Positive Behaviour Support
Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) aims to create individualised strategies for people living with a disability that are responsive to the person’s needs, in a way that reduces/eliminates the need for the use of regulated restrictive practices.
National Positive Behaviour Support (NPBS) focuses on evidence-based strategies and person-centred supports that address the needs of the person with a disability and the underlying causes of Behaviours of Concern (BOC), while safeguarding the dignity and quality of life of people with a disability who require specialist behaviour support.
“Both specialist behaviour support providers (who engage NDIS behaviour support practitioners), and providers who use regulated restrictive practices (implementing providers), must meet the requirements outlined in the National Disability Insurance Scheme (Restrictive Practices and Behaviour Support) Rules 2018.”
We deliver
PBS is the term used to describe the integration of the contemporary ideology of disability service provision with the clinical framework of Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA). NPBS is supported by evidence encompassing strategies and methods that aim to increase an individual’s quality of life, reduce BOC, and eliminate/reduce restrictive practices. (Source note: Carr, et al., 2002; Singer & Wang, 2009) .
Using the above definition of PBS, NPBS uses the NDIS capability framework to create strategies of best practice to implement behaviour support for NDIS participants.
At NPBS, we work with the participant (priority) and their families and supports (stakeholders) to develop a BSP that outlines the strategies that will lead the participant to achieve their NDIS goals and live their best life. Once a BSP is approved, NPBS practitioners will implement the plan by training supports and stakeholders to best employ the plan.
The information provided at care team meetings helps NPBS track the progress of the participants quality of life, and will help to improve the scheme for everyone involved (family and other stakeholders).
If your child has an NDIS plan that requires PBS, your involvement is essential. You’ll have a central role in the collaboration of your child’s PBS plan working together with your chosen NPBS practitioner. Your skilled practitioner will train you and all supports in implementing the plan. They should also give you information about and support for responding to difficult circumstances in appropriate ways. You’ll be responsible for implementing the PBS plan at home, and you’ll play an active role in providing feedback to the team about your child’s progress.
Our Behaviour Support Practitioners have clinical psychology qualifications and have completed additional training and continue to study in behaviour analysis and the management of complex behaviours. NPBS draw on a range of professional specialist skills to create individualised behaviour management plans that meet the needs of both participants, and their support team as well as NDIS legislative requirements.
NPBS progress reports include:
- a summary of supports provided to the participant
- how the support has helped the participant work towards their goals – for example, how their functional ability has changed over the plan period
- whether the participant has been linked to any additional informal, community, or mainstream supports to help them achieve their goals
- barriers encountered during the plan period and the strategies implemented to resolve these
- any risk identified to the participant or others
- any evidence or other information that may be relevant for the NDIA to consider when determining reasonable and necessary supports
- justification for any recommendations of additional supports, including details of the proposed outcomes and any risks or impacts on other supports, if relevant.
The introduction of a NPBS BSP will reshape the way in which people with disability access the supports they need to achieve their goals and participate fully in community life. The aim of the NPBS is to support people with a permanent and significant disability that affects their ability to take part in everyday activities. We do this by identifying what disability supports someone needs to help them achieve their goals in life. This might include greater independence, involvement in the community, education, employment and health and wellbeing. NPBS aims to give people with disability more choice and control over how, when and where their supports are provided, and provide certainty in receiving the support they need over their lifetime.
We create
A BSP is a document prepared in consultation with the person/participant with disability, their family, carers, and other supports/stakeholders that addresses the needs of the person identified as having complex behaviours of concern. The BSP contains evidence-informed strategies and seeks to improve the participants quality of life.
Each participant’s quality of life is maintained and improved by tailored, evidence informed Behaviour Support Plans (BSPs) that are responsive to their needs identified through a Functional Behaviour Assessment (FBA). An FBA is an assessment to find the root-cause of a behaviour’s function and can assist with developing suitable strategies to reduce behaviours of concern (BOC). NPBS practitioners use this information to create a BSP which outlines these suitable strategies in an aim to replace BOC with positive behaviours. From here we provide education around the use of these strategies so that supports can use these everyday.
A restrictive practice is any practice or intervention that has the effect of restricting the rights or freedom of movement of a person with disability. The use of restrictive practices for NDIS participants is subject to the NDIS (Restrictive Practices and Behaviour Support) Rules 2018. Regulated restrictive practices include seclusion, chemical restraint, mechanical restraint, physical restraint, and environmental restraint.
NPBS assess if restrictive practices are taking place in the life of all their participants and present this information to the Authorised Program Officer (APO) to consider if the restrictive practices are:
- necessary to prevent a person from causing physical harm to the person or another person
- the option which is the least restrictive of the person as is possible in the circumstances
- included in and used in accordance with the person’s NDIS behaviour support plan
- not applied for longer than necessary, and
- in accordance with the NDIS Commission’s requirements (under the NDIS (Restrictive Practices and Behaviour Support) Rules 2018 (Cth)).
If you do not currently have funding for behaviour support but feel that this would be beneficial for your child/participant to have, we can put together an initial report outlining the Behaviours of Concern (BOC) and expected funding required for their future NDIS plans.
A Behaviour Assessment Report provides the following information for NDIS:
- Brief background of history, diagnosis and needs
- The main challenging BOC
- An initial indication of the severity and intensity of the behaviours
- Potential triggers and functions
- Expected funding needs and other services recommended to support the participant
Sometimes you may need to use some extra measures to ensure your child’s/participant’s safety and wellbeing. Sometimes this may prevent them from doing their everyday activities. While this may appear helpful, sometimes this can impact their quality of life. If you need to use restrictive measures the NDIS need to know of these measures. The benefit of this, is that it helps make sure suitable services such as Positive Behaviour Support are provided to help you reduce the need for these over time (when safe to do so).
NPBS assess whether these practices are taking place in the life of all their participants to consider if the restrictive practices are:
- necessary to prevent a person from causing physical harm to the person or another person
- the option which is the least restrictive of the person as is possible in the circumstances
- included in and used in accordance with the person’s NDIS behaviour support plan
- not applied for longer than necessary, and
- in accordance with the NDIS Commission’s requirements (under the NDIS (Restrictive Practices and Behaviour Support) Rules 2018 (Cth)).
If you are a provider that is unsure whether you need to have a Behaviour Support Plan for your participant, give us a call or fill in the referral form for Behaviour Support
It is important to remember the following points when considering risk issues in relation to participants with an NDIS plan:
- A formal structured risk assessment process should be used to objectively assess risk and how to manage it.
- An actuarial risk assessment tool should be used to assess the intensity of treatment and supervision that the person needs (base line level of risk).
- A structured clinical guideline risk assessment should be used to assess what dynamic risk factors need to be monitored and evaluated over time, as treatment targets and as measures of treatment progress.
- The same structured clinical guideline risk assessment should be used to re-evaluate dynamic risk factors.
- The risk assessment tools used should be those that have been validated, tried and proven to be effective.
National Positive Behaviour Support is committed to improving the quality of lives of our clients and their families.
We are constantly improving our processes to keep in line with new research that emerges. Our processes are guided by peak bodies who have conducted extensive literature reviews and have provided recommendations to providers.
Innovation in the behaviour support space is only possible when providers are structured to learn from feedback from participants and their families, Our goal at National Positive Behaviour Support is to be highly responsive to the needs of our participants and their families and to track the right metrics to ensure the success of the plan.
For a full breakdown on how we conduct our service, please get in touch with us using the “Contact us” button above.
NDIS
We are a registered NDIS provider. We work with participants with NDIS funding for “Improved Relationships” and “Improved Daily Living”. We work closely with the participant, their families and support network, to develop a plan that can be followed to ensure a reduction of behaviours of concern, a reduction of restrictive practices, and improve their quality of life.
