This site is part of the Informa Connect Division of Informa PLC

This site is operated by a business or businesses owned by Informa PLC and all copyright resides with them. Informa PLC's registered office is 5 Howick Place, London SW1P 1WG. Registered in England and Wales. Number 3099067.

Gerard O'Dea

Managing Director

Team Dynamis Ltd

Gerard O’Dea is the Director of Training at Team Dynamis Ltd., providing advice and guidance in conflict management, personal safety, and protective physical interventions since 2006. His clients are in the education, social care, healthcare, and community work sectors, wherever frontline staff meets (often vulnerable) people who present with difficult, distressed, or dangerous behaviour. Dynamis has been helping teams in the UK & Ireland, the UAE, Qatar, Turkey, and in Europe since 2007 with a growing international presence. Gerard published his first book “Lone Working Personal Safety - a guidebook for health and social care staff” in 2012 and is a qualified expert witness. He is the European representative for the Vistelar conflict management approach, which embodies a core principle of ‘treating people with dignity by showing them respect in every encounter’. The Dynamis core curriculum covers Relationships, Crises, and Responses in any environment where frustration could lead to aggression or even dangerous behaviour. It promotes a team approach to how a community of people in a service communicates when big feelings lead to escalation and focus on keeping everyone safe, verbally wherever possible and physically only when necessary as a last resort. Trainers use a leading scenario-driven approach to lead training sessions, an approach which is now adopted by the UK College of Policing and NHS Trusts, for example.

SPEAKER SESSIONS

31 October, 2023 | 14:20 to 14:40
Relationships, Crises and Responses in Your School

Wouldn’t it be better if we could “not escalate” more situations? Consistent use of non-escalation skills in school nurtures relationships and establishes a robust Social Contract. Inevitably though, your teams will meet pupils and parents (and possibly other colleagues) who don’t want to follow the rules. At these moments, your people need skills in gathering those people back into a supportive atmosphere, where collaboration and cooperation are more likely and the social contract is rebuilt and strengthened. At times, your staff will meet children or young people in crisis at your school. They may be so upset and angry that they are self-injuring or directing violence at others - staff or students. This talk will give your team a direction of travel for being more prepared to face such moments with sensitivity and professionalism - but most of all, with a plan for teamwork when a crisis hits.

01 November, 2023 | 11:00 to 11:45
Safeguarding in Schools: Key Challenges and Effective Solutions

Join our leading panel of experts as they delve into the critical topic of safeguarding in schools. This engaging panel will shed light on the key challenges faced by educational institutions when it comes to ensuring the safety and well-being of students. Our panelists will share their insights, experiences, and best practices, offering practical solutions to tackle these challenges head-on