A Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) plan is only as effective as the carers driving them forward. For PBS to truly succeed within an organisation, it’s essential that the team who interact with supported people every day are fully engaged, well-supported, and confident in their roles. By empowering staff and providing the necessary tools and support, organisations can ensure that PBS is not just a plan on paper, but a living, breathing approach that improves the lives of service users and carers alike.
In this chapter, we’ll explore practical strategies for supporting and empowering your team, from reflective practices and ongoing training to the management of agency staff. Understanding and addressing the challenges that staff face is crucial for creating a positive and effective PBS environment.
Assigning a PBS champion
Assigning a PBS champion within each team can significantly enhance the consistency and effectiveness of Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) plans. A PBS champion is a dedicated staff member responsible for overseeing the implementation of PBS strategies, providing guidance, and supporting colleagues. This role ensures that PBS remains a central focus within the team, promoting consistent, person-centred care.
The PBS champion should be well-versed in PBS principles and serve as a key resource, helping to lead reflective practice sessions and address any PBS-related challenges. This approach fosters a supportive environment and encourages continuous improvement across the organisation.
Reflective practice and staff engagement
For PBS to be successful, it’s crucial to engage and support the staff who will be implementing it. Reflective practice provides a structured way for staff to discuss their experiences, feelings, and insights, helping to reinforce their understanding and commitment to PBS.
Purpose of reflective practice
Reflective practice creates a space for staff to share their thoughts on the PBS plan and its effectiveness. It allows them to voice concerns, suggest improvements, and feel heard within the organisation.
Process of reflective practice
Hold weekly sessions that focus on the team’s experiences rather than on service users. Encourage open discussions where staff can express their emotions, discuss challenges, and share ideas. This not only helps improve the PBS plan but also fosters a supportive and collaborative working environment.
Training and reinforcement
Comprehensive training is critical to the successful implementation of PBS. However, training should not be a one-time event but an ongoing process that includes regular reinforcement and opportunities for continued learning.
Initial training
Provide thorough initial training on the PBS plan, ideally delivered by a reliable provider with expertise in PBS. This training should cover the theoretical foundations of PBS, practical strategies for implementation, and specific details about the service users they will be supporting.
Continuous learning
Use reflective practices to revisit and reinforce training concepts. Address specific concerns that arise, such as staff feeling unsafe during certain situations, by discussing practical steps to enhance their comfort and effectiveness. Continuous learning ensures that staff remain confident and capable in their roles.
Supporting staff well-being
The well-being of staff is directly linked to the success of PBS. When staff feel supported, valued, and equipped to handle the challenges of their work, they are more likely to implement PBS effectively and provide high-quality care.
Acknowledging staff emotions
Recognise the emotional toll that working with distressed service users can take on staff. Acknowledging and addressing these emotions is crucial for maintaining staff well-being and preventing burnout.
Providing support
Ensure that staff have access to the support they need, whether through internal resources, such as supervision and reflective practice, or external support, such as counselling services. Recognising that staff well-being is directly linked to the success of PBS is key to creating a supportive work environment.
Debrief and reflect after incidents
Regular debriefing sessions after incidents are vital for ensuring that staff cope well with the emotional impact of their work. These sessions allow staff to express their feelings, share their experiences, and receive support from their colleagues and supervisors.
After any significant incident, hold debrief sessions to help staff process what happened, discuss what went well, and identify areas for improvement. These sessions provide an opportunity for staff to reflect on their actions and experiences, helping them to learn and grow in their roles.
Assess your team’s coping mechanisms
Use these sessions to assess whether staff are coping well after witnessing or being involved in an incident. If staff are struggling, provide additional support or resources to help them manage their emotions and continue providing high-quality care.
External support
Leverage external resources, such as health professionals or clinical psychologists, to provide additional support and guidance to staff. Regular visits from these professionals can help staff feel more confident in their roles and provide them with the tools they need to manage challenging situations.
The Care Workers’ Charity and local resources
Encourage staff to access support from organisations like The Care Workers’ Charity, which offers financial and emotional support to care workers in need. Additionally, local authorities often provide free mental health services that staff can utilise. Promoting these resources can help ensure that staff have the support they need to maintain their well-being.
Empowering the care team
Empowerment is a core principle of PBS, not just for the people in our care, but for the team as well. By empowering team members, you enable them to take ownership of the PBS plan and contribute to its success.
Empowering staff means giving them the tools, training, and agency they need to perform their roles effectively. It also involves recognising their contributions and ensuring they feel valued and respected.
Tools and agency
Provide staff with the resources and autonomy they need to implement PBS effectively. This could include access to training, digital tools for data collection, and the authority to make decisions about how best to support service users.
Ownership of the PBS plan
Foster a sense of ownership among the team by involving them in the development and ongoing refinement of the PBS plan. Encourage them to share their insights and ideas and recognise their contributions to the success of the plan.
Managing agency staff in PBS
The effective management of agency staff is a significant challenge, particularly in the context of the ongoing staffing crisis in the care sector. Agency staff can play a vital role in supporting PBS, but they need to be carefully managed to ensure consistency and quality of care. Agency staff may be skilled, but they often lack the familiarity and connection with supported people that is so crucial when it comes to PBS.
Lack of familiarity
Agency staff often lack the same level of familiarity with service users and their specific PBS plans as permanent staff, which can lead to mistakes and inconsistent care. This unfamiliarity can also cause distress for service users, who may find it unsettling to be supported by someone they don’t know well. The combination of these factors can increase the likelihood of incidents, highlighting the importance of managing agency staff effectively to maintain high-quality, consistent care.
Higher incident likelihood
Data indicates a correlation between the number of agency staff and the likelihood of incidents. This highlights the importance of carefully managing agency staff and ensuring they are well-prepared to work with the people you support.
Strategies for effective management of agency staff
To mitigate the challenges associated with agency staff, it’s essential to implement strategies that ensure consistency, build familiarity, and provide adequate preparation.
Consistent staffing
Where possible, secure agency staff for longer-term assignments, such as three to six months, to provide consistency. Pair agency staff with permanent staff who know the service user well, allowing the permanent staff member to lead the support while the agency staff focuses on the more practical tasks (such as cleaning, or prepping for the day’s activities).
Pre-shift preparation
Arrange for agency staff to arrive a day or two before their shift to participate in activities the service user enjoys and to get acquainted with the other staff and the specific tasks. It’s important to introduce the agency staff to service users early on to foster familiarity and build rapport.
Information sharing
Provide agency staff with anonymised PBS plans, particularly the communication section, which generally lacks sensitive personal information. This helps them understand the specific needs and strategies for supporting the service user.
Cost considerations
While lengthy inductions for agency staff can be beneficial, they are often costly and may not be feasible for all providers. Weigh the cost of extensive inductions against the potential benefits of having well-prepared agency staff. You could consider cheaper alternatives like sending one pager profiles to aid in familiarity ahead of new team members joining.
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Embedding PBS within your organisation is a complex but essential process that requires buy-in from all levels of the organisation, from senior management to frontline staff. By securing senior management buy-in, engaging and empowering staff, and carefully managing agency staff, you can create a supportive environment where PBS can thrive. This, in turn, leads to better outcomes for service users, improved staff well-being, and a stronger, more resilient organisation.
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