Adults

‘Quality of life and happiness as interventions and outcomes’

Our objectives

The fundamental aim of all our training is quite straightforward. It is to increase the feelings of wellbeing and happiness, and to bring about improvements to the quality of life experienced by the people your organisation supports, the staff supporting them and their families and carers. Reducing restrictive practices is a cornerstone in our approach. A natural consequence of this is less distressed behaviour and further quality of life gains. In effect, a virtuous cycle is achieved in which quality of life and happiness is both an intervention and an outcome.

Our Training Approach to Accomplishing this

Trauma and Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) informed approaches to behaviours of concern.

Working successfully with adults who may present behaviours that concern requires staff to be both therapeutic and analytical in their approach. To this end our Adult T-PABC suite of courses draw heavily from both trauma, and PBS informed approaches to behaviours of concern. To work in a trauma informed way is to be sensitive to the wider context of the person’s life, how this impacts them and any supports you might be able to offer them. It requires acceptance of the individual being supported and empathy in navigating our relationships and interventions with them (1). Positive Behaviour Support blends values concerning the rights of people with intellectual or other disabilities with a practical science (Applied Behaviour Analysis) about how learning and behaviour change occur (2).

There is an emphasis in our training on understanding behaviour and responding to it proactively. To this end modules on trauma, attachment, and therapeutic approaches to behaviours of concern are included. From a PBS perspective wellbeing and quality of life interventions are covered as well as ‘functions’ of behaviour and Positive Behaviour Support planning. All of this is underpinned by a rock-solid value base supported by human rights-based approaches and the values associated with the social inclusion movement, and person-centred thinking, planning and action. Understanding the underlying behaviours in terms of past trauma and their functions enables staff to develop behaviour support plans which include proactive preventative and proactive developmental strategies as well as low arousal and de-escalation strategies. Where appropriate staff may also be trained in physical restraint and breakaway strategies. The teaching of these skills would be subject to prior audit and organisations must be clear about their obligation under the Liberty and Protection Safeguards (Code of Practice, April 2022) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/liberty-protection-safeguards-factsheets/liberty-protection-safeguards-overview-of-the-process.

1. Dr. Bruce Parry from ‘Adversity and Trauma -A Guide for professionals working on the frontline’. Rebecca Brennan, Mark Rusk et al
2. Positive Behaviour Support and Applied Behaviour Analysis Horner 2009

Outcomes

• Improved wellbeing, happiness and quality of life for the person being supported and those working with them
• Reductions in restrictive practices
• More capable and enabling environments for service users
• Reduced levels of distressed behaviour and behaviours of concern
• Improved staff wellbeing
• Better staff retention
• Provide staff with an explicit evidence-based model to support and guide practice, one which is likely to be successful
• Enable staff to achieve a balance between keeping the people they support safe whilst at the same time enabling them to become the architects of their own lives

Pathways to Training

Participant Courses

We provide a suitably qualified and experienced coach to deliver a closed course for up to 16 (theory only) or 12 (theory and physical restraint) staff. These can be delivered in-situ at your school or at an appropriate remote venue. Course duration: 1 to 4 days.

Train the Trainer

The T-PABC Adult Coaches foundation programme skills up candidates to cascade a range of SWPBIS modules and techniques to staff within their specific organisation.

For some organisations the role of ‘coach’ may involve more than simply cascading training. Lead practitioners and coaches may need to fulfil 3 key functions within their organisation:

1. The behavioural expertise function
2. The Practice Leadership Function and
3. The Managerial Function

The foundation course explores these functions, and the roles individuals may be best suited to.

Train the Trainer (Advanced)

The foundation level may be supplemented with more advanced modules. These modules further enhance the skills and capabilities of coaches and will help ensure fidelity in the implementation, embedding and monitoring of Trauma and PBS approaches across whole organisations. In particular we offer modules relating to the three key functions identified above. This includes practice-based leadership, mentoring, functional behavioural assessment, and organisational approaches to the implementation of Trauma and PBS informed approaches