The Assessment

The assessment of Multi Element Behavioural Support Plan (MEBSP) is based on approximately 100 hours of assessment and analysis. Information is gathered by interviews, direct observation of the client, the compilation of re-enforcement inventories, surveys and through a detailed review of the records. This information is gathered from a wide range of sources including, where appropriate: Family and Friends, Current and Previous Support Staff, Teachers and Teaching Assistants, Social Workers, Doctors, Educational and Clinical Psychologists, Psychiatric Staff, Speech and Language Therapists, and any other experienced person or service involved.

The information gathered is analysed and written into an assessment report under the following general headings:

General, Student Description, Language and Communication Skills, Cognitive and Academic Abilities, Self Care Skills, Domestic Skills, Community Skills, Recreation and Leisure Skills, Social Skills; Living Arrangements and Family History, Daytime / Educational Services Received and Day / Educational Service History, Health, Medical and Psychiatric Status, Previous and Current Treatments, Motivational Analysis, and a Mediator Analysis which focuses on the people who might be responsible for implementing any recommended support plans.

The assessment will also focus on the Target Behaviours and will undertake a Functional Analysis, organised around six subcategories. These are:

Multi Element Behavioural Support Plan (MEBSP)

The Support Plan is organised around specific categories regarding the strategies recommended and the guidance on their implementation that initially focus on: Long Range Goals; Short Term Measurable Objectives; Observation and Data Collection.

The Intervention Procedures are organised around four primary themes:

1. Ecological Strategies: This section is the reflection on conflicts between the individual needs of the client and the environment or interpersonal context in which they must live or work.
2. Positive Programming Strategies: Challenging behaviour often occurs in settings that lack the opportunities for and instruction in, adaptive, age appropriate behaviour such as communal areas like classrooms or group living settings. Environments that promote the development of functional, academic, domestic, vocational, recreational and general community skills are important to support people who present challenging behaviours. This section highlights the rationale, objective and methodology for the client to learn new skills from the domestic, community, vocational, academic and recreational domains. The section also focuses on supporting the client to learn Functionally Equivalent and Functionally Related Skills in order that they can achieve the same goals and communicate the same message as with the target behaviour without resource to it as well as teaching Coping and Tolerance Skills.
3. Focused Support Strategies: Some of the ecological strategies, depending on their complexity and or difficulty, may take time to arrange and positive programming will also require time before new skills and competencies are mastered. Therefore, Focused Support Strategies are recommended to ensure more rapid effects.

These three strategies are designed to effect positive outcomes on the target behaviour over time. However, what do we do when the behaviour occurs?

4. Reactive Strategies: Consistent implementation of the pro-active, non aversive strategies recommended above, will produce positive changes and outcomes in the target behaviour and will improve the quality of life, not only for the client but also for family, friends, colleagues and support staff. However this takes time to achieve. The target behaviour will inevitably occur to some extent during the initial stages of the implementation of the Support Plan.
   The crucial question every involved person wants to know is;
   
   What do we do to make things safe when the behaviour occurs?
   
   Reactive Strategies are the answer to this very important question. Reactive Strategies are not designed or intended to produce any change in the future occurrence of the clients target behaviours, they are however specifically designed to produce the most rapid and safe control of an incident of challenging behaviour in a manner that keeps everyone, including the client, as free from risk and injury as possible. Reactive strategies are empowering for staff and also serve to limit the risk of exclusion and devaluation of the client.
5. MEBSP Conclusions and Recommendations: The report will conclude with recommendations for Managers and Staff. There will also be a summary of the report and its provided as the original report is very comprehensive and detailed.
6. Quality Assurance, Training and Consultancy: For the MEBSP to work it is essential that everyone involved in its implementation follows the guideline exactly. The report will come with a procedure for Quality Assurance based on Dr Gary LaVigna’s “Periodic Service Review” model. The agreed personnel implementing the plan will undertake two days pact Ltd training once the MEBSP is agreed and ready to be introduced. A further 20 hours of consultancy will be available to the agency on completion of the training.

Further consultancy may be purchased and arranged as required.

What does it cost?

• Comprehensive behavioural Assessment, Analysis and Report (minimum of 100 hours work) £3000.00
• Compilation of Multi Element Behaviour Support Plan (MEBSP) £1000.00
• Provision of Periodic Service Review (quality assurance protocol), two days training prior to implementation of MEBSP and 20 hours consultancy £1000.00
• Additional consultancy will be charged at £30.00 per hour.

Please go to the Contact Details page if you wish to explore our positive behavioural support service further.

Positive Approaches, Consultancy & Training Ltd welcomes queries related to any aspect of our service.