Positive behaviour support (PBS)

Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) can be used with a person who has behaviours of concern. A behaviour of concern is any behaviour that:

• Impacts a person’s ability to participate in their community.
• Compromises a person’s rights, dignity or quality of life.
• Poses a risk to the health and safety of themselves, and/or others.

Behaviours of concern may also be called challenging behaviours. PBS is a person-centred approach which aims to understand what a person’s behaviours tell us. All behaviours have a meaning. When a person’s needs are met, we reduce reliance on restrictive practices. The approach supports people with disabilities and their networks to increase participation within the community and ultimately improve a person’s quality of life.

At WSCSS our experienced team can support you and the person with behaviours of concern by:

• Getting to know the person and the important people in their life
• Learning about the life the person would like to live
• Understanding what the person is communicating through their behaviour
• Understanding internal and external factors influencing the person’s behaviour
• Finding new ways to have a person’s needs met, decreasing their need to engage in the behaviour
• Promoting independence, improved communication, coping skills and meaningful participation
• Finding ways to build relationships with family, friends and staff and creating opportunities to actively increase meaningful interactions