Pilot and Peer Assistance
3-day course I Virtual & Classroom
- Classroom course in London Gatwick
- Endorsed by the UK CAA and delivered by the UK CAA experts on mental health and wellbeing
- Complete programme providing delegates with skills, knowledge and behaviours, as a Peer
- Develops the ability to have peer to peer conversation
- Teaches how to mitigate risk of pilot impairment
Next available course
Start Date | Venue | Cost | Availability | Book |
---|---|---|---|---|
26/09/2023 | London Gatwick | £1,150.00 | More than 5 places | Book |
Course overview
What is Pilot Peer Assistance?
Pilot Peer Assistance promotes and supports the whole health and wellbeing of commercial pilots. The assistance is confidential, independent and peer-based. The support is provided when pilot requires help, advice or assistance with a developing social, personal or health related issue.
Course Overview
Aviation safety is enhanced when all aviation safety sensitive personnel are fit to operate. The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Aviation Safety (in line with the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)) regulation has recently mandated all Commercial Air Transport (CAT) operators to implement a Support Programme (SP) for flight crew designed to inform and educate pilots, flight crew and other safety sensitive personnel on their wellbeing and health and to be fit to operate.  The role of Peer Assistance is central to the Support Programme.
This course provides delegates with the opportunity to understand the skills, knowledge and behaviours, needed to provide Peer Assistance to colleagues and employees within organisations.
Peer Assistance promotes and supports the whole health and wellbeing of safety sensitive personnel. It provide an environment for confidential and independent peer-based support and assistance when peer require help, advice or assistance with a developing social, personal or health related issue.
Trained peer volunteers, working with the oversight of qualified health professionals enhance the wellbeing of industry personnel, preserving careers and enhancing aviation safety.
Who should attend
- Peer volunteers
- Crew members
- Senior Managers from CAT operators who have oversight of support programmes
- National Aviation Authorities (NAA’s) and Regulatory Bodies SMEs on SPs or Peer Support
Key topics
- Regulatory requirements for Support programmes and the use of trained peers
- Role of a Peer, their function, responsibilities, competencies and associated safety risk factors in aviation
- An appropriate and agreed code of practice and ethics and importance of confidentiality
- Knowledge of CAA medical regulatory considerations in aviation medicine
- Human Factors, Basics of psychology and the understanding of how the human mind and body respond to stressors and the manner by which health and wellbeing issues develop
- Mental health first aid principles and intervention techniques
- How Peer Assistance works – Peer Assistance model
- The skills required for initiating and directing a peer assistance call
- Empathic and active listening skills and unconditional positive regard
- Helpful conversations in peer assistance calls; preferred future state, solution-focused conversations, shared understandings
- How to handle concerns raised by others including how to verify the veracity of a report (to limit potential misuse of the system)
- Mutual support Peers and for ‘difficult’ cases, how to look after themselves including access qualified assistance themselves, if needed
- Governance and organisational support arrangement
Course objectives
By the end of this course delegates will demonstrate an understanding of the following through presentation and interactive discussion:
- The function and role of a Peer and Pilot Peer Assistance
- The skills, knowledge and behaviours to act as a Peer
- The mental health and wellbeing of pilots in the aviation workplace
- The ability to have peer to peer conversations
- The mitigation of risk of pilot impairment and risk resulting from the fear of loss of licence
Preparation
There is no formal preparation for this course; however, we would encourage further reading of the associated regulatory AMC and GM to CAT.GEN.MPA 215 and the European Pilot Peer Support Initiative (EPPSI) Manual of Peer Support documents available through the CAA website.
Prerequisites
No pre-requisites for this course.
In the context of a support programme, a ‘peer’ is a trained person who shares common professional qualifications and experience, and has encountered similar situations, problems or conditions with the person seeking assistance from a support programme. This may or may not be a person working in the same organisation as the person seeking assistance from the support programme.
A peer’s involvement in a support programme can be beneficial due to similar professional backgrounds between the peer and the person seeking support.  However, a mental health professional should support the peer when required, e.g. in cases where intervention is required to prevent endangering safety.
Delivery Methods: Classroom
This course can be delivered face-to-face in classroom at our London Gatwick training centre.
Browse the table below to select your preferred date.
Course type:
- Class = A face-to-face classroom course delivered in the location listed in the “venue” column. In light of COVID-19, please check your eligibility and our COVID-19 measures.
What the expert says
Listen to The Pilot Network podcast with Nick Goodwyn talking about pilot mental health and the advantages of peer support programmes.
Review of course
Related courses
In-company delivery?
We can also tailor this training courses to suit an organisation’s individual training requirements. These bespoke training packages can be delivered in the UK or at a client’s international location. Contact us for more information.
Course Type | Course Name | Start Date | End Date | Venue | Cost | Availability | Book |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Class | Pilot and Peer Assistance Awareness and Training | 26/09/2023 | 28/09/2023 | London Gatwick | £1,150.00 | More than 5 places | Book |
Pilot Peer Training Instructor
Nick Goodwyn MA Dip Psych cfs RAF (Ret)
Pilot Peer Training
Nick Goodwyn, on behalf of the UK Civil Aviation Authority (UK CAA), leads the strategic overview of Pilot and Human Performance and the implementation of Pilot Peer Assistance in developing a national programme for the benefit of all UK commercial pilots in promoting and supporting their whole health and wellbeing.
Nick has a 36 year career as a military and civilian Fast Jet Pilot, Instructor and Examiner. Focused on Flight Operations as well as learning and development, Nick is a qualified Aircrew, Executive and Business Coach specialising in flight crew welfare and personal growth. Additionally, Nick's expertise extend to Human Factors, Performance and Crew Resource Management.
As a front line fast jet military pilot, on operations and having flown over 4500 hours (including multi-engine and rotary experience), Nick was latterly responsible for the delivery of Ab-Initio Human factors training to all Royal Air Force and Royal Navy Pilots. Nick was also responsible for the cognitive development and performance of pilots and instructors through a unique Performance Coaching Programme and Human Performance for Instructors Course as well as a military and civilian Airmanship model.  Additionally, he undertook bespoke flying training projects as an independent service consultant for defence senior officers.  In January 2015, he was seconded to work with the UK CAA and left the RAF in September 2016 to become Director of Elite Performance Training Ltd (Aviation Services), working in the commercial air transport sector, re-joining the CAA in October 2018 to undertake the Pilot Peer Assistance project lead role.
Nick has a Postgraduate Diploma in Coaching Psychology and was awarded a Masters Degree in Executive and Business Coaching focusing on Pilot Peer Assistance and mental wellbeing.