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Positive Behaviour Support (PBS)
Most behaviours described as challenging result from a failure to understand a person’s distress.
Our professional Behaviour Support team can be commissioned to create environments where this behaviour is simply not needed, and so help the people we support to lead full and ordinary lives.
The team also operates a ‘clinical triage’ system – enabling us to react quickly, understand and minimise distress experienced by other people we support too – and will support applications for longer term behaviour support funding where this is needed.
PBS is a person-centred, clinically-directed approach to understanding and reducing a person’s distress and so-called challenging behaviour.
Through skilled approaches we have also virtually eliminated the use of restraint – sometimes to the astonishment of previous support providers and those closest to the person.
This avoids more costly support (for example in long stay hospital following a section.)
Why we choose PBS
When do we choose PBS?
Success stories
- Find out how Isabelle gained control over her life, reducing the need to hurt herself.
- Find out how Gillian explored new horizons, reducing her isolation and tendency to hurt herself and others.
- Find out how Paul rebuilt relationships with his family.
- Find out how Richard reduced his support needs, eliminated restraint, and gain control over his life.
Who is involved?
Three groups of experts work together to create our PBS plans which deliver safe support to those who need it:
- Behaviour Support Team: A team of experienced professionals with expertise in assessment, planning and training.
- Operational Team: With a broad knowledge of the support individuals need in their local area.
- Circle of Support: Friends, family, and the NHS form a group of people who are interested in the person and who we work with on an ongoing basis.
A range of protocols, panels and strategies support our work in this area.
Positive Behaviour Support Assessments
Through the functional assessment process, we learn why an individual may be behaving in a distressed way. Understanding this underpins the effectiveness of everything else, so assessments are comprehensive and thorough.
We gather information by:
- spending time with and observing the person
- interviewing experts (e.g. parents, carers, professionals)
- reviewing documents and analysing past incidents
- analysing the person’s environment and support.
The Behaviour Support Team is trained to use a variety of nationally recognised and specialist assessments.
The assessment identifies needs and required outcomes for the individual, forming the basis of a detailed behaviour support plan.
Positive Behaviour Support Plans
The behaviour support plan aims to increase quality of life and minimise behaviours of distress by modifying the person’s experience of day-to-day living, and teaching them new skills.
Plans are agreed by all the key people in the person’s life and in line with the PBS competency framework. They include:
- description of behaviours of distress
- possible reasons and triggers for behaviours of distress
- proactive strategies – to avoid behaviours of distress by meeting a person’s needs
- active strategies – to prevent behaviours from escalating, focusing on de-escalation, redirection, and distraction
- reactive strategies – guidance on managing a challenging situation to minimise the immediate risk and keep everyone safe.
- recovery strategies – to support recovery following an incident.
Monitoring and Review
Goals identified as part of the behaviour support programme are set as outcomes with the person we support, in line with their overarching person-centred support plan.
We then review and monitor behaviour support plans for:
- the frequency and severity of any behaviours of distress
- quality of life, including learning new skills
- the use of psychotropic medication (medication that changes behaviour or mood.)
- use of physical intervention
- how accurately the plan is being used.
Professional guidance
Our complex needs protocol
I am beyond happy, Jake is using more words, behaviours of distress have reduced drastically and I am perfectly happy Jake is living his best life ever.