What are behaviours that
challenge?
These are behaviours that may cause others around the person to feel frustrated, distressed or fearful. This can look like the person damaging property, throwing objects, behaving in socially inappropriate ways, or verbally and physically aggressive towards others or self-harming.
We believe that all behaviours happen for a reason and by working directly with the person, their family and their other supports we can find ways to assist the person to reduce their behaviours of concern. By using ethical approaches that focus on human rights, community inclusion and equal opportunities we aim to eliminate the need for restrictive practices wherever possible.
What are
restrictive practices?
Restrictive practices are actions and environments that stop a person from exercising their rights to move about or behave in specific ways. It may also remove or restrict a person’s access to items or activities.
Restrictive practices include the use of medication to influence a participant’s behaviour (e.g. for agitation), using a physical restraint or restricting a person’s free access to their environment (e.g. locked fridge, locked front door), restricted access to item or activities, mechanical restraint (e.g. using bedrails, wheelchair seat belt) and use of seclusion.
We believe Restrictive Practices are always
considered a last resort
We believe Restrictive Practices are always considered a last resort and will support you to implement strategies to reduce the need for use or to have the restrictive practices authorised so you and the person can feel supported and have a proactive plan to fade this out.
We know that when people have control over their life and opportunities for meaningful participation in their community, they can live a good everyday life without the need to use behaviours that challenge.
Positive Behaviour Support
PBS is an evidence based approach that teaches that all challenging behaviour has a purpose and a function.
All behaviour aims to obtain something or escape from something.
PBS helps to reduce these behaviours and the impact of them on the individual’s ability to interact effectively with family and friends, be socially included and participate in the workplace and their community.
A Functional Behaviour Assessment (FBA) is an effective assessment tool used to assess the behaviour and find out why it is happening and keeps occurring.
This important information is then used to develop a Positive Behaviour Support Plan (PBSP) and teach alternative behaviour that replaces the challenging behaviour and gets the same need met.
Positive Behaviour Support
Taking a partnership approach with all the key supports in the individual’s life can provide the knowledge and different perspectives to help understand the situation.
In the PBSP we make recommendations to change the individual’s environment.
The aim is to remove the things that make challenging behaviour more likely. Focus is on encouraging positive behaviours and cultivating and reinforcing appropriate behaviours that replaces the challenging one and teaching new skills.
We treat the PBSP as a ‘living’ document that needs to be reviewed and amended if needed.
Results are monitored to ensure it remains effective and efficient for the best outcomes for the participant.
What is a Positive Behaviour
Support Plan
A person is more likely to achieve the best outcomes when a consistent approach has been developed and communicated. The consistent approach is outlined in a positive behaviour support plan.
It is a plan that trusted people and supports have had input into and becomes a central resource filled with proactive strategies and instructions to keep you and everyone safe. On occasions, where there is a restrictive practice in place, the plan will be sent to SACAT for authorisation and the NDIS commission for monitoring on the use of the restrictive practice.