Team Teach
About the training
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Founder and Director Information
George Matthews B.A. (Hons) Cert Ed Teacher with 20 years experience in mainstream and special education, junior and secondary, day and residential. From 1989 - 96, he was a Deputy head teacher of a Co-ed, 8 - 18 years of age, EBD residential school, maintained by a local authority. Following basic training in 1989, CR (General Services), George completed his instructors course in 1993. He has also undertaken basic training in a variety of positive handling courses. He achieved NCRGSA Senior Instructor status in 1997. In January 1996, was awarded a Churchill Fellowship. He visited 45 schools / children's homes, from the Bronx, in New York, down to Tampa, Florida. The objective was to observe, evaluate and to return with good practice in the area of how adults safely mange children's anger and aggression. Delivered courses in the management of children's challenging behaviour in a variety of educational and care settings and has spoken at a number N.A.H.T. / Special Need conferences on the same subject. The Team Teach approach has featured on the BBC Two programme 'Just One Chance' and in The Times 'Educational Supplement'. Team Teach has professional liability coverage and a U.K Network of over 1700 instructors. Key Points... The training emphasises positive handling as but one part of a whole setting approach to behaviour management. Physical techniques should not be taught in isolation. In Team-Teach training, they account for only two out eight modules. The training has evolved from a residential care and educational background. It continually emphasises positive relationships as being the key element in our working. The physical techniques help to protect and maintain these relationships. The physical techniques have sufficient range and robustness to be appropriate across the age and development range, for both the intentional and non-intentional "challenging" individual. The physical techniques provide a gradual, graded system of response commensurate with the situation, task and individuals involved, allowing for phasing up or down as dictated to by the circumstances at the time. The stress is always, where possible, on the "last resort" option when using "reasonable" force. There is an emphasis on appropriate and targeted verbal and non-verbal communication Paraverbal skills matter at all times, during a restraint however, it is what you say and how you say it that is important. The aim is for the person to calm down sufficiently so that staff can return the physical control and help find a better way. A C.A.L.M. (Communication, Awareness /Assessment Listening/looking and Making safe skills) approach is expected at all times when managing such situations. Staff are encouraged to make a risk assessment, both before, during and after any serious incident involving positive handling. Running parallel with this risk assessment is the "duty of care" question they have both to the child and themselves. Staff numbers: Where there is time and sufficient resources the emphasis should be on the involvement of at least two members of staff when such crisis situations occur.
The training will aim to comply and work within "good practice" guidelines produced by the D.O.H. and D.f.E.S. Team Teach. has been actively involved with consultation by government departments looking at "good practice" principles in this area. There is an emphasis on the Health and Safety of course members through-out the training. Support and co-operation are key values with the emphasis being on using the minimum amount of force that is necessary in order to achieve the objectives. That the resistance used in training is proportionate to the level of confidence and competence gained. Role-play is carefully controlled by instructors and is not used until course members have acquired sufficient skill and expertise. The training venue, (the amount of available space) is an important element in keeping training safe. Although a serious subject, the training has a fun element and will enhance team-work, co-operation and staff - morale. Where possible, the expectation is that course members will exhaust all behavioural management strategies before they physically intervene. Where and when there is time, the physical interventions must been as a "last resort option" for staff. All physical techniques should be endorsed in policy and supported by management and those in "authority". Where a service user requires repeated physical management, the strategies and techniques should be planned for and agreed in advance. They should be written out and included in individual care/health/education / behaviour management plans. Training will help Local Authorities / Organisations meet their obligations under Health and Safety legislation, thus reducing potential liability claims.
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