Positive Behaviour Framework
Disability Sector Update
November 2013
Welcome to the Positive Behaviour Framework Disability Sector Update for November 2013.
This update is designed to inform the sector of developments under way in the continued rollout of the Positive Behaviour Framework.
The Positive Behaviour Framework is a sector wide strategy to respond to the needs of
people with a disability who sometimes exhibit challenging behaviour and the needs of their
families/carers and paid support workers. The framework is driven by the Disability Services
Commission’s (the Commission’s) Count Me In: Disability Future Directions plan and is
working to foster the participation and contribution of people with disability who sometimes
experience challenging behaviours by developing a values and evidence based strategy to
support the development of personalised supports and services. Attached to this newsletter
is a booklet showing the development of the Positive Behaviour Framework and its future
development (Stage 2).
The cross-sector guiding committee implementing the framework has 40 members
representing people with disability, families, disability sector organisations, peak bodies and
Commission directorates. The Positive Behaviour Framework Guiding Committee has been
working collaboratively for three years and has initiated a number of projects to implement
the framework that are having a positive effect on the way people with disability, their families
and carers who share experiences of challenging behaviour are being supported. Further
details of these projects, reports and evaluations are available on the Commission’s website
http://www.disability.wa.gov.au/disability-service-providers-/for-disability-serviceproviders/behaviour-support-strategy/
The focus for the next twelve months is to broaden the networks with the disability sector and
other government departments. Quarterly forums are planned for 2013 and 2014, inviting
contribution from the disability sector, people with a disability and their families and carers
and other government departments to showcase developments in the area of Positive
Behaviour Support.
Current activities taking place under the framework are detailed below.
University of Western Australia Evaluation of the Positive Behaviour
Framework
Research is currently planned to evaluate the implementation of the Positive Behaviour
Framework. This research will be conducted in partnership with the School of Business,
University of Western Australia (UWA). This research will be leading edge in its exploration of
how Positive Behaviour Support can assist in the development of service design and result in
improved quality of life outcomes for all service users. It is anticipated that results will be
published with an associated national and international exposure for the work of the
Commission and the guiding committee.
The information below has been provided by Assistant Professor Mark Edwards from the
UWA business school.
Positive stories: An evaluative study of the Positive Behaviour
Framework
The Disability Services Commission is working with the University of
Western Australia to undertake research looking at the implementation of the
Positive Behaviour Framework across disability organisations in WA. The
framework is being developed by the Commission to build partnerships with
disability service organisations for systemic change within the disability
sector as well as other government jurisdictions. The framework is based on
Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) which is an evidence-based applied
science that uses educational and systems change methods in order to
improve an individual’s quality of life.
The project with UWA aims to develop our understanding of how PBS can be
applied as a systems change agent to create service-related, cultural and
values-based changes that result in positive benefits for service users and
their families, as well as those providing services. The study will involve a
qualitative analysis of the implementation of PBS in those disability
organisations currently participating in the implementation of the Positive
Behaviour Framework.
The recent Sector and Workforce Development project has identified a
number of factors involved in the implementation of PBS, and the UWA
project will build on this work to see how these and other factors interact to
create lasting change.
(Continued over page)
Positive stories: An evaluative study of the Positive Behaviour
Framework (continued from previous page)
The key phases in the project will be to:

review and integrate what we know about our PBS (and how it is implemented

develop an overview of the PBS model that can be easily communicated (in
both words and pictures) but which also acknowledges it various elements

develop and implement an evaluation strategy involving both metropolitan
and regional service providers to explore effective and efficient approaches
for implementing the PBS

following on from this, provide a detailed report on the findings of the
evaluation to key stakeholders

disseminate findings though presentations and papers to stakeholder
audiences and scientific journals.
Project Governance
The project will be managed by the Behaviour Support Consultation
Manager (Mr Mike Cubbage), in consultation with a project steering
committee which is comprised of UWA, Disability Services Commission and
NDS representatives).
UWA Research Team

Mark Edwards – UWA Business School: organisational change, ethics,
disability services experience

Christine Soo – UWA Business School, knowledge management,
organisational learning

Thomas Greckhamer – State University of Louisiana, strategic
management, Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA)

UWA Business School research staff.
Assist
Professor
Mark
Edwards
Assoc
Professor
Thomas
Greckhamer
Assist
Professor
Christine
Soo
Review of the Voluntary Code of Practice for the Elimination of Restrictive
Practices
The Voluntary Code of Practice for the Elimination of Restrictive Practices was launched in
August 2012 and has been widely adopted and well received in the disability sector. The
code provides the basis for the disability sector to develop operational policy and guidelines
for eliminating the use of restrictive practices. It applies to all services provided and funded
by the Commission for children and adults with a disability.
Since the launch the Disability Services Commission funded the Developmental Disability
Council, Vela Microboards WA (now Youniverse) and People with Disabilities WA to provide
state wide training, ‘Is there a better way?’, in support of the code. Part of the training
included the opportunity to review the Voluntary Code of Practice and to have a say locally
about the elements that seemed to work and those that didn’t. Training has now been
completed and the report on the outcomes of this project will outline what everyone around
the State was saying about the strengths and weaknesses of the Voluntary Code.
The Commission is keen to hear from as many sources as possible as a part of this review,
and to this end it is intended that a forum will be held for the families and carers of people
with disability in late November. This forum will be one of three events (the other two being
for Guiding Committee members and across government agencies) that will be held as part
of this review. It is anticipated that work in this review will continue into 2014.
The Voluntary Code of Practice for the Elimination of Restrictive Practices is available at the
following link http://www.disability.wa.gov.au/disability-service-providers-/for-disabilityservice-providers/behaviour-support-strategy/
(Jaquie Mills, training facilitator,
pictured with her son, Eli, whose
story featured in the ‘Is there a
better way?’ video.)
Cross Sector Collaboration
Work continues under the framework to build closer cross sector collaboration across
disability sector organisations. There are now three forums coordinated by the Positive
Behaviour Strategy Branch of Statewide Specialist Services that allow regular opportunities
for disability organisations
to build skills in Positive Behaviour Support, share resources and to work collaboratively to
improve the lives of people with disability through the elimination of restrictive practices.
These regular forums include:
 Quarterly disability sector forums: This forum hosted by the Behaviour Support
Consultation Team and the Guiding Committee showcases new developments under the
auspices of the Positive Behaviour Framework.
 Positive Behaviour Framework Guiding Committee: This 40-member committee meets
quarterly, just prior to the above forums. The guiding committee works to implement proposal
in the Towards Responsive Services for All report.
 Positive Behaviour in Action (PBIA) interest group: This peer support group is an
opportunity for workers to continue to develop their skills in implementing and applying
Positive Behaviour Support principles in their work place.
 Behaviour Support Consultant Steering Group: This is a community of practice
attended by Behaviour Support Consultants from the disability sector organisations who are
working to implement the Voluntary Code of Practice for the Elimination of Restrictive
Practices in their work place.
Identitywa
The following update has been provided by Identitywa and informs readers of the work
currently taking place in its organisation under the Positive Behaviour Framework.
“Identitywa is committed to the highest level of care and quality of support for
persons with disability. As a signatory to the voluntary code of practice, we
endeavour to embed Positive Behaviour Support into all aspects of our
services, to ensure quality of life outcomes for those we support.
The journey so far has included discussions amongst all of our staff about
PBS, the voluntary code and appointing a senior project officer to lead us in
this new direction. We are currently focusing on ensuring our policy and
procedures align with Effective Service Design guidelines developed by the
Commission.
Staff who are passionate about Positive Behaviour Support meet regularly to
discuss and implement the changes required. This will continue with training
opportunities, workshops and forums to promote and engage with all our
stakeholders over the next months and into the New Year. Above all else,
we are making a commitment to act and lead the way in person centred
services.”
My Place
The following update has been provided by Michelle Atkinson, Behaviour Support Consultant
at My Place and informs readers of the work My Place is completing under the Positive
Behaviour Framework.
“My Place nominated two coordinators to attend the BSP-QEII training in
April. Since this time we have been moving forward and are still at the
beginning of the journey in many ways.
In May Anna Posselt and Michelle Atkinson attended the two days of
training for support workers that was offered through the Commission. We
have been attending the Behaviour Support Consultant Steering Group and
Helen Payne continues to represent us at PBIA.
As an organisation we have decided as a group we will conduct training in
Positive Behaviour Support and reduction of restrictive practices in
November 2013. This will be for all My Place coordinators, advisors, team
leaders and managers.
Nickki Rubin from Learning and Development at the Commission will
facilitate this training and we are tailoring it to reflect the way we offer
support within My Place.
The next step will begin looking at individual situations and conducting an
‘audit’ of restrictive practices. Service coordinators work closely with a
number of individuals, therefore it makes sense that they will look at each of
their consumers with support from their supervisors and the Behaviour
Support Consultants.
This will be discussed further as a group to ensure we have effective
practices. We will also be investigating how we incorporate our shared
management and self-directed consumers.
As an organisation we will be incorporating PBS into our orientation training
as well as updating policies and procedures.”
Interest in developments under the Positive Behaviour Framework continues to grow across
the disability sector in metropolitan and regional areas. Midwest Community Living
Association has recently appointed a Behaviour Support Consultant to work with its
organisation to implement the Voluntary Code of Practice for the Elimination of Restrictive
Practices. Senses is in the process of appointing a Behaviour Support Consultant to work
with its organisation to implement the Voluntary Code of Practice for the Elimination of
Restrictive Practices.
South West and Great Southern Regional Expansion Pilot Project
The Behaviour Support Consultation team is continuing to work with the four disability sector
organisations in the regional expansion project (Strive Warren Blackwood, Enable South
West, Community Living Association, and Lower Great Southern Family Support Association)
to explore the implementation of Positive Behaviour Support in regional areas. The Behaviour
Support Consultants, funded through the project, have now completed a range of training,
including: Positive Behaviour Support and using the Behaviour Support Plan Quality
Evaluation II (BSP-QEII) to assess the quality of Behaviour Support Plans; ‘More Than
Talking’ communication training; and, in some cases, ‘Is there a better way?’ workshops. Two
of the Behaviour Support Consultants have also completed the Train the Trainer workshops,
which enable them to offer ‘Is there a better way?’ workshops within their organisations and
communities.
All four regional disability sector organisations are in the process of completing the restrictive
practice audits for a selected target group of service users. The audits are enabling
organisations to gather information about restrictive practices and challenging behaviours
experienced by individuals. In addition, the audits are assisting organisations to gather
information about a range of systems and processes that are in place within their
organisations that are missing from their supports or that may need further refinement to
ensure a high standard of support for people accessing their services. Strive Warren
Blackwood has scheduled its first panelling meeting for January 2014 to review its Behaviour
Support Plans. The project partners continue to meet in regional areas to exchange
information and their experiences throughout this journey of discovery.
Community Living Association
Below is an update provided by the Community Living Association informing readers of developments
taking place in the Community Living Association as part of the South West and Great Southern
Regional Expansion Pilot Project.

Various training opportunities, offered as a part of the pilot, were attended
by support workers, coordinators and staff directly engaged in the project.
This proved an excellent way to engage staff with the pilot and introduce
PBS support strategies.

Introductory sessions for staff directly supporting participants in the pilot
have now been completed. The aim of these sessions was to:
o introduce staff to the Voluntary Code for the Elimination of
Restrictive Practices and to start to consider and discuss how this
may apply to participants in the pilot
o raise the idea of Positive Behaviour Support strategies as a better
way to work with people to meet their needs.
One unexpected benefit from these sessions was the feedback from staff,
who welcomed the opportunity to talk as a group and share their support
strategies and experiences for the person they are working with.

The restrictive practice audits for pilot participants are now in full swing. As
expected, a range of potentially restrictive support practices are being
identified. We are finding that opening our support practices to scrutiny is
very beneficial in identifying where we could be supporting people more
proactively and positively.

We are also talking with pilot participants about how they feel about their
supports. This is proving very enlightening in identifying whether we are
really meeting the needs of the people we support or merely addressing
their perceived support needs.

Next step once the audit is completed is to convene a panel to consider the
audit findings.
Training Framework
Good knowledge of Positive Behaviour Support principles is important in delivering high quality
services for people with disability, their families and carers who share experiences of challenging
behaviour. There are various opportunities for training emerging under the Positive Behaviour
Framework, which are shown in the diagram and discussed below.
Effective Service Design guide
Voluntary Code of Practice for the Elimination of Restrictive Practices
Family and staff members training opportunities
‘Is there a better way?’ workshops
The Commission’s Behaviour Support Consultation Team has worked with the
Developmental Disability Council in conjunction with People with Disabilities and Vela
Microboards (now Youniverse) to develop training in the code of practice. This training, ‘Is
there a better way?’, has been conducted in 11 regional, remote and metropolitan areas. Two
‘Train the Trainer’ workshops were held in Mt Claremont on 24 September and in Alfred Cove
on 1 October to train local people to return to their regions or to metropolitan disability
services to conduct training using the resources provided.
Participants in the training, including family members and staff members from various
services, have provided very positive feedback and continued requests have been made for
further events.
These requests will be met through a user pays approach. People interested in attending this
training may contact Jaquie Mills by email: jaquiemills@gmail.com .
Direct care workers training opportunities
Practical Application of Positive Behaviour Support Strategies Training
The Commission’s Learning and Development team has rolled out a 2-day pilot program in
Positive Behaviour Support. The training, Practical Application of Positive Behaviour Support
Strategies, is designed to provide staff with practical ways to support people using Positive
Behaviour Support. The evaluation from the initial training presented in the metropolitan,
Bunbury and Albany areas between May and July 2013, indicated the training was valued
and useful for disability sector organisations.
After the review of the pilot program the training has been adapted to suit direct care staff
and coordinators/ front line managers.
Direct care staff training will focus on:
 following daily lifestyle routines
 contributing to a Behaviour Support Plan
 providing support to the person to use positive and adaptive strategies
 completing documentation and ABC recordings.
For coordinators/front line managers, training focuses on:
 understanding the influence and purpose of behaviour
 assessing behaviours of concern (creating a hypothesis of the behaviour)
 development of a multi-element support plan to meet individual needs
 developing an individual response plan
 monitoring the effectiveness of the plan
 completing documentation.
Please note training for coordinators/front line managers will require some pre-reading, along
with ABC recording and a Functional Behaviour Assessment to be completed prior to the
training.
This training will be available state-wide on a cost recovery basis.
If your organisation is interested in accessing this training please contact Fran Gresley on
9301 3837 or email Frances.gresley@dsc.wa.gov.au
Behaviour Support Consultants and training opportunities
Behaviour Support Consultants have been introduced in 14 metropolitan and four regional
organisations. Behaviour Support Consultants are a group of frontline supervisors who have
a high level of behaviour support skills.
Behaviour Support Consultants will have opportunities to continue to develop their skills in
Positive Behaviour Support, including ‘More than Talking’ training and refresher training in
Behaviour Support Plans and the Behaviour Support Plan Quality Evaluation II tool.
Behaviour Support Plans and the Behaviour Support Plan Quality Evaluation II tool
training
The Behaviour Support Consultation Team is supporting Behaviour Support Consultants with
refresher training in developing Behaviour Support Plans and use of the Behaviour Support
Plan Quality Evaluation II tool (BSP-QEII). Behaviour Support Consultants interested in
taking advantage of these training opportunities are encouraged to contact Kathryn Falloon in
the first instance on 9301 3810 or Kathryn.falloon@dsc.wa.gov.au ; alternatively Fran
Gresley can be contacted on 9301 3837 or email Frances.gresley@dsc.wa.gov.au
‘More than Talking’ training
‘More than Talking’ training is designed to assist consultants further develop their
understanding of the role of communication in how we interpret behaviour, understand the
unmet needs in people’s lives, how these influence behaviour and how we can support a
better quality of life for people with disability who may experience challenging behaviour.
The training was attended by Behaviour Support Consultants in Albany in September 2013
with very positive feedback: 99% of participants agreed or strongly agreed they could apply
the knowledge and skills gained through the training in their workplace to better support
people who may experience challenging behaviour.
This training is likely to run in November 2013. Behaviour Support Consultants who wish to
attend this training are encouraged to express interest to Fran Gresley on 9301 3837 or email
Frances.gresley@dsc.wa.gov.au
Ethical decision making training
The Behaviour Support Consultation Team will be working with University of Western
Australia and Behaviour Support Consultants to develop a training framework in ethical
decision making.
What’s on in 2013 and 2014?
All dates and venues are subject to confirmation. Confirmation notices will be sent to chief executive
officers of disability sector organisations before the scheduled events.
Coming up in 2013
19 November 2013
Sector and across-government forum
The second disability sector forum will be held 2–5pm on 19 November at
the Technology Park Function Centre, 2 Brodie Hall Drive, Bentley, where
the Commission’s Director General and the Chief Executive Officer of
National Disability Services have kindly agreed to open proceedings. This
forum will highlight the work occurring under the Positive Behaviour
Framework in building the capacity of regional and metropolitan
organisations. Families will again be sharing stories about the changes in
their lives through the introduction of Positive Behaviour Support, and this
forum will continue to highlight the development of family leadership in
service development and in building safeguards for individuals and families.
This forum will include:

an update from Dr Ron Chalmers on building disability sector partnership to
better support people, their families and carers who share experiences of
challenging behaviour

recent developments under the Positive Behaviour Framework

Positive Behaviour Support and what’s happening in regional areas

a parent’s perspective on Positive Behaviour Support

the Side by Side Project: how family leadership supports families and the
disability sector to grow together

evaluation feedback from ‘Is there a better way?’ training

an introduction to research into the effectiveness of the Positive Behaviour
Framework.
Late November 2013
A family forum will be held to review the Voluntary Code of Practice for the
Elimination of Restrictive Practices.
Coming up in 2014
27 February 2014
Sector and across-government forum
29 May 2014
Sector and across-government forum
28 August 2014
Sector and across-government forum
27 November 2014
Sector and across-government forum