Our mental health

training          

e-Learning and reflection programmes

Introduction to relational security

The Introduction to Relational Security programme provides staff with everything they need to satisfy a robust induction into the core elements of relational security. It’s a cost effective and clinically assured method of providing staff with consistently delivered essential knowledge.

Users have well-presented information about relational security through videos and interactive learning, questions and scenarios to reflect on, perspectives from other experts, and instant feedback on how their views compare with their peers via social polling.

Leaders will have access to management information providing insight on how relational security feels in the service, and what the priorities are looking forward.

  • The three elements of security (Physical, Procedural & Relational)

    Thinking about risk

    Harm to patients

    Harm from patients

    Potential impact of a serious incident

    Who in the team contributes to relational security?

    Who outside the team contributes to relational security?

    What relational security is

    What relational security isn’t

    The model of relational security

  • 45 minutes (average)

  • £49.75 per user per year

  • For more information about the e-learning including what participants thought to their learning experience and to watch a short demonstration video visit: https://www.frontfoot.net/training

    For more detail about how the e-learning works, how to access the course, management information, governance, licences, and purchase visit: https://www.frontfoot.net/elearning-information

Boundaries

Although most staff talk about boundaries, most haven’t had the opportunity of much specialised learning. And yet staff tell us boundaries is the primary issue of concern to them.

Our Boundaries programme helps staff develop therapeutic maturity when considering the application of rules in a mental health service. We reflect on restrictive practice, trauma, therapeutic approach, professionalism, trust, consistency, negotiation, and communication.

Leaders will have access to insights we’ve never had previously about relational security. This helps inform how we continue to demonstrate improvement in this important area.

  • Boundaries the basics

    Trauma

    Trauma & boundaries

    Boundary styles

    How do patients feel about boundaries?

    What are your boundaries?

    Negotiable or not?

    Boundaries and consistency

    Talking to patients about boundaries

    Talking to each other about boundaries.

  • 90 minutes (average)

  • £49.75 per user per year

  • For more information about the e-learning including what participants thought to their learning experience and to watch a short demonstration video visit: https://www.frontfoot.net/training

    For more detail about how the e-learning works, how to access the course, management information, governance, licences, and purchase visit: https://www.frontfoot.net/elearning-information

  • "These courses are very well put together and don't feel like another tick box course. I really appreciate the approach taken and feel like it has made me consider my own practice and that of our organisation. Thank you."

  • “I loved the set up, the feel of it, the ease of use, the simplicity of language, and the way it flows. It's very natural, non condescending and I feel that 100% of my colleagues wouldn't struggle to negotiate/navigate through.”

  • “Its an eye opener to some of the things we do at work and we think they are right.”

  • “I really liked the videos at the beginning of each section to set the scene for a new subject area.”

  • “I loved doing this course - as an administration officer working in Mental Health there is no training offered around understanding our consumers and clients with whom we talk to, greet and support administratively every day in our role. This is fantastic! Thank you for this opportunity :)”

  • “I enjoyed this programme and felt I have learned much more about myself and my approach to boundaries. It's also given me thoughts towards my practice and how I can improve and develop even further.”

  • “I really like the constant benchmarking pie charts throughout. Its engaging and a nice touch to benchmark how my responses sit against the views of others.”

  • “Loved seeing the expert views. They really made me think!”

  • “This was so interesting!”

  • “Been in services for 15 years. This is the first boundaries training I’ve had. So to say it’s the best boundaries training I’ve ever had doesn’t really do it justice! Thank you so much.”

  • “This was so interesting!”

  • “Trauma section excellent.”

  • “The service user feedback comments were arresting. Very impressive piece of work.”

  • “Really useful training and very easy to understand. Can't wait for the team to do this as I believe this would improve the inconsistencies on the ward.”

  • “Very good package, very useful and can't wait for the rest of the staff to see it.”

  • “This was really helpful for me.”

  • “This was such a useful session.”

  • “I really valued the inclusion of trauma and how that affects boundaries as some of it I had never really considered in relation to boundaries.”

  • “Great learning learning programme. Lots to reflect on.”

  • “Very educative - I’ve got another perspective about boundaries with my patients.”

  • “I found this training very useful especially the part where I could read experiences of others.”

  • “Very thought provoking and will be helpful for the whole team to complete and discuss afterwards.”

  • “Really interesting to explore this subject in more depth.”

  • “I found this training very useful especially the part where I could read experiences of others.”

  • “Very educative [I’ve] got another perspective about boundaries with my patients.”

  • “I really like how all this training encourages self reflection and consideration of how to do better.”

  • “Thinking about what boundaries are negotiable/not negotiable/grey areas is very interesting and informative.”

  • “I appreciated looking at how to respond to patients enquiries around boundaries and how to respond in a way that is fair and empathetic.”

  • “Very informative and interactive.”

  • “Liked thinking about how to use boundaries therapeutically.”

  • “Thanks for the programme. It is really educative.”

  • “Very informative and in depth.”

  • “I feel one of the strongest influences on me was the feedback from someone that had been in an inpatient setting and how it impacted on them. The other side of the coin.”

  • “This was really helpful for me.”

  • “Really useful session, thank you!”

  • “Very good package, very useful and can't wait for the rest of the staff to see it.”

  • “I really valued the inclusion of trauma and how that affects boundaries as some of it I had never really considered in relation to boundaries.”

  • “Thank you, I feel more confident with this.”

  • “It was excellent, it will help me a lot in the course of my work.”

  • “[The] scenarios are similar to practice with good detail.”

  • “This programme is so easy to understand, I like that there isn't a test but you can answer openly and truthfully instead of answering what you think you should to get the question correct. It’s been very informative, a lot of it we know because work in the environment daily but a lot can be forgotten, this training gives welcome reminders.”

  • “It was really good training video and programme and good questions to think about.”

  • “This session was really helpful.”

  • “I thought this was very well put forward.”

  • “All the information was very important to my job role.”

  • “Really useful training and very easy to understand. Can't wait for the team to do this as I believe this would improve the thinking about inconsistencies on the ward.”

  • “I have worked in secure services for many years and have seen the difference in people's approaches to boundaries over this time. This training has helped me feel confident in the way I am working and the reasons why I approach certain situations in the way that I do.”

  • “Great learning learning programme. Lots to reflect on.”

  • “The expert explanation was a ‘star mark’ for me.”

  • “I found all the information and examples very practical and useful for use in my line of work.”

  • “[It] is a educated lesson and I learnt a lot out of it.”

  • “Great bit of training. I hope all staff will take on board what we have learnt today. For me, the training is great. This is what we should all be doing in our places of work. Thank you.”

  • “Very helpful.”

  • “Insightful piece!”

  • “I found the training very thought provoking and interesting. Very good!”

  • “I found this extremely helpful.”

  • “I found this training very useful especially the part where I could read experiences of others. “

  • “In this programme, I got to learn about Trauma. This is so valuable to me because trauma happen is so many ways which I did not know.”

  • “I learned a lot. Thanks.”

  • “I liked the reflective nature and seeing how other members of the service answered the questions. It was good to maintain focus and the lack of pass or fail was refreshing.“

  • “I really like how all this training encourages self reflection and consideration of how to do better.”

  • “I really valued the inclusion of trauma and how that affects boundaries as some of it I had never really considered in relation to boundaries.”

  • “I think this programme breaks into different aspects that staff are sometimes not reflecting on when using boundaries approaches.”

  • “I thought the programme was insightful and informative.”

  • “I thought this was very well put forward.”

  • “I valued everything in this training.”

  • “I valued the thought stimulating content such as is the rule relevant, we must continuously review policy/protocol to improve the care we deliver.”

  • “This is really insightful.”

  • “I was very useful for my learning, I have gained more confidence.”

  • “I will say all, quite helpful and impactful. I learnt a lot.”

  • “I would like to send my gratitude to this programme. It has enlightened and equipped me with knowledge. All I have to do is apply the knowledge I acquired here.”

  • “Informative, everyone should complete this.”

  • “The insight on this topic was helpful.”

  • “Insightful piece!”

  • “Interesting programme.”

  • “It is a valuable programme and has helped me to understand a lot about boundaries, how to approach and communication boundaries to patients and colleagues.”

  • “It is a very important and a useful session.”

  • “It is a very insightful topic to learn about Boundaries , trauma, communication etc. Thank you very much team for putting this together.”

  • “It is been educating.”

  • “It really does make you reflect not only about yourself but about others too. It was interesting to see the other anonymous answers as well. Really enjoyed this programme, thank you.”

  • “It was helpful. I am feeling more confident.”

  • “It was great and Excellent.”

  • “It was interesting to see the thoughts of other professionals, it helped put the training into context.”

  • “It was really nice. Very helpful and informative.”

  • “it was very educative and refreshing to deep into a constant reality when dealing with patients on the ward. This training has given me more reason to engage safely with patients and colleagues. Thank you a lot.”

  • “it was very helpful to understand especially how my answer reflects on the service user.”

Facilitated programmes

Relational security facilitator programme

The role of the Relational Security Facilitator is to support staff develop specialist skills and knowledge in relational security.

For services who want to ensure training and development is sustained into the future, and can identify staff who have the right competencies for the role, the relational security facilitator programme is an ideal approach. For more information on the five day programme visit our Facilitator page.

  • Support to identify and enlist suitable internal candidates for the role of facilitator

    Face to face facilitator development programme


    Further facilitator support, development, and mentorship

    Permanent access to the relational security facilitator guidance web page for participants.



  • 5 consecutive days in person plus 2 days virtual mentorship, support, and programme planning.

Relational security for full ward teams

This is a personalised one day workshop where the full care team work together on key relational security priorities. This day can work particularly well following the Introduction to Relational Security e-Learning so staff already have a good grounding in relational security and are ready to discuss applying their knowledge and committing to change as a multi-disciplinary team.

  • Full team means everyone: responsible clinician, psychology, social work, OT, education, qualified and support nursing, plus anyone else who regularly participates with your patients such as administrators, bank staff, housekeeping, or support services.

    Sessions follow the core material but are also driven by issues specific to the team’s patient population, diagnostic group, staff capability and experience, and any recent events.

    Each session will be developed by our facilitator in partnership with the clinical lead for the service to design and focus the sessions specifically for the team’s needs. That might include using recent case examples or clinical case studies.

  • 1 day

Care planning workshop

This one day development workshop can be delivered to any number of delegates. It’s ideal for anyone who has a role in planning, delivering, and reviewing patient care.

The emphasis of this session is on developing a solid understanding of what good care planning can look like, being clinically effective in care planning, and writing meaningful health outcomes.

  • What is a care pathway?

    Who are our care plans for and what should they look like?

    Meaningful patient engagement in care planning and review.

    What are health outcomes, and how do you write one?

    How therapies connect clearly with health outcomes.

    Care plans that are comprehensive and clinically effective.

    Sessions follow the core material but are also driven by issues specific to the team’s patient population, diagnostic group, staff capability and experience, and any recent events.

    Each session will be developed by our facilitator in partnership with the clinical lead for the service to design and focus the sessions specifically for the team’s needs.

  • 2 days

Relational security for leaders

Aimed at service directors and managers this programme builds an understanding of relational security and how it applies at a strategic level.  Leaders will be able to understand how the relational security model connects to and supports the delivery of wider strategic goals, the specific responsibilities of leaders in achieving relational security, and how leaders should support staff to improve relational security at a ward or service level.

  • What is relational security?

    How relational security connects with and supports the delivery of wider strategic objectives

    Clinical effectiveness and eliminating unnecessary processes as an approach to improving safety and care

    The relational security model in the context of leadership (Boundaries, Therapy, Patient mix, Patient dynamic, Inside world, Physical environment, Visitors and Outside contact)

    The key responsibilities of and challenges for effective leaders in relational security

    Resources and methods for managers to improve relational security.

  • 2 days

Boundaries workshop

The management of boundaries and rules in our services can often be at the root of incidents and complaints.

In this programme staff develop a mature understanding of the therapeutic management of boundaries in a mental health setting taking account of how this fits with restrictive practice, trauma, trust, professionalism, personal accountability, and team dynamics.

  • Boundaries the basics

    Trauma & boundaries

    Boundary styles

    Negotiable or not?

    Boundaries and consistency

    Communicating about boundaries.

  • 1 day

Relational security training induction/update

This one day training event is ideal for anyone who has regular contact with patients, including non-clinical support staff.

The emphasis of this day is on developing an introductory understanding of what relational security is, the different factors that influence relational security, the key risks to be aware of, communicating as a team, speaking up, and having the confidence to act.

  • What is relational security?

    Managing the balance between clinical excellence, effectiveness and security

    The relational security model explained (Boundaries, Therapy, Patient mix, Patient dynamic, Inside world, Physical environment, Visitors and Outward connections).

  • 1 day

  • “This has made me SO aware of my actions and how I need to behave as a primary nurse”

  • “Session was interactive and constructive. Liz pushed us to commit to actions [so] there was a plan developed and a way forward”

  • “Facilitator really knowledgeable and she encouraged us to speak our minds so we had really honest discussions”

  • “[I enjoyed] how interactive it was. Not just relying on slides”

  • “It made me think about what I’m doing as a manager. As a team we should look at what we are doing and how we can make things better”

  • “Really engaging discussions about boundaries and restrictive practice. I’m definitely going to re-look at some of the old policies we have in place”

  • “Very engaging, very relevant to us, very interactive”

  • “[I enjoyed] how relevant the training was and tailored to our needs”

  • “Liz is an exceptional presenter. Loved her ‘direct’ style. Really enjoyed her views”

  • “A really welcome process and refreshingly interactive compared with other security training. Because we worked as a team, I expect today’s session to help keep us in focus on the goals we’ve identified immediately”

  • “This session allowed proper discussion and exploring all of the teams thoughts on key relational issues. The lack of rigid presentation/format allowed this”

  • “We can now talk about boundaries in the context of restrictive practice with much more confidence”