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Dalgairn: Behavioural Support Team

	Liz Rowley talks about the approach taken by Dalgairn's Behavioural Support Team (3:16 mns)

Within Dalgairn Centre there is a small team of staff whose role is to provide a specialist support and service for people whose behaviour seriously limits their quality of life experiences, opportunities and relationships with others.

Often this is called challenging behaviour.

Sometimes this behaviour may cause harm or injury to themselves or others, or it may result in damage to property. In other cases the behaviour may get in the way of the persons ability to enjoy activities and social interaction. But sometimes it is the disrupting effect the behaviour has on others that presents the challenges.

When a referral is made to the team they will first of all identify the behaviour which is causing the biggest problems for the person. This will be done by a range of methods, including examining past history ,gathering information from others involved, person centred planning and recording observations.

Recorded observation will assist in identifying the possible causes of the behaviour and what is contributing to the behaviour being maintained. At this point all that may be required is to make changes to the environment or the way people respond to the behaviour.

At other times the causes may require a more structured approach which may include developing improved communication strategies or developing the persons skills in order to increase their feelings of empowerment and self worth.

Often the question that will be asked is "what could the person be doing if they were not displaying challenging behaviour?"

The role of the behavioural support team is to devise a care plan or intervention for the staff who work with the person to enable them to manage treat or cope with the behaviour.

Our long term aim is to eliminate challenging behaviour and replace it with rewarding and satisfying alternatives.

We recognise however that change will be incremental and the path will not always be straight or easy.

We will work in the environment and context where the behaviour is taking place to support others in that environment to bring about and sustain change

There are a number of recognised techniques or approaches we might use. These include those based on behavioural principles e.g. reinforcing appropriate behaviour or changing the consequences of behaviour.

• The constructional approach i.e. building on the positives
• Non aversive approaches e.g. gentle teaching
• RAID (reinforce appropriate, inappropriate downplayed)
• Essential Lifestyle Planning

The outcomes which will be most beneficial to the service user, will be central to the choice of the most appropriate methods to use The methods we will use will be consistent with all Fife Council's policies

Most of all we do not work in isolation but are one aspect of a total care package which includes, carers, staff and other professionals. The behavioural support team will welcome the views and opinions of all those people who have an interest in the welfare of any person receiving our service.

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