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Positive Behaviour Support
Affinity Trust delivers a Positive Behaviour Support service for children and young people with learning disabilities, Autism and mental health needs in Bradford, Wakefield, Gloucestershire, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Coventry & Warwickshire and Luton.
The service is aligned with the requirements and strategy proposed by the Positive Behaviour Support competency framework. Matthew explains: “Positive Behaviour Support is a way of us understanding challenging behaviour. It’s based on a detailed assessment of the environments, interactions and circumstances in which that behaviour occurs. It works by developing the skills of the person and those who support them, rather than using aversive or restrictive interventions”.
They offer an intensive program which currently provides highly specialised support to 35 children and young people aged 7 to 22 using an evidence-based Positive Behaviour Support intervention that improves increases the quality of life for the children, young people and their families, reduces challenging behaviours and enables the increase in skills and abilities.
Each child and young person has a PBS practitioner allocated to them and they will spend up to 30 hours per week with them in a variety of settings; they usually spend up to two years with them at home, school, short break settings, working with PA’s and other settings the young people are in.
Our case studies and evidence show that this sort of intensive support has seen significant improvements in the children’s, young people and their family’s quality of life and their reductions in challenging behaviours, this has enabled the children and young people to remain at home and avoid entry into inpatient services or residential care as a result of their behaviour that challenges.
The services are jointly commissioned by the local Councils and local NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups.
Affinity Trust has a specialist team to run the service. Paul Taylor leads the operational responsibilities and Matthew Hodder leads the clinical responsibilities. Both have many years of experience working with families and individuals with complex presentations including different disabilities and behaviours that challenge them.
Matthew and his team assess the children’s and young person’s behaviours and work closely with families, schools and residential units. An essential part of the service is the support given to the children’s and young person’s parents and all the other professionals supporting the child and young person, helping them develop their skills in using PBS.
The overall aims of the service are to:
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Improve the life experiences and wellbeing of each child or young person in their family by reducing entry rates to full-time residential care.
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Enable children and young people with complex needs to stay out of residential care or hospital settings.
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Reduce the frequency, intensity and duration of behaviours displayed by the child and young person.
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Support the child’s and young person’s development of independence and life, social and communication skills.
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Support regular attendance at school and an ongoing place in the education system.
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Develop parents’ And other professionals’ skills and confidence in looking after their child.
For each child and young person, we agree a maintenance plan with all key stakeholders, enabling withdrawal of the service from the delivery of direct support.
Our first service in Bradford has been operating since 2018.
Our Bradford service
This service was jointly commissioned by Bradford Metropolitan District Council and local NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups. It’s funded partly by a social investor, and Affinity Trust is paid only if the children and young people stay out of residential care.
In November 2020, the Tizard Learning Disability Review published our evaluation of the Bradford service.
Watch our short video about the service. Or read the video transcript.
Positive Behaviour Support from Affinity Trust on Vimeo.
Contact us
Could we provide Positive Behaviour Support in your area? Contact us to find out more:
Email: paultaylor@affinitytrust.org
Mobile: 07341 478228