Case Study - Behavioural Support Strategies

Did you know that we provide a wide range of highly specialist training?

For example, we provide training on the legal aspects of physical restraint and the law relating to service users for Behavioural Support Strategies (BSS).

BSS is an independent Scottish entity offering training and support to develop and implement the BSS program of dealing with challenging behaviour in Scotland. BSS is now managed by Voluntary Service Aberdeen.

The need to establish BSS was driven by changes in European and Scottish legislation, eg. Human Rights Act 1998 and Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001 which required organisations to have recognised systems of accountability in place to ensure quality of provision for people who use services. The BSS approach is an established and recognised method of achieving this for people who on occasions may challenge services.

The BSS approach offers a step by step process for crisis intervention and prevention. The BSS programme promotes the Whole Person Approach and aims to provide a framework for the use of proactive support for the management of behaviours that challenge. It emphasises as a very last resort the use of reactive strategies and physical interventions.

Each person's needs are assessed to emphasise positive behaviour changes, with staff actively working to support the individual develop new skills and improve self-control.

The BSS programme does acknowledge that on occasions physical interventions are appropriate to deal with a specific crisis. A suite of core interventions are approved, all of which are designed to protect the individual from injuring him/herself or others. These interventions are used as a last resort.

The BSS program was developed for service users, their families, carers and direct care staff who provide support for:

• Children in Educational and Residential Services
• Adults and children with complex support needs
• Adults or children with physical sensory and learning difficulties
• Younger adults in transitional services
• Adults or children challenged by Autism
• People with a Mental Illness or Mental Health issue
• Older people
• People with Dementia

The law surrounding the use of physical interventions with children, young people and adults with learning disabilities and severe challenging behaviour is extremely complex.

Our training forms part of the 4 day Instructor Training as well as the annual 1 day re-certification course. The whole programme is accredited by BILD, the British Institute of Learning Disabilities, as part of their Physical Interventions Accreditation Scheme.

We cover a range of topics, including (but not limited to) human rights, health and safety, duty of care, criminal and civil law, liability, recording, data protection, child protection, working with vulnerable adults, mental health legislation... and more!

Both our Director and another consultant also teach undergraduate and postgraduate students about the law in relation to social work at two Scottish universities.

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