Course overview
This highly practical session teaches staff how to recognise ligature risks, respond safely and rapidly, and use approved ligature cutters correctly in an emergency. It’s designed for teams working in health & social care, mental health, education, housing, custody and other settings where self-harm risk may be present. Training is engaging, scenario-based and focused on safe systems of work and effective handover.
Who should attend?
Support workers, healthcare assistants, nurses, ward/estate staff, security, education and residential staff, housing/hostel teams, and anyone with a duty of care where ligature risk may exist.
Course duration and timings
3 hours. Typically delivered as a morning or afternoon session; timings can be scheduled to suit your team. Can be added as a bolt-on to an Emergency First Aid at Work course.
What you will learn
At the end of the course, participants will be able to:
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Identify common ligature materials and anchor points and apply a dynamic risk assessment.
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Call for help and coordinate the response (including emergency services and internal escalation).
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Use ligature cutters safely and effectively and understand when/when not to cut.
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Manage airway, breathing and circulation immediately after release and monitor the casualty.
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Record and report the incident, complete handover, and support post-incident review and debrief.
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Apply infection prevention, PPE and scene-safety principles throughout.
Assessment and certification
There is continuous tutor assessment throughout. The tutor will assess learners on the correct use of various ligature cutting techniques and safe incident management during scenarios.
A digital certificate of attendance is issued to learners after successful completion.
Delivery and Venue
Delivered face-to-face at your site. Available on-site anywhere in Scotland. All training equipment is provided, including training ligature cutters for supervised practice. First Stop Safety Training+1
Topics covered in this course
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Understanding ligature risk: environment, behaviour and early warning indicators
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Scene safety and dynamic risk assessment
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Communication, teamwork and role allocation under pressure
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Ligature cutters: types, safe handling and cutting techniques (guided practice)
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Immediate first aid after release (airway management, recovery position, CPR if required)
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Post-incident actions: observation, documentation and handover
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Legal/ethical considerations and duty of care
