Every person deserves the opportunity to live a meaningful, independent and fulfilling life. For some people, behaviours of concern can create barriers to achieving their goals, participating in the community or maintaining important relationships.
Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) focuses on understanding why behaviours occur and developing practical strategies that improve quality of life.
What Is a Behaviour Support Plan?
A Behaviour Support Plan is a personalised document developed by a qualified Behaviour Support Practitioner. It identifies:
The person’s strengths
- Their goals and preferences
- Factors contributing to behaviours of concern
- Strategies that can reduce risk
- Approaches that build skills and independence
- The focus is always on improving outcomes, not simply managing behaviours.
What Is Positive Behaviour Support?
Positive Behaviour Support is an evidence-based approach that aims to improve a person’s quality of life while reducing behaviours that may impact wellbeing or safety.
Rather than asking:
“How do we stop this behaviour?”
PBS asks:
“What is this person trying to communicate, and how can we better support them?”
This person-centred approach is considered best practice across the disability sector.
How New Horizons supports participants
Our Behaviour Support Practitioners work closely with participants, families, carers and support teams to create practical and effective plans.
Our approach focuses on:
- Improving quality of life
- We identify opportunities to increase participation, choice, relationships and community engagement.
- Promoting independence
- Support strategies are designed to build skills, confidence and autonomy over time.
- Strengthening support networks
- We work collaboratively with families, support workers, schools, day programs and allied health professionals.
- Building positive outcomes
- Every strategy is tailored to the individual’s goals, strengths and preferences.
Who can benefit from behaviour support?
Behaviour support may be beneficial for people who experience:
- Emotional regulation challenges
- Aggressive or unsafe behaviours
- Self-injury
- Property damage
- Social isolation
- Communication difficulties
- Complex support needs
Each plan is tailored to the individual rather than applying a one-size-fits-all approach.
Our behaviour support process
- Step 1: Getting to know you. We spend time understanding your goals, strengths, preferences and support environment.
- Step 2: Functional assessment. We identify patterns, triggers and unmet needs that may contribute to behaviours of concern.
- Step 3: Plan development. We develop practical recommendations and strategies that align with your goals.
- Step 4: Ongoing support. Behaviour support is not a one-off service. We work alongside participants and support teams to monitor progress, make adjustments and build long-term success.
Whether you’re looking for behaviour support for yourself, a family member or someone you support professionally, our team is here to help.
To discuss behaviour support plans and Positive Behaviour Support services, contact our friendly team today!
At New Horizons, we work alongside participants and families to help them navigate NDIS changes with confidence. Our teams can support you with behaviour support plans, specialist disability supports, capacity building services, goal planning, housing, and preparing for reviews.
