History of NAPPI

NAPPI training started in 1977 and was developed in a health care setting as a result of litigation directed against a hospital in Maine that cared for patients with severe Learning Disabilities. Kurk Lalemand, a qualified martial arts instructor, was asked to design a programme for the management of aggressive patients in a wholly non-abusive way. He quickly came to realise that a martial arts "sport" was an "I win, so you lose" situation, therefore totally inappropriate in the care of vulnerable service users with whom you are trying to develop a therapeutic relationship.

From this simple yet unique concept the original NAPPI programme was designed and NAPPI Inc. was formed. Over the past forty years NAPPI has continued to develop into the programme that is currently taught in America and in the UK.  NAPPI (UK) Ltd. was formed in 1995 and has the sole franchise to deliver NAPPI training within the UK. There are already over 100,000 people in the UK trained in this unique approach. In 2003, NAPPI uk gained accreditation with the British Institute of Learning Disabilities for training in Physical Interventions. Re-accreditation was gained in 2007 and 2010; NAPPI uk becoming the first training provider to adhere to the revised code of practice.

Today the emphasis is around reducing the distress that an individual may experience that can result in them presenting with behaviour of concern. Following the principles of Positive Behaviour Support (PBS), training seeks to understand the cause of the distress enabling employees to be proactive in using primary prevention strategies.

In 2003, NAPPI uk first gained accreditation with the British Institute of Learning Disabilities for training in Physical Interventions. Re-accreditation was gained every 3 years until the Code of Practice was replaced by the Restraint Reduction Network Training Standards.  In December 2019, NAPPI became one of the first providers to be certificated under the new Standards.