3.4 Promoting Positive Behaviour and Relationships

RELATED CHAPTERS

This chapter was added to the manual in November 2013.

Principles
Aims
Objectives
Developing Relationships
Positive Reinforcement
Training

1. Principles

The purpose of the policy document is to ensure that children and young people with challenging behaviour are cared for in ways which are sensitive to their needs and to provide safeguards for staff charged with this responsibility.

All Looked After Children and young people’s extreme behaviour can be understood in terms of their experiences which may include abuse, neglect, rejection, exclusion or loss;
Acceptable behaviour is best promoted through the use of positive encouragement, reward and incentives, rather than the imposition of consequences/sanctions;
All behaviour management strategies must be legal, and morally acceptable. It is not permitted to use corporal punishment under any circumstances, nor any other consequences which convey disrespect and disregard for the child/young person (see section on consequences);
When physical interventions are employed they should only be used as a last resort when it is absolutely necessary to prevent serious harm to people or property and by staff who are fully trained and certificated in physical intervention techniques approved by DMR Services Ltd, in line with the BILD Code of Practice 2006;
The use of physical intervention is an act of care not punishment;
All staff have the right to guidance, support and training to enable them to manage children/young people with challenging behaviour safely and effectively.

2. Aims

To support a strategy for managing children/young people with challenging behaviour in residential care this is consistent with the requirement of the law and the expectations of the Ofsted;
To promote positive behaviour in children/young people to enable them to benefit from and enjoy their experiences of being looked after, and to achieve their full potential;
To place the use of physical interventions within a wider framework of behaviour management and to ensure that they are used only as a last resort.

3. Objectives

To promote the development of behaviour management strategies including the use of physical interventions, where challenging behaviour is a regular cause for concern;
To reaffirm that children and young people with challenging behaviour are best supported by staff/social workers/parent and other agencies working proactively in partnership;
To provide guidance to staff on the use of consequences to ensure they are applied fairly and consistently within and across placements;
To ensure that the use of consequences and physical interventions is recorded and notified.

4. Developing Relationships

Staff should always seek to maintain relationships with children/young people which are positive and based on mutual respect. It is important that staff appreciate the need to take the initiative and show resilience to sustain relationships with children/young people who may not want to have such a relationship. In the initial stage of a placement, a good way of beginning to build a positive relationship is to offer clear boundaries and expectations to the child or young person on which to build.

Staff can develop relationships by:

Displaying a genuine commitment to make and sustain relationships with children/young people with challenging behaviour;
Offering consistency and continuity of care so that children/young people can have confidence in building the relationship;
Being clear about what young people can expect, what the staff responsibilities are and how they will be discharged;
Demonstrating an understanding of the child/young person’s difficulties and reassuring them that the carer wants them to succeed and will be there when things are difficult as well as when they are good;
Understanding that mutual respect and confidence has to be earned, and always showing respect for children/young people (although it may be some time before it is returned!);
Showing integrity- always be consistent, truthful and reliable. Never telling lies, and always abiding by their side of the deal even if the child/young person does not do likewise;
Modelling appropriate behaviour and self-discipline. Expressing feelings appropriately, showing care and concern for the child/ young person, not retaliating if provoked (remember who is the adult) and apologising if in the wrong;
Talking to children/young people about their behaviour, explaining the benefits of change and telling them that staff care too much to allow the unacceptable behaviour to continue and how you can help them change (The Assertive Discipline Model);
Always making sure that the child or young person’s needs are being met. Staff should demonstrate clearly and consistently concern for the child or young person’s welfare and put themselves out if they have to;
Encouraging the child or young person to take responsibility for their behaviour and its consequences;
Never succumbing to negativity. Ensuring that all interactions are positive and promote self-esteem.

5. Positive Reinforcement

Many children/young people who are looked after have been raised in low warmth/high criticism households or have been subject to abuse and neglect. They will have repeatedly received negative messages about themselves, which will have impacted adversely on their self-esteem, self-worth and confidence.

The expectation is that staff will develop positive and supportive relationships with young people, and that generally they will be managed through the positive reinforcement of appropriate and desirable behaviours. It is a key task of staff to teach young people how to behave appropriately by modelling appropriate responses to a range of situations. They can also consistently provide feedback to young people about their behaviour and how it impacts on others.

As young people attempt to manage their behaviour they need encouragement and support both to reward their efforts and provide further change. When staff intervene with young people because of their behaviour they should do so in a way that clearly differentiates disapproval of the behaviour from disapproval of the child/young person him/herself (Confrontation/Collaboration).

There are a number of options available to promote change through positive reinforcement.

Verbal Praise - never miss an opportunity to say something positive to a young person and always acknowledge their efforts whether or not they succeed at what they are doing. Also to reinforce this Praise, - praise the young person first, then tell them you are so pleased you are going to tell the Manager. Praise the young person in front of that person. The Manager then praises the young person also;
Non-Verbal Feedback- positive attitude towards young people and approval for their behaviour can be conveyed through facial expressions and gestures. (Staff need to exercise caution when using physical contact to ensure that the gesture is not intrusive nor open to misinterpretation by the young person);
Positive Reward/Incentives - young people in placement should be given opportunities to earn additional positive rewards or treats to reward their effort to change such as extra pocket money, extension to bedtimes at weekends etc. It is essential that when incentives and rewards are used to reinforce improved behaviour, that the improved behaviour comes before the reward, otherwise it is bribery.

Where children have learning difficulties/disabilities it is important to understand the different ways in which these children may behave as a result of their difficulties/disabilities, e.g. epilepsy, allergic reaction, frustration at lack of communication and self stimulatory behaviour (head banging, rocking etc) can all influence behaviour.

Young people are rarely spontaneously violent. Usually they go through a process of rising anger and aggression, which, if unchecked leads to a violent outburst. It is important therefore, that if staff are to avoid violent confrontations that they understand the “cycle of aggression” and are able to intervene appropriately in response to signs of mounting anxiety and agitation in children and young people.

There are four stages in the cycle of aggression: anxiety (or agitation), anger, aggression and assault. Staff need to recognise the early stages of a behavioural sequence that is likely to develop into a serious incident (if they do not intervene) and take the necessary steps to prevent further escalation. Where there are signs if anxiety/agitation, staff should attempt to deal with the need, where possible. Distraction techniques may also be useful at this stage to redirect the young person’s mind elsewhere. If these strategies don’t work staff may dis-attend or disengage from the young person’s behaviour. Note this does not mean that staff ignore the young person or lock themselves away from the young person, as these responses may cause further agitation and anger.

If these attempts to defuse and de-escalate the challenging behaviour are unsuccessful and there are signs of mounting anger and aggression, then it is necessary for the staff responses to the child/young person to change. This is because as the level of anger rises in the child or young person they become less amenable to rational discussion. In the face of maintaining agitation, moving towards anger and aggression, it is important that the carer remains calm, allows the child/young person more personal space and alerts other staff members/carers. The carer should consider removing themselves and/or other young people if this is a viable and safe option and advise the child or young person of the consequences of failing to calm down. If the child/young person continues to behave aggressively it may be necessary to consider the use of physical interventions (see later in the policy).

It is important in the face of mounting anger and aggression, staff DO NOT:

Lose self control;
Shout (although it may be appropriate to raise the level of the voice and speak more assertively);
Attempt to enforce compliance over trivial or unnecessary matters;
Take positions or issue warnings that cannot be maintained;
Attempt to continue to use reasoning in the face of mounting anger and aggression (when children and young people may have lost the ability to rationalise and negotiate);
Threaten or intimidate children/young people;
Make fun of, ridicule or humiliate children/young people;
Confront challenging behaviour in front of an audience;
Corner or closely confront a child/young person.

6. Training

All staff potentially will have responsibility for looking after children/young people with challenging behaviour and as such are in need of training in both positive behaviour management and the use of physical intervention training in particular. This training is MANDATORY for all residential staff.

End