The main purpose of a behaviour support plan is to improve a person’s quality of life, regardless of whether it includes a regulated restrictive practice.
Good quality behaviour support plans meet an individual’s needs, while respecting their dignity.
A behaviour support plan should be developed in consultation with the person with disability, their family, carers, and other support people.
The NDIS Commission has set out expectations on developing behaviour support plans. See our Policy guidance: Developing Behaviour Support Plans.
Learn more about the rules for developing behaviour support plans.
Types of behaviour support plans
There are two types of behaviour support plan.
1. Interim behaviour support plan
This plan is a short document that includes ways to help keep the person with a disability and others safe. The main focus of the plan is to protect the person and lower risks. It includes:
- strategies that help prevent the behaviour from occurring
- strategies to reduce harm when the behaviour is occurring
- if, when, and how certain regulated restrictive practices may be used.
2. Comprehensive behaviour support plan
This plan is more detailed and is based on a behaviour support assessment. The assessment explains the person’s behaviour, what is happening and why. Based on the information in the assessment, the plan builds on the interim plan and includes:
- strategies to help improve the person’s life and create positive change
- supports to change things around the person to meet their needs
- strategies to teach the person new skills
- if, when, and how certain restrictive practices may be used and gives detailed steps on how to reduce and eliminate them over time.
For a comprehensive list of positive behaviour support assessment tools, see the Compendium of resources for positive behaviour support.
Templates
The NDIS Commission has created templates that can be used to develop a behaviour support plan:
You can use a NDIS Commission template, your own template, or one required by the State or Territory restrictive practice authorisation body.
Guides and checklists
These guides and checklists outline good practice and the conditions of registration that apply when developing behaviour support plans.
- Evidence-Informed Practice Guide: How to ensure practice is informed by evidence.
- Compendium of resources for positive behaviour support.
- Developing Quality Behaviour Support Plans: How to include the elements of quality behaviour support into a plan.
- Interim Behaviour Support Plan Checklist.
- Comprehensive Behaviour Support Plan Checklist.
Submitting a behaviour support plan
If a behaviour support plan includes regulated restrictive practices, it must be submitted to the NDIS Commission.
To submit your behaviour support plan, log in to the NDIS Commission Portal.
You’ll need details about:
- the participant
- the regulated restrictive practices
- any implementing providers.
You’ll also need to attach copies of the behaviour support plan and the functional behavioural assessment, if relevant.