News
Positive Approaches to Challenging Behaviour Seminar
The Richmond Fellowship Scotland Presents
“Positive Approaches to Challenging Behaviour”
10th December 2008, Dundee
Too often, individuals with challenging behaviour, experience poor quality support, and sometimes even placement breakdown. For Care Managers and Commissioners, it can be difficult to access services which are able to successfully support individuals with more complex needs within the community.
The Richmond Fellowship Scotland believes that it has created a unique and original solution to the challenges experienced by many social care organisations in providing high quality support to individuals with challenging behaviour – its Positive Behaviour Support Team.
We recently held a seminar to showcase our work with regard to the support of individuals with challenging behaviour. Held in Dundee at the Discovery Point, the seminar was an opportunity for the organisation to present its approach, and to share some of our skills and experiences. The Behaviour Support model has proved successful in providing support to individuals with the highest levels of challenging behaviour and has enabled individuals to live successfully within their communities. This has led to improved quality of life for these individuals and has also attained significant decreases in incidents of challenging behaviour.
After an introduction to The Richmond Fellowship Scotland by George Welsh, Regional Director (North), presentations were given by Anne MacDonald, manager of the Positive Behaviour Support Team, and by Sarah Thomson, ASD Project Manager. Anne described the Behaviour Support model and then gave some case study examples of its success. Sarah then presented on how to ensure staff are trained and confident in implementing this approach, and how to positively manage challenging services.
Anne MacDonald said “We are delighted to be able to share our experiences in the field of Behaviour Support, and to highlight the positive work being done in our services with individuals who present with challenging or high risk behaviours. We are very enthusiastic about our Behaviour Support Model which builds on person-centred practice to improve quality of life for some of the most disempowered individuals in our society. The seminar is intended to demonstrate positive working practices in Behaviour Support, and to demonstrate the lifestyle changes that can be achieved with team work and with the skills and abilities of the staff and managers throughout our services.”
The event was very well attended by approximately 100 people, with a range of professionals from health, social care and education – as well as some parents and carers. The local press also attended and an article describing the event was published in the local press the following day. Feedback forms received on the day indicate that attendees found the seminar both useful and interesting, with a number of requests to provided input to local professional teams. Plans are in progress to repeat this event in other areas of the country.
For further information, contact Anne MacDonald, PBST Manager, amacdonald@trfs.org.uk.