MF Care can provide specialist support at home for people with complex behaviours, working with families to understand and manage triggers and maintain a calming environment, with focus on positive reinforcement.
Positive Behaviour Support
Each person supported has individual requirements, including some with challenging behaviours that can affect themselves, those around them, and staff members. The Positive Behaviour Support Team works across services in Scotland to enhance quality of life and encourage community participation. They focus on increasing staff knowledge, skills, and confidence, and create plans to address behavioural challenges. The team provides dedicated behaviour support for individuals who may have difficulty living independently in the community.
What is PBS?
Positive Behaviour Support combines ‘Applied Behaviour Analysis’—which examines the causes and effects of challenging behaviour—with person-centred approaches that consider all aspects of an individual’s life. The primary goal is to enhance quality of life.
Developing a positive behaviour support plan typically involves four stages:
Functional Assessment
A Behaviour Support Advisor conducts a comprehensive functional assessment of behaviour from the individual’s perspective, examining what purpose the behaviour serves and which needs it meets. Additionally, the advisor considers connections between the behaviour’s underlying reasons and the person’s social and physical environment.
Behaviour Support Planning
Findings from the functional assessment inform subsequent planning. The Behaviour Support Advisor assesses priorities for managing risks while aiming to improve all areas of the person’s life. Proactive strategies may address physical or social environmental factors and include plans to teach new skills in a coordinated manner. Some interventions focus on building general independence, while others address coping strategies or alternative responses to challenging situations. Reactive approaches are also reviewed and adapted to ensure they appropriately correspond to the function of the behaviour. Responses by staff are designed to be consistent, suitable, and non-punitive.
All methods and plans within Positive Behaviour Support are non-aversive and exclude any form of punishment.
Implementing Behaviour Support Plans
Implementation begins with team-specific staff training. Plans are rolled out according to assessed priorities. Staff are observed, receive feedback, and are coached to maintain consistent practices across the service. Quality improvement involves both reviewing records and working directly with staff.
Monitoring & Evaluation
The final stage involves establishing procedures to monitor the effectiveness of support strategies. This includes evaluating whether interventions have improved quality of life and reduced the frequency and severity of challenging behaviours. Services are encouraged to maintain ongoing monitoring and adapt plans as individuals’ needs change, often using regular charting and Periodic Service Reviews.
Training
The Positive Behaviour Support Team helps staff build knowledge, skills, and confidence through training, including one-to-one coaching and structured courses.
Service Specific Autism Training
This practical training aims to enhance autism support quality in services. Small groups allow staff to apply learning directly to real-life situations. The programme includes five sessions (about 20 hours), delivered over several weeks, involving focused workshops, work activities between sessions, and a workbook for participants.
Autistic Spectrum Disorder
Margarot Forrest Care Management Limited is committed to treating people with autism respectfully and supporting them to live fulfilling lives in their communities. We offer a range of autism services, including core and cluster models, care homes, flexible supported living, and drop-in centres. Each service helps individuals progress towards independence, working closely with families, carers, and other providers for consistent support.
Communication is central to our approach; staff use tailored methods and aids, and receive specialised training on autism-specific needs. Additional support is available through our Positive Behaviour Support Team and targeted training such as Person-specific Autism Spectrum Disorder training. Family carers can access advice and training via our Positive Pathways programme.
Our services are guided by principles of dignity, privacy, choice, safety, potential, equality, and diversity, reflecting the Scottish Strategy for Autism (2011).