NDIS Positive Behaviour Supports Deep Dive

What is Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) in the NDIS?

Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) is an evidence-based model (hence funded by the NDIS) and supports the idea that all behaviours, whether good or bad have a meaning.

Behaviour is a means of communication.

When there is a mismatch between supports, environments and the needs of a person, there may be "behaviours of concern" or "behaviours that challenge", which can cause difficulties and limit a person’s ability to have a good life.

This behaviour challenges everyone who supports the person to understand why it is happening and seek a solution so that the person’s needs can be met in better ways.

Positive Behaviour Supports (PBS) Practitioners seek to understand behaviours of concern from multiple perspectives and work in partnership with the person, their family and the support network to develop a plan with goals for meaningful change. 

Behaviour support is about creating individualised strategies for people with disability that are responsive to the person’s needs, in a way that reduces and eliminates the need for the use of regulated restrictive practices.

What is a Behaviour Support Plan (BSP) and who can deliver it?

In the NDIS, a Behaviour Support Plan can only be developed by NDIS Registered Behaviour Support Practitioners (who may be employed by NDIS Registered Behaviour Support Providers).

Behaviour Support Practitioners (whether a sole provider or employed by a provider) must be registered with the NDIS to provide specialist behaviour support. They must also be supervised by Behaviour Support Practitioners with a greater level of experience than them and must also provide evidence of their capabilities to the NDIS commission via a Self Assessment.

They can also work with the person’s support staff, such as Occupational Therapists and Speech Pathologists to understand and develop the PBS support plan to assist the person or family member/carer.

Positive Behaviours Supports thus usually include a Behaviour Support Plan.

A Behaviour Support Plan is developed for a person with challenging behaviour to help them and the people that support them:

• strengthen positive behaviours and personal interests
• understand the causes of the behaviour, including the effects of trauma
• equip them with appropriate strategies and skills to address or prevent challenging behaviours which have concerning consequences 
• clearly identify the circumstances under which any restricted practices can be used within the context of behaviour management, and include the appropriate authorisation of those.

A  Behaviour Support Plan should be reviewed within the first few weeks, and then every 3 months from then on to ensure its success.

The Positive Behaviour Capability Framework governs who is suitable to create a behaviour support plan.

How to make sure you have NDIS funding to implement Positive Behaviour Supports

Positive Behaviour Supports are funded under “Improved Relationships” in an NDIS Plan.

Specifically, this funding should appear as: 

• Specialist Behavioural Intervention Support
• Behaviour Management Plan Incl. Training In Behaviour Management Strategies

To receive this NDIS funding, participants will need to have GOALS that talk about:

• emotional regulation,
• improving communication skills and 
• improving behaviours and relationships

Examples of NDIS Goals that attract Positive Behaviour Support Funding:

"I want to be able to manage my behaviours so that I can build relationships"
"I want to be able to regulate my emotions so that I can be more social and communicate better with others"
"I want to be able to regulate my emotions and self-manage my reactions and behaviour"
"I want to be able to express myself and engage confidently with others"

There is usually funding to develop a Behaviour Support Plan and then for someone to implement and/or train other people to put those strategies in place. 

If the relevant funding is not on the person’s plan, a plan review can be requested.

An Allied Health Practitioner will need to provide evidence as to why PBS is needed; e.g. restrictive practices in place, challenging behaviours are impacting safety and/or participation in everyday activities. The NDIS may want evidence to support this decision making.

Can I use non-registered NDIS providers to deliver PBS?

Behaviour Support Practitioners need to be registered as an individual with the NDIS Commission. A practitioner may work for a registered or non-registered NDIS provider.

Only registered providers can implement restrictive practices, so if there are no restrictive practices being implemented by the provider, non-registered providers can be used (so long as their PBS Practioner is registered).

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