GHP Q2 2021

GHP / Q2 2021 39 , Feb21382 The way inwhich people behave is a key part of how they are able to interact with others, but there are many people who require more support to ensure they can contribute to the best of their ability. The teamat I Support Behaviour Ltd were named Best Leading Behavioural Support System – London in GHP’s Social Care Awards 2021 because of their impactful work. We dig a little deeper to see how these behaviour analysts have had such an impact. Positive Behaviour Support: The Transforming Care agenda is a government response to the Winterbourne View documentary, and to support individuals with more complex care and support needs to live within the community, close to home, and with the right support. I Support Behaviour are a specialist team of Behaviour Analysts that provide consultancy, support, and training to families and services. The input provided by I Support Behaviour is underpinned by the work and research of Positive Behaviour Support and has been transformative in terms of its impact. The process revolves around a detailed Functional Behaviour Assessment and the creation of a ‘good fit’ between a person and the environment that they live in. Often there can be challenges for an individual within the environment in which they live coupled with limited or reduced communication. Behaviours are often how a person has learned to communicate their needs, and these behaviours are shaped and maintained from the environmental responses. The team at I Support Behaviour have thrived through the careful analysis of a person’s environment, built on an understanding of the individual, their diagnosis, and what an individual is trying to communicate. I Support Behaviour work in close collaboration with local NHS services to prevent hospital admissions under the Mental Health Act (1983) for people with complex care and support needs. They have also worked closely with hospital settings, services, and families to support discharge for individuals being treated in hospital, often for periods of 15 years or more. Relapse and readmission has been very low in cases where the team at I Support Behaviour have been involved. I Support Behaviour have had a successful impact upon the Transforming Care agenda and enabling individuals to live closer to family and within their own home. The team at I Support Behaviour work beyond Transforming Care to help various individuals that have been misunderstood and require more specialist input. It starts with analysis and assessment, wherein a member of the team will complete a very detailed and thorough Functional Behaviour Assessment. This collates the various aspects of the person’s life and what variables lead to, maintain, and reinforce behaviours that challenge. From this, it’s possible to consider what strategies and interventions can be put in place to create a better ‘environmental fit’, to make the environment safe and predictable, teach a range of new behaviours, and to develop a person’s independence. For this team, support is something that is highly individualised and ‘Person Centred’. The individual and their families must be at the heart of any decisions that are made. This ensures that plans can be designed to enable a person to engage in activities that are meaningful to them. The team at I Support Behaviour remain committed throughout the process so that any barriers or restrictions that might arise can be handled effectively and removed. Needless to say, the COVID-19 pandemic had an extraordinary effect on the business, which was seen as an essential service for the social care sector. Much of the team’s work continued remotely, with a flexible approach taken to deliver the vital Functional Behaviour Assessments. The team’s adaptation was completed incredibly quickly, with a unique protocol that revolved around completing assessments remotely via MS Teams. The delivery of the system was such a success that the team’s work in this area is being developed for peer review. It’s easy to see how the team has achieved such remarkable success, with an approach that puts some of the most vulnerable in society first and foremost. What is clear, however, is that it’s the team’s patience and commitment that allows them to deliver the exceptional results that these members of the community should expect. They have made an immense contribution to the social care sector, which has allowed them enormous success. Name: David Corcoran, Director Email: [email protected] Web Address: www.isupportbehaviour.com Better lives for autistic people & people with a learning disability. Supporting the behaviours that challenge in some of society’s most vulnerable people