Setting the Standard: What Should Healthcare Training Look Like in 2025?

As we move further into 2025, the expectations placed on healthcare providers continue to evolve. From new legislation and CQC requirements to growing public awareness around restrictive practices, one thing is clear: ticking boxes is no longer enough. The healthcare sector is being asked to do better – for patients, for staff, and for the systems that support them.

At BR Specialists, we believe the future of healthcare training lies not just in meeting standards, but in setting them. Through our Standards for Safe and Compassionate Care, we support care providers in building confident, capable teams that are ready to navigate the complexities of today’s care landscape – safely, lawfully, and compassionately.

Restraint Reduction: From Compliance to Commitment

Across the sector, there’s growing pressure to reduce the use of restrictive practices. Whether in secure mental health settings, residential care, or community services, the message from regulators is consistent: restraint should always be a last resort. The Care Quality Commission and the Mental Health Units (Use of Force) Act both stress this point – but simply telling staff to avoid restraint isn’t enough.

BR Specialists’ Standards go further. We provide training that prioritises de-escalation, early intervention, and behavioural awareness – equipping staff to avoid conflict long before physical intervention becomes necessary.

“In 2025, healthcare providers need more than a compliant tick-box approach,” says Nick Attard, General Manager at BR Specialists.“They need confidence – confidence that their staff know when to act, how to act, and most importantly, how to avoid situations escalating in the first place. That’s the difference between meeting a standard and setting one.”

Safe for Everyone – Not Just Service Users

We talk a lot about protecting patients and service users – and rightly so. But there’s another side to safety: staff wellbeing. Frontline workers face emotionally charged situations every day. Without the right training and tools, they are left exposed – not just physically, but legally and emotionally too.

BR Specialists’ training model balances both sides of the care equation. We support organisations to create environments where everyone feels safe – the people being cared for, and the people delivering that care.

Trauma-Informed, Rights-Respecting, and Realistic

Terms like “trauma-informed” and “person-centred” appear in nearly every training brochure. But what do they really mean in practice?

At BR Specialists, we embed these values throughout our training. Our curriculum draws on the lived experience of individuals who’ve both received and delivered care involving restrictive interventions. We train staff not just in technique, but in empathy – helping them understand how trauma can shape behaviour, and how to avoid retraumatisation in moments of stress.|

We also align our content with the Human Rights Act 1998, Care Act 2014, and Equality Act 2010 – giving staff clear legal boundaries and ethical confidence in their actions.|

A Framework That Works

What makes our standards different? They're not static. They’re dynamic, responsive, and built on years of frontline insight. Our approach includes:

• Full Training Needs Analysis

• Legal risk assessment of every technique taught

• Customised delivery plans for each setting

• Annual refreshers and ongoing competence checks

• Transparent, auditable records to support CQC compliance

“Too often, training is reactive – designed after something goes wrong,” says Nick Attard.“We believe it should be proactive. That’s why our Standards are built not just on legislation, but on insight, lived experience, and a deep respect for both those giving care and those receiving it.”

What Should Healthcare Training Include in 2025?

Here’s a quick overview of the essential features every modern training programme should include:

Good care starts with confident people. In 2025, the best organisations will be those that invest in training not as a compliance task, but as a cultural cornerstone.

If you’re reviewing your approach to restraint reduction, trauma-informed care, or staff training in high-risk environments – we’d love to support you.

Download our Standards for Safe and Compassionate Care