Positive behavioural support (PBS) is a way of supporting people and involves understanding the reasons behind the behaviour such as their life history, physical health and emotional needs.
The UK PBS competency framework explains what you need to know and do when delivering best practice PBS for people. The PBS Academy has also developed Standards for Services which outlines what should be meet when delivering PBS. Find the First Step to Foundation PBS competence framework.
See our FAQs about how PBS can help you deliver high quality support.
Positive behavioural support and autism training fund
Paul has a team of staff supporting him who were trained using this funding. This film demonstrates how they’ve applied the training to change their approach to Paul by understanding and identifying Paul’s needs better.
Duration 10 mins 30 seconds
Training was funded by the ‘Positive and Safe programme’ in 2015 to support the aims of the ‘Building the right support’ national plan
Read the Positive behavioural support (PBS) and autism person budgets fund 2016 evaluation of this funding.
Positive behavioural support training
See a list of training providers reviewed by Skills for Care to provide PBS training.
Case studies
PDF - 465 KB
Rebecca has a rare genetic condition which presents as a severe learning disability, autism, an eating disorder and mild self-harm. When Rebecca moved into a shared residential home, incidents of behaviours which challenge increased, so her support team introduced positive behavioural support to support her.
PDF - 462 KB
Michael has complex needs including autism, a learning disability and oppositional defiance disorder. His supported living placement followed a positive behavioural support plan, which included an adult education programme focused on building his life skills, and his quality of life has improved.
PDF - 263 KB
Keith has a learning disability, complex autism and related anxiety. The Lifeways Group worked to develop a positive behaviour support plan. Keith now leads a more fulfilled life, with reduced levels of anxiety and his behaviour patterns have changed.
PDF - 263 KB
Jeremy has a severe learning disability, Downs Syndrome and Klinefelter syndrome. The Lifeways Group worked to improve communication between Jeremy and staff. As a result, Jeremy accesses the community every day and the number of incidents of behaviour that challenges has decreased.
PDF - 263 KB
Gloucestershire County Council has set up a ‘Challenging behaviour working group’ to outline their strategic approach to supporting individuals with learning disabilities and/or autistic people who display behaviours which challenge - positive behavioural support is strongly featured in the strategy.
PDF - 263 KB
Wirral Evolutions used the fund to train staff how to better support autistic people who display or are at risk of displaying behaviour which challenges. They trained over 100 staff on courses ranging from an 'introduction to positive behavioural support, to 'coaches training'.
Positive behavioural support isn’t complicated but it does mean supporting Keith in a very different way.
Sue Parker, Support Worker
PBS Films
Peer review pilot to improve PBS training
In 2019/20 we ran a pilot project to develop and test a peer review process for PBS training. It involved learning providers conducting peer reviews on each other’s training to give feedback and share ideas. the objective was to improve the quality of PBS training across the sector.
At the beginning of this project, we did a survey to understand more about PBS training and learning provision in adult social care. Download the findings from the survey.
Watch this recorded webinar to find out more or email us.