Autumn Bookings Filling Fast: Don’t Miss Your Training Before Year End

The leaves are turning, the days are shorter, and before long the year will be drawing to a close. For many organisations, October and November are the months when diaries start to fill – not just with seasonal events, but with the training that keeps teams safe and confident. Every autumn we see the same rush: managers scrambling to fit in essential courses before Christmas and to complete refreshers ahead of the new year.

This isn’t just about ticking boxes. The run-up to the festive period is one of the most challenging times for staff in customer-facing roles. Violence and abuse against retail workers, for example, has reached alarming levels – more than 2,000 incidents a day in 2023/24, up from 1,300 the year before. At the same time, the pressure on health services shows no sign of easing, with one in seven NHS staff experiencing physical violence from patients or the public in 2024, a rise on the previous year. These numbers are a stark reminder that safety is not a seasonal extra. It is a daily reality for those on the frontline.

The reason so many organisations push for autumn bookings is simple: staff need to go into the busiest months with confidence. Skills fade if they are not refreshed. Compliance cycles demand annual updates. And for those in care, education, retail or healthcare, the Christmas period is no time to be caught short.

Booking now means your team steps into December equipped with the strategies and calm assurance they need to de-escalate conflict, protect themselves, and safeguard those in their care. It also means you avoid the bottleneck that always comes in the final weeks of the year.

PMVA or Train-the-Trainer?

Both of our core programmes are in high demand this season.

Programme	Who it’s for	Why it’s crucial now
PMVA	Frontline staff in care, healthcare, hospitality and public-facing roles	Equip teams to prevent, manage and de-escalate incidents during the seasonal surge. Build confidence and reduce risk through evidence-based practice.
Train-the-Trainer	Team leaders, managers, in-house trainers	Build internal training capacity for 2026. Reduce reliance on external dates and keep refreshers rolling without scheduling bottlenecks.

Limited space this Autumn

October is already filling quickly. November still has a handful of workable dates, particularly for multi-site programmes, but December is traditionally reserved for short refresher blocks and priority commitments. If you have already started discussions with us, now is the time to confirm your dates so we can accommodate your needs.

Nick Attard, our General Manager, says:

“Every autumn we see the same pattern. Teams know they need to be ready for the festive rush, and diaries get tight. If you’ve started a conversation with us, this is the moment to confirm your dates. We will do our best to fit you in, and we’ll recommend the right mix of training for your setting.”

Take the next step

Don’t let another year end with staff under-prepared or compliance checks pushed into January. Book now and give your team the reassurance they deserve heading into the busiest weeks of the year.

• Book PMVA training

• Build in-house capacity with Train-the-Trainer
  

Step into the New Year with a team that is confident, compliant and ready.