Cygnet Hospital Bierley launches RAID

Cygnet Hospital Bierley has launched RAID (Reinforce Appropriate, Implode Destructive), a positive approach to working with extreme and challenging behaviour, from the Association of Psychological Therapies.

RAID focuses on developing appropriate (‘green’) behaviour that will overwhelm challenging (‘red’) behaviour. The idea is that staff play down disruptive ‘red’ behaviour as far as safety allows, and concentrate instead on nurturing and developing appropriate ‘green’ behaviour, so that it gradually displaces the disruptive behaviour. A video summarising the approach can be seen here.

On the 28th March 2019, 11 service users from the hospital’s two low secure wards, Bronte and Shelley, and 14 staff attended the RAID launch. There was a brief presentation outlining the approach, followed by service users and staff developing mutual ward expectations, using RAID ideas. Finally, service users were given the chance to develop personal goals using RAID ‘ladders’. We also took the opportunity to indulge in red and green cupcakes, kindly baked by our service users!

The launch of RAID was positively endorsed by service users and staff alike:

“I feel RAID will help people to communicate and be listened to” – Service user, Shelley Ward

“I think that it’s great to get everyone thinking about goals” – Service user, Bronte Ward

“I enjoyed the positive aspect to creating rules, that RAID brings” – Service user, Shelley Ward

“It was a positive launch, people left smiling and are still talking about RAID in the sunshine in the courtyard” – Andy Hancock, Shelley Ward Manager

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