Retirement and nursing homes training programmes. These include not only physical defence methods but in particular measures for de-escalating conflict. The caregivers must be able – for their own protection – to recognise early warning signs and use techniques to distract and calm the resident down. Implementation in the Laender The NPM recently contacted each of the Laender and asked whether there are harmonised quality guidelines or quality standards applicable to all operators and/or owners, which are supported by the technical supervision, for violence prevention and de-escalation management, and how it can be ensured that all operators and care homes are implementing them. Best practice in Vienna The result shows that the guideline “The management of aggression, violence and de-escalation” (“Aggressions-, Gewalt- und Deeskalationsmanagement”) – volume 3 of a guideline on nursing and care (“Handlungsleitlinien Pflege und Betreuung”) – created by the Association for Viennese Social Institutions last year is still an example of best practice. Implementation of this guideline is a prerequisite for homes in Vienna to be recognised and sponsored by the Vienna Social Fund (FSW). Burgenlan enacts legal obligation The Burgenland Social Institution Act (Sozialeinrichtungsgesetz) that came into effect on 1 November 2019 stipulates the mandatory presentation of a violence prevention concept (Section 5 (2)(5)) as a condition for granting the operating permit for a retirement and nursing home. Existing homes shall present such a concept within two years of the new law coming into effect, failing which, the regional government can impose conditions concerning this matter. The NPM was informed that the regional government intends to create a standard violence prevention quality guideline soon. Lower Austria Standard quality guidelines on violence and de-escalation management were developed for the homes in Lower Austrian in 2019 – with the involvement of private and public owners and operators, residents’ representatives, the network of representatives and the Lower Austrian Patients and Care Advocates. The guidelines were formulated as the condition for recognition and sponsoring by the Land of Lower Austria. Implementation is planned for 2020. The training themes of violence prevention, ethics and person-centeredness were defined as part of the framework for quality assurance and the development of care centres for 2019 and 2020. The relevant training programmes were attended by both management and employees and the implementation of the content in practice was accompanied by Quality Management and the Administrative Unit for Innovation of the Land’s specialist department (Department GS 7). 644 employees from Lower Austrian care centres have taken part in the training programmes to date. Vorarlberg In Vorarlberg, the regional government published a guideline on “Dealing with violence to persons in need of care” (“Umgang mit Gewalt an pflegebedürftigen Menschen”) at the end of 2019, which was sent to all care services. 31