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Guests were entced into a spacious environment adorned with reams of buntng, pompoms, fags, CDs, umbrellas and ribbons.
In the late summer sunshine the environment met people’s sensory needs and was appreciated by all.

Behaviour Support at Dimensions. support of individuals with behaviours He stressed the importance of
He examined theories of the nature/ that challenge. monitoring and reviewing the use of
nurture debate, our understandings of medicaton ensuring it is essental,
communicaton and the purpose and side efects are managed and the use
functon of behaviour in enabling CHALLENGING BEHAVIOUR regularly reviewed. His message
social interacton. The connecton between sensory needs was that medicaton is not the
and behaviours seen to be challenging answer to managing behaviours
He used a simple example of how was discussed by Surrey and Borders that challenge and should be used
contexts of behaviour and communicaton Community Living Disability Team. cautously as part of a robust
link directly to outcomes. For example, They examined the wider infuences and PBS plan – an ethos echoed in
if someone feels unwell and is asked to do triggers to challenging behaviour and NHS England’s STOMP (Stopping
an actvity such as washing up, an actvity how it is ofen a response to a situaton Over-Medicaton of People with
which is not meaningful or a priority for or sensaton that the individual fnds learning disabilites) campaign.
them, they are labelled ‘challenging’ difcult to understand.
if they react negatvely. CREATIVE CURIOSITY
Finally, the importance of curiosity
ACTIVE SUPPORT PBS is a framework to in the workplace was discussed by
A session led by Sarah Keane and Pippa help understand a person’s Lynsey Way, PBS Strategy Lead with the
Woodford of the Avenues Trust used Care Management Group (CMG).
group discussion and role play to teach behaviour, and then use The session encouraged creatvity in
and develop awareness of the impact and that knowledge to improve atendees and enabled them to think
benefts of actve support and person the person’s quality of life for themselves.
centred approaches on the lives of and decrease behaviours
individuals with varying disabilites, The group identfed obstacles that
cognitve impairment and behaviours that challenge. would inhibit curiosity, such as
that challenge. They linked the benefts of using increasing regulatons, staf set in
their ways, fear of being critcised
The unannounced role play lef the or failure.
audience in silence as staf undressed a PBS to identfy the needs and
member of the audience showing litle triggers to a person’s behaviour, Lynsey ofered advice for managers on
respect, dignity or communicaton. ensuring knowledge of the person is ways to encourage curiosity in their
embedded in the plan. This enables teams, develop a culture where staf
Their performance created an the support, environment, actvites, felt able to make suggestons,
intense learning experience and and communicaton to be managed to queston practces and ideas,
awareness of how such treatment give pleasure and engender and make mistakes.
would trigger challenging behaviours – a state of calm and relaxaton,
from abuse and withdrawal to whilst managing and minimising The festval showed us that PBS is
physical aggression. recognised triggers. It is essental that not an interventon sought only
professionals and carers work with when a problem arises – instead it
INCORPORATING STANDARDS families to help the individual engage in is a means to ensure individuals are
Louise Denne and Alison Branch from meaningful actvites. supported in line with their needs,
the PBS Academy spoke about the PBS with staf understanding the importance
Competence Framework and standards of person-centred approaches,
identfed for service providers and Jonathan Beebee, Chief Enablement individual development and learning –
teams. People of varying backgrounds, Ofcer and Nurse Consultant with PBS4, in short, supportng people with
including professionals and providers, led an inclusive group discussion on the learning disabilites and autsm to have
worked together looking at the standards widespread use of medicaton to the best life possible.
and relatng them to how their manage challenging behaviours,
organisatons were functoning and how ofen with individuals with no diagnosed e o a oniken
they could incorporate them into the mental health issue. o os a an la ke o o a

www.cl-initatves.co.uk Community Living Vol 31 No 2 | Winter 2017 19