Therapeutic Observations Mental Health Training

Therapeutic Observations are used within hospital and residential settings where service users will be observed on a regular basis. This may be frequent checks through the day and night or increased observations which can include 1:1. Observations are a therapeutic intervention aimed at reducing factors which contribute to increased risk and promoting recovery. It should focus on engaging the person therapeutically and enabling them to address their difficulties constructively.

At times of distress, some service users may become a serious risk of harm to themselves or others. Therapeutic observations may be used for management of behavioural disturbances or to prevent harm to themselves or others.

Patient observations should be an integral part of the care plan to ensure the safe monitoring of the service users’ behaviours and mental wellbeing, along with building therapeutic relationships with the staff member and service user.

This training is delivered by professional educators and is for all staff members working within the health care setting where therapeutic observations may be carried out.

Course Content

• What are therapeutic observations 
• Benefits/restrictions of observations
• Risk Assessment
• Levels of observations
• Who can increase/decrease observations?
• How to ensure observations are therapeutic
• Privacy and dignity
• Mental State/monitoring of presentation
• Documentation

Course Assessment and Certification

Assessment will be by continuous assessment by the trainer – there is no ‘test’ paper.

A certificate will be issued upon successful completion of course.

This course is often booked with the following courses:

• Ligature Training
• Self Harm Training
• Self Harm and Ligature Training
• Schizophrenia Awareness
• Mental Health Awareness
• Personality Disorders

We will reduce costs if this course if booked with another half day course to be delivered on the same day at the same venue.