What is PBS and how does it compare to Restrictive Practices
Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) is an evidence-based model. It is about working in partnership with people, treating them with dignity and respect and enabling them to have a better life.
All behaviours, whether good or bad have a meaning. Positive Behaviour Support aims to understand why challenging behaviours occur, so that the person’s needs can be met in better ways.
Restrictive Practices do not explore the why. Restrictive Practices stop a person’s challenging behaviour at the time of behaviour.
Restrictive Practices do not prevent them from occurring in the future and they don't they look at the underlying reasons and triggers (function of the behaviour) for those behaviours.
As the NDIS Commission state, “the aim of positive behaviour support is to reduce and eliminate restrictive practices."
There is a primary emphasis on upholding the rights of the person with disability by looking to support the person through evidence-informed, person-centred strategies reflected in a behaviour support plan.
There may be limited circumstances in which a regulated restrictive practice is used.
The NDIS (Restrictive Practices and Behaviour Support) Rules 2018 specify that any use of restrictive practices must be:
- Used only in response to a risk of harm to the person with disability or others, as a last resort.
- Authorised in accordance with any state or territory legislation and/or policy requirements
- In proportion to the risk of harm and used only for the shortest possible time.
Who can deliver PBS?
A behaviour support plan can only be developed by practitioners who:
- are considered suitable by the Commissioner to undertake functional behaviour assessments and
- develop behaviour support plans.
They will be considered suitable pending assessment against the Positive Behaviour Capability Framework.
Behaviour support practitioners (whether a sole provider or employed by a provider) must be registered with the NDIS to provide specialist behaviour support (Registration group 110)” (NDIS Commission Website)
The role of family and health networks
We all have a critical role within the implementation of the BSP, its strategies and the support of your loved one/participant.
These roles are tailored and individualised depending upon the person's needs and their family/ health networks’ capabilities.
Providers such as Everyday Independence collaborate with the person and their trusted support team to ensure everyone is working towards a unified purpose with a focus on building the capacity of the person and their supports’.
They will help everyone involved to understand the PBS plan and how to use it in their everyday life.
No one is alone in this; the implementation of the plan is a joint effort with plenty of guidance from the PBS practitioner.
What qualifications are needed?
An NDIS behaviour support practitioner is a person the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commissioner (NDIS Commissioner) considers suitable to undertake behaviour support assessments (including functional behavioral assessments) and to develop behaviour support plans that may contain the use of restrictive practices.
When you are registered as a behavior support practitioner, you must be supervised by Behaviour Support Practitioners with a greater level experience than you and provide evidence to the NDIS commission via a Self Assessment. You can find more here.
Can I use non-registered providers?
This depends on whether restrictive practices are in place that the providers are required to implement.
If they are, then the legislation states that only registered providers can implement restrictive practices.
If there are no restrictive practices being implemented by the provider, then non-registered providers can be used.
Do you need positive behaviour support? Ask the MyCareSpace Team to connect you
Resources on Positive Behaviour Support
- Webinar: Positive Behaviour Support and the NDIS
- Here is a link to the Powerpoint Slides that were used during the webinar
- Positive Behaviour Supports - what you need to know
- Positive Behaviour Supports in Practice
- What is Positive Behaviour Support and how to get it in an NDIS Plan
- Questions asked at our Webinar
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