Behaviour support
Behaviour support is about creating individualised strategies for people with disability that are responsive to the person’s needs, in a way that reduces and eliminates the need for the use of regulated restrictive practices.
Behaviour support focuses on evidence-based strategies and person-centred supports that address the needs of the person with disability and the underlying causes of behaviours of concern, while safeguarding the dignity and quality of life of people with disability who require specialist behaviour support.
Both specialist behaviour support providers (who engage NDIS behaviour support practitioners), and providers who use regulated restrictive practices (implementing providers), must meet the requirements outlined in the National Disability Insurance Scheme (Restrictive Practices and Behaviour Support) Rules 2018.
The role of the Senior Practitioner
The Senior Practitioner leads the NDIS Commission’s behaviour support function. It is the role and responsibility of the Senior Practitioner to:
- Oversee NDIS behaviour support practitioners and implementing providers who use behaviour support strategies and regulated restrictive practices
- Provide best practice advice to practitioners, providers, participants, families, and carers
- Receive and review provider monthly reports on the use of regulated restrictive practices
- Follow up on reportable incidents that suggest there are unmet behaviour support needs
How to contact us about behaviour support
Practice Quality Division – Practice Quality Reponses team – Behaviour Support (NDIS Commission): behavioursupport@ndiscommission.gov.au
NDIS Behaviour Support Practitioners: ndispractitioners@ndiscommission.gov.au
Which restrictive practices are regulated and what providers are required to do
A restrictive practice means any practice or intervention that has the effect of restricting the rights or freedom of movement of a person with disability. Under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (Restrictive Practices and Behaviour Support) Rules 2018 certain restrictive practices are subject to regulation. A restrictive practice is a regulated restrictive practice if it is or involves seclusion, chemical restraint, mechanical restraint, physical restraint and environmental restraint.
The Regulated Restrictive Practices Guide was developed for registered NDIS providers and NDIS behaviour support practitioners supporting NDIS participants. It may also be of interest to anyone who supports a person with disability. The guide supports a contemporary positive behaviour support framework.
The guide explains what a restrictive practice is, and sets out information on the five types of regulated restrictive practices. It also highlights possible impacts of, and important considerations for, the use of regulated restrictive practices. It will assist registered NDIS providers and NDIS behaviour practitioners to meet their obligations under the NDIS Act 2013 and relevant Rules.
The Regulated Restrictive Practices with Children and Young People with Disability: Practice Guide focuses on the use of regulated restrictive practices with NDIS participants aged under 18 years. It aims to promote the rights of children and young people with a disability, identify special considerations and relevant safeguards, highlight the obligations of NDIS providers and provide advice consistent with contemporary evidence and a positive behaviour support framework. The guide was developed for registered NDIS providers and NDIS behaviour support practitioners. It may also be of interest to participants, their families, and others supporting children and young people with disability.
Surveillance Technology Practice Guide
The Surveillance Technology Practice Guide aims to clarify what is considered ‘surveillance technology’ and assist in identifying circumstances where surveillance technology could be used as part of a regulated restrictive practice. The guide highlights the ethical, human rights, privacy and practice issues with the use of surveillance technology. It outline best practice considerations and safeguards when using surveillance technology with people with disability. This guide was developed for registered NDIS providers including specialist behaviour support providers but may also be of interest to anyone who supports a person with disability.
Safe Transportation Practice Guide
The purpose of the Safe Transportation Practice Guide is to:
- promote the rights and inherent dignity of people with disability,
- assist in identifying the use of regulated restrictive practice when transporting people with disability,
- highlight the special considerations and safeguards relevant to the use of transportation for people with disability,
- provide practice advice consistent with a positive behaviour support framework, contemporary evidence informed practice and the intent to reduce and eliminate the use of restrictive practices, and
- assist registered NDIS providers and NDIS behaviour support practitioners to meet their obligations under the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013 (NDIS Act 2013) and relevant Rules.
Registration requirements for the use of regulated restrictive practices
The Registration requirements for the use of regulated restrictive practices guide is a flow chart that assists participants and their families to identify the types of supports that only a registered NDIS provider can deliver. It also identifies the options available when an unregistered provider is currently involved and using a regulated restrictive practice. An accessible version of the flow chart is included in the appendix.
Compendium of Resources for Positive Behaviour Support
This compendium of resources provides behaviour support practitioners with a comprehensive list of assessment tools that can be used for the purposes of behaviour support assessment, planning, intervention, monitoring and review. It also includes a list of national and international Internet Resources that cover a range of areas of practice in relation to behaviour support.
Practices that present high risk of harm to NDIS participants: Position Statement
The Practices that present high risk of harm to NDIS participants position statement outlines practices that place participants at high risk of harm and are associated with adverse and catastrophic outcomes for participants, such as long-term psychological or physical injury and death. The practices fall within two categories: specific forms of physical restraint and punitive approaches. NDIS providers (registered and unregistered) must not use these practices. Use of these practices must cease immediately, and should be replaced with proactive and evidence-informed alternatives based on risk assessment. Use of these practices by NDIS providers constitutes a serious breach of the NDIS Code of Conduct. The NDIS Commissioner will take strong action against any provider and individuals that engage in these practices.
Quality of Behaviour Support Plans (BSPs) – results of a national audit
The quality of comprehensive BSPs lodged over a 14 month period were audited by the NDIS Commission using the Behaviour Support Plan Quality Evaluation II Tool and the NDIS Companion Tool. The BSPs were assessed and rated across several domains. The BSP Quality paper provides the results of this audit including the domains that were adequately and inadequately addressed and highlights the need for improvement to increase the quality of BSPs.
Policy Guidance: Developing Behaviour Support Plans
This Policy Guidance outlines the NDIS Commissioner’s expectations of specialist behaviour support providers and NDIS behaviour support practitioners when developing behaviour support plans that contain regulated restrictive practices.
Policy Guidance: The safe reduction and elimination of regulated restrictive practices (RRPs)
This Policy Guidance outlines the NDIS Commissioner’s expectations of NDIS providers when reducing and eliminating regulated restrictive practices to ensure this occurs in a safe and competent manner with care and skill.
Regulated Restrictive Practices Summary and Protocols
This template replaces the existing regulated restrictive practice protocols in the NDIS Commission’s behaviour support plan templates. It was informed by extensive consultation and represents the first step in the release of a revised suite of behaviour support plan templates. Use of this template is not mandatory, however specialist behaviour support providers are expected to ensure that they update and align their practice with this guidance to promote the reduction and elimination of regulated restrictive practices.
Revised Interim and Comprehensive Behaviour Support Plan templates V3.0
The revised BSP templates reflect contemporary evidence-informed practice and are approved by the NDIS Commissioner for the purposes of section 23 of the NDIS (Restrictive Practices and Behaviour Support) Rules 2018.
These templates were informed by extensive consultation and thematic analysis as described in the BSP Template review: Summary of Findings.
Interim and Comprehensive Behaviour Support Plan Checklists
The Behaviour Support Plan Checklists outline good practice and the conditions of registration that apply to specialist behaviour support providers when developing behaviour support plans. They aim to help practitioners and providers to check the quality of behaviour support plans and ensure compliance with requirements. Use of the checklists is optional. They do not need to be submitted to the NDIS Commission.