What is Positive Behaviour Support (PBS)?
Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) is a way to help people with learning disabilities and/or Autism by focusing on their strengths and needs.
When someone shows challenging behaviour, it’s often because they’re trying to tell us that something is wrong, but they don’t have enough ways to express it.
With PBS, we try to understand what the person is trying to communicate and find ways to help them meet their needs.
We collaborate with the person, their family and friends, and their care team to create a support plan that highlights their strengths and enhances their quality of life.
PBS Training
Our PBS training meets the high standards set by the British Institute of Learning Disability (BILD) and the Restraint Reduction Networks (RRN).
At Southdown, new team members attend a two-day PBS Induction Course as part of their initial training. This course is in addition to other strengths-based training such as Person Centered Active Support, Great Interactions, and Oliver McGowan training.
Our training aims to improve quality of life, believing that when people are happy, they are less likely to show challenging behaviours.
We are dedicated to reducing the use of restraints and support the nationwide STOMP campaign, which aims to stop the overmedication of people with learning disabilities.
Central PBS Expertise
We have a Positive Behaviour Support Team, which includes a PBS Lead and PBS Practitioners, who work with individuals and their support team across all our services. They are trained to understand challenging behaviours and create supportive strategies.
The team aims to improve communication, develop independence skills, teach coping strategies and reduce the need for restrictions. This adds to a person’s skill set and reduces the need for the individual to use challenging behaviour to get their needs met.
Positive Behaviour Support at Southdown
Meet Lindsey from our Positive Behaviour Support Team.
Quality of Life Champions
In all our services, we have a Quality of Life Champion.
Our Champions meet regularly with our central PBS team to learn new skills and strategies to improve the quality of life for the people they support.
In 2023, our Champions focused on communication, relationships, and positive risk-taking. Thanks to their great work, the people we support have made new friends, started new hobbies, and redesigned their support plans.
"I think it’s important to recognise someone’s abilities"
Dee is an Activities Coordinator at one of our Learning Disability Support services. In this story, she tells us what her role entails and how it benefits clients.
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"He has a good, happy life here"
Jo is one of our clients who lives in a Supported Living service. We met up with Jo and spoke to his Service Manager, Gemma, about his quality of life.
Find out more