Positive Behaviour Support

What is PBS?

PBS is an evidence-based approach that is effective in reducing behaviour that causes concern of challenges to yourself or others, increasing the quality of life of yourself and others, and supports your human rights. This approach recognises that all behaviours communicate important information about what you might be thinking, feeling, needing or wanting (which is described as the ‘function’ of the behaviour). It also acknowledges the influence of other people and the environment in one’s needs and behaviours. PBS is a proactive approach that anticipates where things may not be working and prevents these, rather than reacting after. It recognises that there is no quick fix, and values a team-based approach to supporting you. In this approach, we also commit to reducing and eliminating the use of restrictive practices for people with disabilities.

Our PBS team

Key Assets Australia have a team of experienced clinicians that are committed to improving the quality of life for people with disabilities and their families. Our team includes Occupational Therapists and Social Workers who are trained and registered with the NDIS as PBS practitioners.

How can our PBS team help you?

Our PBS Practitioners will work with you, and others support you, to understand your behaviours, your needs, your capacity to communicate, and your strengths. We use a person-centred framework to understand any ‘challenging behaviour’. These are referred to as ‘challenging’ as they challenge those around you to think about what you are needing and how they can help you. Our practitioners recognise the expertise that you and your family bring and will collaborate with all involved to better understand your needs and form a plan together.

Our practitioners will firstly do an assessment (this process is referred to as a Functional Behaviour Assessment) to learn about your current quality of life, your strengths, your skills, your routines, your environment, your team, and how your needs are currently being met. We also explore any challenging behaviours which can include observation, consulting with you and your team, and/or collecting data. This helps us to understand the function behind the behaviour, why it keeps happening, and helps us to plan how we can help.

We will then form a report/plan (referred to as a Behaviour Support Plan) that may include:

• A description of what we have learnt about you
• The shared understanding of the behaviour(s) of concern
• Recommendations of ways we can adapt the environment to better support you proactively
• Recommendations of how we can support you to develop new skills to help you get your needs met, while reducing the behaviours of concern
• Descriptions of how we can support your team to better support you, such as how to respond to you or teach you new skills
• A plan to reduce or eliminate restrictive practices, if needed

Following this, we will support you and your team to implement the plan across all the relevant settings and help to monitor its effectiveness. This includes noticing with you and your team where the plan is or isn’t working, and modifying the plan wherever needed.

More information

Talk to our team today on 1800 932 273 or email us at disability@keyassets.org.au