De-Escalation & OVA Training
What is De-escalation & Occupational Violence
& Aggression Training?
Incidents of occupational violence and aggression (OVA) and workplace violence are increasing. To address this need, Resolution Education provide De-escalation & OVA Training, a specialised program designed to equip your team with necessary skills to handle heightened individuals in the workplace.
What De-escalation & OVA Training Do We Offer in Australia?
Our primary objective is to empower participants with the confidence and capability to de-escalate tense or threatening circumstances before they become violent, creating an environment conducive to healthy and constructive communication.
The core of this training is to give your staff verbal techniques and language and body language for de-escalation, as well as ways to deal with threats physically if needed.
Our workplace violence and aggression training course and is interactive and provides participants with a comprehensive set of essential skills. Participants will learn how to effectively recognise and respond to hostile and agitated individuals in various situations.
Where We Deliver Training
Delivered Across Australia — At Your Workplace. Resolution Education delivers de-escalation and OVA training on-site at your workplace, wherever you are in Australia. Our trainers are based across the country and regularly deliver programs to organisations in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide and beyond — including regional and remote locations. All training is brought to you, so there’s no need for your staff to travel. If you’re based in Victoria, Queensland, New South Wales or any state in Australia, contact us to discuss scheduling training for your team.
Who Will Benefit From De-escalation Training?
This de-escalation and occupational violence and aggression training is beneficial for employees who frequently interact with difficult, heightened, or angry individuals. This can include customer service staff such as retail or hospitality workers, staff in hospitals like nurses, teachers, assistants and parents in educational institutions, security personnel across industries, and more.
Our interactive workplace aggressive behaviour training package is specifically designed to empower participants to effectively handle challenging situations.
With a proven track record of training personnel at all levels within various organisations, we understand that the types of encounters can vary greatly depending on each role and industry. That is why our training is based on our A.D.P. Framework and customised to address the unique needs of different organisations. By tailoring the concepts to be relevant and effective, we ensure that every participant receives the utmost value from the training.
Whether you are a front-line employee, a manager, or hold any other position requiring contact with difficult individuals, our De-escalation & OVA Training can provide you with the tools and skills necessary to succeed. Contact us today to discuss your specific training needs and unlock the benefits of this comprehensive program.
Course Overview
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25+ Years of Experience in De-Escalation Training
Resolution Education has over 25 years of experience in adult training and education, specialising in de-escalation, occupational violence and aggression, and difficult behaviour management. We have trained personnel at all levels across healthcare, education, aged care, hospitality, government, NDIS support services, emergency services and more. Our training is hands-on, practical and customised — not a generic off-the-shelf course.
Recognising the Warning Signs of Escalating Behaviour
One of the most important skills taught in de-escalation training is the ability to recognise when a situation is beginning to escalate before it becomes dangerous. Early warning signs that someone may be becoming agitated or aggressive include raised voice or change in tone, increased physical agitation such as pacing or clenched fists, invasion of personal space, repetitive or irrational demands, rapid breathing, flushed face, and loss of eye contact or prolonged intense staring.
Environmental factors can also contribute to escalation — long wait times, perceived disrespect, confusion or frustration, and the influence of drugs or alcohol are all common triggers in workplace settings. Recognising these signs early gives staff the opportunity to intervene with de-escalation techniques before a situation becomes threatening or violent.
Training Outcomes
- Recognise the signs of somebody becoming agitated
- Increase your situational awareness and preparation
- Increase your ability to evaluate a situation to make more informed and appropriate decisions regarding your safety and required next steps
- Develop your confidence in using appropriate de-escalation skills and techniques to handle a situation safely either in the workplace, on the phone or when working remotely
- Control your emotions during an escalating situation
- Use your voice and tone appropriately to help resolve an issue
- Be able to deal with people who are under the influence of drugs or alcohol
- Be able to communicate with people with a mental illness
- Learn, through practice, various techniques related to freeing yourself from an aggressor
This de-escalation and workplace violence training program provides a safe environment to discuss various situations, which increases both the understanding of the material presented and confidence in the ability to deal with unexpected conflict and difficult people.
You will learn tools like:
- Active, calm listening and body language
- Empathising with the aggressor to not provoke further emotional response
- Offering choices other than violence so the aggressor can move towards a solution
- Keeping yourself safe from violence while dealing with the aggressor
- Be able to communicate with people with a mental illness
- Learn, through practice, various techniques related to freeing yourself from an aggressor
Course Outline
All course outlines are based on the proven A.D.P. Framework and are customised through consultations with you prior to the day of training. This ensures that the needs of the group and individuals participating in the training are addressed, as their safety and increased confidence in dealing with difficult situations is our priority.
The workplace violence and aggression training is divided into three modules AWARENESS, DE-ESCALATION and PROTECTION, each of which deals with important key aspects that are vital in combatting incidences of violent behaviour in the workplace (or when working remotely).
A more detailed De-escalation & OVA Training course outline can be provided by contacting us directly.
You Will Receive
- An excellent course of fun and interactive training including role-playing.
- Real-life skills including greater confidence, self-awareness, conflict resolution management and self-defence.
The A.D.P. Framework — Awareness, De-escalation, Protection
All Resolution Education training is built on the proprietary A.D.P. Framework, a three-module structure designed to give participants a complete and practical response to occupational violence and aggression.
Awareness covers recognising the early warning signs of agitation and aggression, understanding situational triggers, and developing the situational awareness needed to make informed decisions quickly.
De-escalation covers verbal and non-verbal communication techniques, body language, tone of voice, empathy, and strategies for defusing tense situations before they become physical.
Protection covers physical safety techniques for situations where de-escalation has not been successful, including how to create distance, protect yourself, and safely disengage from an aggressor.
The framework is customised for each organisation so that the scenarios, language and techniques are directly relevant to the situations your staff actually face.
Australian Employer Obligations Around OVA
Under the Work Health and Safety Act, Australian employers have a primary duty of care to ensure the health, safety and welfare of workers, which explicitly includes protection from occupational violence and aggression.
Safe Work Australia’s Preventing Workplace Violence and Aggression Guide and Model Code of Practice: Managing Psychosocial Hazards at Work provide guidance on how organisations should identify and manage OVA risks.
From 2024, psychosocial hazard regulations have been strengthened across most Australian states and territories, placing greater obligations on employers to proactively manage risks to psychological health — and repeated exposure to aggression and threatening behaviour is recognised as a significant psychosocial hazard.
Failure to address OVA risks can result in WorkSafe investigations, enforceable undertakings, and significant financial penalties.
Providing regular, documented de-escalation training is one of the most effective ways for organisations to demonstrate compliance with these obligations.
What Participants Say
“This is the best aggression training I have been to.“
— Ben Harris, Employment Plus
“The trainer was engaging and got everyone involved. Kept it up-beat and positive.”
— Jo-abbe Walker
“The trainer’s delivery, training and explanations were exceptional!”
— Renee Smith, E-Plus
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does the training take?
Training is customised and available as either a half-day or full-day program, depending on your organisation’s needs. We can also split training across multiple sessions to work around rostering.How quickly can we get training organised?
The typical timeframe from initial enquiry to training day is around 3–4 weeks, which allows time for an Outcomes Meeting with your stakeholders to tailor the content to your specific needs. If you need something sooner, get in touch and we’ll do our best to accommodate.Do you train individuals or only organisations?
Resolution Education’s programs are designed for organisations only — we don’t offer public or private courses for individuals.Can the training be customised for our industry?
Yes. Every program is based on the A.D.P. Framework and customised to your organisation’s specific situations, risks and workforce. We work with you before the training day to make sure the content is directly relevant to your team.Is the training face-to-face or online?
We offer face-to-face training at your workplace, virtual delivery, and e-learning packages — whichever suits your team best.How many people can attend?
Sessions can accommodate up to 25 participants. If you have a larger team, an additional trainer can be arranged.Do you deliver de-escalation training in every Australian city like Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney?
Yes. Resolution Education has trainers based across Australia who deliver on-site training to organisations in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide and beyond — including regional and remote locations. Training is brought to you, so there’s no need for your staff to travel.Our Training & Services
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Contact Us
Melbourne
Melbourne, VIC 3000
Parramatta Sydney
Parramatta Square, NSW 2150
South Adelaide
Hindmarsh Square, SA 5000
Perth
Perth, WA 6000