive behaviour support approach
• Observing behaviour to inform PBS plans and strategies
• Implementing person-centred active support
• Positive approaches to behaviour
• Safer de-escalation
• Personal safety and disengagement
• Redirection and guiding
• Safer holding
• Safety Pod

Maybo training programmes have also been accredited by City & Guilds since 2004. Training can be delivered by us, in the classroom or virtually, or by your own trainers through our Train the Trainer programme.

Talk to us about RRN certified training

We can deliver certified training to your staff, or train your own trainers to deliver it in house as an affiliate organisation.