Positive Behavioural Support (PBS) training is provided by our own staff in accord with our Restorative Parenting® Recovery Programme. Staff have been certificated through ‘Proactive Approaches’ to deliver and review PBS throughout the organisation with ‘refresher’ training provided for all at regular intervals. PBS closely adheres to the latest Government and OFSTED guidelines regarding the reduction of the need for physical interventions (HM Gov, 2018) when working with children in care and is grounded in up-to-date research in ‘Trauma Informed Care’ (Ossowsky & Rozensweig, 2015) – accordingly we emphasis de-escalation with physical interventions with our children as a ‘last resort’ for our staff.

The key aspects of Positive Behavioural Support are to guide and support all staff working directly with our children – Therapeutic Parents and Education staff. For them to have a grounding in and an understanding of the effects of Trauma on our children and to also comprehend the intrinsic value of a child’s ‘Attachment needs’, in influencing their sometimes-challenging behaviours. All staff are supported to understand that a child’s sometimes challenging behaviours are a communication of their underlying needs. The course is structured over a four-day period in the first week of their induction enabling all staff to be prepared for working with children in the Homes on their shadow shifts during the following weeks.