Code Black Course

The ACES Code Black Course equips staff with the knowledge, confidence, and practical strategies required to manage aggression, violence, and escalating confrontational situations in healthcare. Built around the structured Avoid → Defuse → Control → Document framework, the course teaches staff to recognise early warning signs, manage stress responses, use effective communication, and apply safe, proportionate control measures when necessary.

Training integrates scenario-based learning, reflective debriefing, and a strong emphasis on accountability, professional standards, and accurate documentation. Participants also learn to identify medical emergencies that mimic behavioural crises, such as hypoglycaemia, behavioural disturbance, or asphyxia, ensuring clinical risk is always considered.

By blending theory, human factors, and immersive practical skills, the Code Black Course enhances staff confidence, reduces organisational risk, and supports safer patient care. It is highly relevant for nurses, security teams, ward staff, and clinicians regularly exposed to volatile environments.

The ACES Code Black Course is designed for healthcare professionals and support staff who may encounter aggressive, unpredictable, or escalating behaviours within clinical and healthcare environments. The training is suitable for multidisciplinary teams working across hospitals, emergency departments, mental health services, aged care facilities, community health, and other patient-facing settings.

The course is ideal for:

• Nurses and Nurse Unit Managers
• Emergency Department staff
• ICU and Critical Care teams
• Doctors, Consultants, and JMOs
• Mental Health clinicians
• Allied Health professionals
• Security personnel and response teams
• Ward staff and clinical support staff
• Ambulance and retrieval clinicians
• Healthcare leadership and management teams

The course supports both frontline staff and organisations looking to strengthen workplace safety, improve team communication, and create a more structured response to behavioural escalation and Code Black incidents.

Participants in the ACES Code Black Course will develop practical skills and confidence in recognising, responding to, and managing behavioural escalation and workplace aggression within healthcare settings. The course combines theoretical learning, structured response frameworks, and scenario-based training to support safer outcomes for staff, patients, and visitors.

Key learning outcomes include:

• Recognising early warning signs of agitation and escalation
• Understanding behavioural risk factors and triggers
• Communication and verbal de-escalation techniques
• Personal safety and situational awareness strategies
• Team-based response during Code Black incidents
• Managing aggressive, confrontational, or unpredictable behaviours
• Understanding workplace policies, reporting, and documentation requirements
• Human factors, teamwork, and leadership during critical incidents
• Post-incident reflection and debriefing processes
• Applying structured approaches to maintain safety and professionalism under pressure

The course is designed to strengthen staff preparedness while promoting consistent, safe, and patient-focused responses across multidisciplinary healthcare teams.

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The course includes realistic scenario-based training to help staff practise responses to challenging and high-pressure situations. These simulations allow participants to build confidence, improve team communication, and understand how to apply the Avoid, Defuse, Control and Document framework in real healthcare settings.

Code Black training plays an important role in reducing workplace risk and improving staff preparedness. By helping teams recognise behavioural escalation early and respond consistently, the course supports safer wards, emergency departments, clinical areas, and healthcare facilities.

ACES can deliver Code Black training onsite for hospitals, healthcare organisations, and clinical teams across Australia and New Zealand. Training can be adapted to suit local policies, workplace risks, staff roles, and organisational procedures.