Dealing with Aggression in Government and Enforcement course

Demonstrations that get out of hand. A member of the public who starts shouting at you at the counter out of frustration. Or an inspection that suddenly turns into an argument. In this course you learn how to act calmly and professionally in such situations.

Description

Government employees are increasingly confronted with aggression. Sometimes it stems from frustration, sometimes it is instrumental: a member of the public deliberately uses aggression to get something done. Both forms call for a different response from you as an enforcement officer or front-desk employee.

In this training course you learn how to assess situations quickly, how to de-escalate verbally and how to set boundaries without unnecessarily damaging your relationship with the citizen. The focus is on verbal communication: how do you keep the conversation functional and effective, even when tensions rise?

On both days you work with a training actor. The actor re-enacts situations from your own working practice, so you can immediately practise with what suits you and the situation. That way, theory becomes behaviour you can apply straight away.

Topics

• Basic communication in the face of aggression
• The difference between frustration aggression and instrumental aggression
• Power relations and the citizen's frame of reference
• Making a problem analysis in a conflict situation
• De-escalation techniques: listening, summarising, asking follow-up questions and following through
• Effective interpersonal skills for handling aggression
• Solution-focused working in a tense conversation
• Responding assertively and the importance of timing
• Setting boundaries without letting the situation escalate
• Dealing with criticism and staying calm under pressure
• Handling confrontations professionally
• Supporting colleagues and buddy support in the workplace

Result

After this course you recognise different forms of aggression and understand why a member of the public reacts as they do. You quickly analyse the problem, choose a suitable de-escalation technique and apply your conversation skills purposefully. You set boundaries, stay calm under criticism and handle confrontations professionally. You also know how to support colleagues after an incident and how to organise buddy support in the workplace.

Target audience

This training course is intended for anyone working in the public sector who deals, or may deal, with aggression at work. Think of enforcement officers, police officers, parking wardens, environmental and tax inspectors, intervention staff, team leaders and working foremen. Reception staff at local authorities and other government bodies are also very welcome.

Teaching method

The course is practice-oriented. You start with an intake session in which you and the trainer determine your personal learning objectives. On that basis we tailor the programme to the group. On both days you work with a training actor who re-enacts situations from your own working practice, so that you can experiment with different approaches in a safe setting.

At the end of the second day we make agreements about buddy support: how do you support each other after a difficult incident and how do you ask colleagues for support? That way you take new skills back with you, along with a workable plan for your team.

Prior knowledge

No specific prior knowledge is required. Practical experience with public-facing contact is an advantage, however, as you will work extensively with situations from your own job.

In-company

Would you like to organise this training for a whole group or several groups? This can be cost-effective. For example, we can tailor the content entirely to your organisation, and training a whole group is also cheaper.

Are you looking at large numbers of participants or a complete academy? That involves a great deal. Consider planning and communication, for example, or identifying and agreeing the objectives and content of the training. Or differences in level, feedback mechanisms and safeguarding. Fortunately, Learnit has extensive experience in this field (more than 25 years) and we are happy to help you through this process.

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Language

The training is given in Dutch as standard. The trainer has a good command of English. English-language course material can be used. With a minimum enrolment of 3 participants, the training can also be given entirely in English.