Spotlight theme 2: Training and Awareness – Part 1: Prevention

Challenging behaviour prevention works towards achieving a healthy and safe workplace by encouraging good communication and growing skills and knowledge in identifying patients who may be at risk of challenging behaviour.

This theme focuses on identifying risk factors, employing risk control methods; promoting communication, raising awareness and developing staff skills and knowledge.

The key ‘prevention’ priorities within the Challenging Behaviour Strategic Framework include:

Priority 1: Workforce capability development

Ensuring the skillsets of individual teams are regularly reviewed and provision of training and information is delivered accordingly.

Resources to support this priority:

eLearning module factsheet

This resource introduces the Preventing and Responding to Challenging Behaviour eLearning Module (PDF 186KB) and explains how to access the module.

eLearning module

The Introduction to Preventing and Responding to Challenging Behaviour eLearning module is available to all staff at induction and covers, causes and triggers, intrinsic and extrinsic factors, where and when challenging behaviour occurs, high risk settings and times.

TeamSTEPPS® eLearning course

An evidence-based program designed to improve teamwork & communication.

Education and training framework

Tool 5: Education and Training Framework for Challenging Behaviour aims to:

  • assist the regular review of individual team skillsets.
  • describe core and mandatory learning requirements/ minimum standards for skills and knowledge of workers.
  • guide the consistent selection of procurement, development, and delivery of effective learning programs across SA Health.
  • ensure that all workers have completed the relevant eLearning modules at induction, accessed via Digital Media e-Learning.
  • ensure all SA Health workers, including managers, develop the necessary skills, capabilities, knowledge and behaviour to prevent and respond to potential challenging behaviour, violence and aggression.
  • Training and education will result in skilled, culturally competent, high performance teams with expertise tailored to the clinical context and health service in which they work.

Priority 2: Environmental design

Physical environments are assessed for improvements, security, functionality, integration with workflow and the consumer journey. Environments are also assessed for safety, calm and relaxation to prevent Challenging Behaviour incidents.

Resources to support this priority include:

Environmental design checklist

Challenging Behaviour Environmental Design Checklist (PDF 654KB) completed annually, this tool is used to identify hazards and risk in the work environment including workplace design relating to security, health and clinical settings.

Priority 3: Awareness of effective and safe communication

As we pursue the effective and safe management of challenging behaviour, we consider our choice of communication and language (including body language), ensuring clear expectations and acceptable behaviour and responses that consider cultural and language diversity.

Resources to support this priority include:

Careful communication booklet

The Careful communication booklet (PDF 339KB) talks about the importance of effective communication and placing the patient/consumer at the centre of care to reduce the likelihood or escalation of challenging behaviour.

Successful communication poster

The 7 keys to successful communication poster (PDF 108KB) explains the steps required to achieve effective communication and highlights good communication as the core to preventing challenging behaviour.

Priority 4: Risk identification, planning and management

Risk management processes are implemented in clinical settings where there is high frequency of challenging behaviour incidents. Patients are screened and assessed for challenging behaviour risk, and monitored throughout their hospital/ health care journey to detect any deterioration in physiological and mental state.

Resources to support this priority include:

Self-assessment audit tools

Tool 2: Organisation-wide, self-assessment audit tool for challenging behaviour committees

Part 1 of this tool refers to hazard identification and risk assessment for Prevention of challenging behaviour (primary risk controls).

At an organisational level, effective risk management preventative strategies are identified and reasonably practicable risk control measures introduced, monitored and reviewed for effectiveness.

Worksite safety inspections checklists

These checklists are used to review environmental factors. A worksite safety inspection program is the mechanism for proactively identifying, assessing and recording safety hazards and risks in the work environment.

Work site safety inspections (WSSI) are completed annually but frequency is dependent on the health settings risk profile (e.g. a high risk setting may complete the WSSI monthly). Refurbishment and building plans consider security and other challenging behaviour aspects.

Worksite Safety Inspection Checklists may be accessed through your local Workforce intranet pages.

Patient screening tools

For example, the 4AT is a screening tool designed for rapid assessment of delirium and cognitive impairment.

Screening tools are used to identify people who may be at risk of challenging behaviour throughout their hospital/ health care journey.