A major part of the Positive Behaviour Support Team’s role is to increase staff knowledge skills and confidence through a range of training. Often this can be one to one coaching in a service but it can also be via structured training courses.

Service Specific Autism Training

The purpose of this training is to support services to improve the quality of support offered to individuals with autism within their services. The training is practice-based so that staff can be supported to apply the knowledge and learning in practice. The training groups are kept small in order to allow detailed focus on real-life situations and examples.

The training consists of 5 sessions (around 20 hours in total), delivered over a period of several weeks. The sessions involve key staff within services being given specific, in-depth input in autism, centred on the individuals they are supporting. These sessions will be practice-based workshops and will include planned work activities to be carried out between sessions; there is a workbook for participants to complete and bring to each session.

Service Based ‘Positive Approaches To Challenging Behaviour’

This thorough and innovative course is aimed at direct support staff in order to raise their knowledge and skills in behavioural issues, especially in relation to the specific individual/s they are working with. The training is designed to incorporate a dynamic and responsive approach to managing behavioural support issues, and is therefore focused upon building practical skills and competences for direct support staff.

The content builds on the latest approaches in behavioural support and utilises recent research and good practice within the field. There is growing research to indicate that approaches such as Positive Behaviour Support and Applied Behaviour Analysis are effective in promoting positive durable lifestyle changes for people with significant behavioural challenges.

This training is based over 1 full day and 3 half days and spread over the course of 5-6 weeks.

Management of Positive Behaviour Support

We have developed a Professional Development Award in ‘Management of Behaviour Support’. This award is a managers’ training programme, for those managing services for individuals with a learning disability and/ or autism and challenging behaviour.

It is a practice-based course with a blend of values, skills and knowledge to equip managers to work effectively and competently when managing and supporting staff. The course is accredited by Edinburgh Napier University for 30 credits at Level 9. It is recognised by the Scottish Social Services Council for managers’ registration. This course in facilitated by members of our Positive Behaviour Support Team and is run in a number of locations across Scotland.

Questions about training

If you have any questions or queries about our training, or would like any more information, please email Anne MacDonald (Behaviour Support Team Manager) or call 0845 013 6374.