De-escalation Techniques Workshop

This interactive, half-day workshop gives frontline workers the tools to de-escalate aggressive or abusive verbal confrontations in the workplace and beyond.

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Duration
1/2 day
Topic
Mental Health, Wellbeing and De-escalation
Next session
24 Sept 2026 · 9 dates
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At a glance

Course details

Duration: 1/2 day

Overview

De-escalation Techniques Workshop course overview

Exposure to aggressive and abusive behaviour is an increasing reality for workers across many industries and is often encountered in everyday interactions. When not recognised or managed well, these situations can lead to risk fatigue, impact individuals personally, and create wider challenges for the organisation. What begins as a routine interaction can quickly escalate, creating risk for workers expected to remain engaged and maintain control. This half-day De-escalation Techniques workshop is designed for frontline staff and others who regularly engage with the public and need practical skills to manage these interactions safely.
 
We don’t use role play or rely on lecture-style delivery. Instead, our experienced trainers guide learners through structured verbal de-escalation techniques using activities and discussion that reflect their real experiences. Participants develop the skills to recognise early warning signs, understand behavioural and stress responses, and apply approaches such as the S.T.A.M.P. and H.E.A.T. models to manage interactions and know when to disengage.
 
IMPAC’s focus is on building practical capability so workers can respond effectively when interactions escalate. Participants step back into the workplace equipped to recognise early warning signs, apply structured de-escalation techniques, and manage interactions in a way that protects their own safety and the safety of others.

Curriculum

What you'll cover

This course is designed for:

  • Frontline and public-facing staff who need to manage difficult face-to-face conversations safely.
  • Call centre workers handling challenging, abusive, or escalating phone calls.
  • Anyone who may deal with verbally abusive members of the public as part of their role.

Our approach

+IMPAC's De-escalation Techniques Workshop training approach

This De-escalation Techniques workshop is built around practical discussion and guided activities rather than role play or long theory sessions. Learners work through realistic scenarios drawn from frontline and customer-facing environments, including difficult phone calls, rising verbal aggression, and moments where behaviour begins to shift.
 
Throughout the workshop, facilitators unpack what participants are seeing, hearing, and feeling in those interactions. That includes situational awareness, early warning signs, the body’s response to stress, and how to use the S.T.A.M.P. and H.E.A.T. models in a calm, structured way.
 
The focus is on helping people make sound decisions under pressure. By the end of the session, learners have a clearer sense of when to keep engaging, how to lower tension, and when it is safer to step back and follow the next appropriate workplace response.

Format

Course format and duration

This course is delivered over half a day.

Training is available in person, live online via Zoom, or as a pre-recorded webinar, with options for public courses or in-house delivery.

Upcoming sessions

Public courses – Book now

eLearning

Complete online at your own pace.

$195.00 excl. GST

Want to discuss running De-escalation Techniques Workshop at your organisation?

Enquire now

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

This workshop is best suited to frontline and public-facing workers, call centre staff, and anyone who may need to manage verbally abusive or escalating interactions. It is especially useful in roles where workers are expected to stay engaged with customers, clients, patients, visitors, tenants, or members of the public while keeping themselves and others safe.

Workers dealing with aggressive, abusive, or escalating behaviour need the skills and confidence to respond safely and appropriately. While there is no legal requirement to complete a specific de-escalation course in New Zealand, organisations still need to ensure workers can manage workplace risks and interactions safely. Training like this helps support safer communication, conflict management, and workplace interactions.

No, there are no prerequisites for this workshop.

Yes. This workshop is available face-to-face, live online via Zoom, or as a pre-recorded webinar. It can be delivered publicly or in-house depending on workplace and team requirements.

The De-escalation Techniques workshop runs for half a day, allowing learners to work through de-escalation models, communication techniques, and practical response strategies for challenging situations.

No, this workshop focuses on verbal de-escalation, situational awareness, and safe decision-making rather than physical intervention or restraint techniques. Learners work through practical communication approaches designed to reduce escalation, maintain safety, and recognise when additional support or disengagement is appropriate.

Yes, this workshop is available for in-house delivery nationwide. In-house delivery can help organisations tailor the training to their own workplace environment, customer interactions, and behavioural risks. Additional fees may apply where course tailoring is requested.

For public face-to-face courses, morning tea is provided, including tea, coffee, and biscuits. If you have specific dietary requirements such as allergies, vegan, or gluten-free needs, please contact IMPAC at training@impac.co.nz at least two working days before training. Please note that dietary preferences cannot be accommodated.

If you are completing an online or eLearning course with IMPAC for the first time, you will receive your LMS login details within 24 hours of receiving your course instructions email.

You can access IMPAC’s LMS by clicking here.

You can reset your username and password by clicking here and entering your email address.

For the pre-recorded webinar, you'll need a government-issued photo ID and a working camera on your device to complete the quiz. This course uses Asgard, a biometric identity verification tool built into IMPAC's learning system, which checks your ID against your face to confirm it's really you sitting the assessment. Because there's no live facilitator watching a pre-recorded session, this step verifies your identity electronically instead, so the certificate reflects who actually completed the course. Asgard discards your ID immediately after verification — it isn't stored in any system.

Pricing depends on the delivery method.

In-house: $2750 + GST for up to 12 persons, with additional persons charged at $175 + GST each (maximum of 16).

Public (face-to-face or online): $245 + GST per person.

eLearning: $195 + GST per person.

What's next

Next steps

To get started, you can book now.
 
To explore more courses in this area, see the Mental Health, Wellbeing and De-escalation category.
 
If you are building capability across public-facing teams, this course also sits well alongside Mental Health First Aid Aotearoa, Workplace Wellbeing, and HSR Stage 2: Risk Assessment and Incident Investigation as part of a wider training plan.

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