Positive Behavioural Support (PBS) is about creating environments that meet the persons needs, preferences and values. The framework helps us understand why behaviour occurs within the content/environment, focusing on improving quality of life.
The North East and North Cumbria Learning Disability and Autism Network have worked on a strategic PBS workforce programme since 2013 it attempts to change the supports around a person who is at risk of behaving in ways that distress themselves or challenge others.
The North East and Cumbria were a fast track area for transforming care and were provided with funding to upskill the regions workforce. This led to an extensive scoping report being completed by North East and Cumbria in 2016 including all stakeholders. This aimed to understand how the workforce was being supported. The report highlighted variable quality of PBS commissioning, provision and training, a lack of learning pathways to enable staff/families to develop skills and knowledge in PBS and an absence of infrastructure to support this. Overall people did not know what PBS was. Based on this, the scoping report provided recommendations for the region, which led to the development of a workforce development approach to PBS, focusing on building capacity in social care (the PBS educational programmes). The aim of this was to provide a regional approach to building skills, knowledge and competence in PBS and ensure an equal offer is provided across the region.
Find out more about the scoping here: Scoping-report-full-read
The Integrated Care System for the North East and Cumbria committed to the workforce approach to PBS and the sustainability of these educational programmes, which has been evaluated in its current form. There has also been a commitment to the PBS Academy standards to PBS, to ensure there is equity in expectations across the region. This is one of the reasons there is a requirement for organisations to commit to the workforce approach to PBS. Organisations are required to release and support staff to undertake all levels of learning. Again, this model is subscribed to by the region due to there being evidence against the ‘train and hope’ model, whereby individual staff members are sent on training with no system of support. Stakeholder involvement is key to ensuring there is organisational commitment and ongoing success.
It is widely acknowledged that the majority of organisations in the region still do not have existing infrastructures to support PBS and this workforce development model aims to address that. It acknowledges for PBS to be effectively delivered; staff need to be trained at different levels dependent on their role. This approach therefore includes educational PBS programmes at three accredited levels, tailored to the roles of different staff within social care. The practice leader programme was tailored towards staff leading PBS in their organisation. The facilitator course was aimed at managers and team leads, for example, those staff whose role it was to coach and support direct care staff. The third programme was aimed at anyone providing direct support. This provides a unique course tailored to the needs of the workforce. This also builds an infrastructure within organisations not only to supervise staff and competency assess staff during the programme but builds in ongoing support following the end of the programme. It enables organisations to build those infrastructures from within, that as mentioned does not exist for many organisations, but is often key to an ongoing commitment and successful development of PBS as it enables organisations to build capacity, knowledge, and skills and maintain and progress these over time.
These programmes are designed to complement each other and are not designed to be delivered in isolation. Delivering one programme without an infrastructure, according to the outcomes of the initial scoping report and the evaluation, is likely to be ineffective at building capacity within organisations as the infrastructure required to enable appropriate supervision, ongoing support and senior support may not be present within all organisations.
Find out more about the programme evaluation here: Final_PBS_report_051020
We are delighted to offer people the opportunity to express interest in the level 6/7 & level 4 programme of learning in PBS. There are offered as part of our regional workforce development approach to PBS.
The Level 6/7 Leading PBS in organisations is available through Northumbria University and you can find out more information and how to express interest click here: Leading Positive Behavioural Support in Organisations – Advanced Diploma
The level 4 Diploma in Facilitating PBS in teams is available through Sunderland College and you can find out more information and how to express interest here: Positive Behavioural Support – Sunderland College
Remember for the level 4 programme their is a requirement for the organisation to be already signed up to the workforce development approach to PBS and therefore there must be an internal member of staff to provider supervision and support to the level 4 student(s).
Find out more about the workshops here: NENC PBS family carer workshops
Find out more about Viv’s experience of the PBS family carer workshops: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOBVHz3rS2I&t
The focus of the video is on how an organisational approach to PBS within social care can support wider initiatives such as STOMP and STAMP. The video shares how using this approach has led to reduced medication use and improved quality of life for two people with a learning disability supported by these social care organisations.
This is a great video to share with other social care organisations as well as health colleagues as it demonstrates just how important it is to have a systemic approach to supporting people with a learning disability and behaviours that challenge:
