Overview
Look behind the behaviour
When someone communicates through behaviour we find difficult, the instinct can be to stop or contain it. Positive Behaviour Support takes a different starting point. It asks what the behaviour is telling us, what need sits underneath it, and what we can change about the situation and the support around the person so that life gets better — and the distressing behaviour becomes less necessary.
Across these modules you will work through the whole PBS cycle, from first principles to practice. You will learn how to interpret behaviour, gather the right information, build and follow a support plan, hold a difficult moment safely, and keep improving the support over time. Everything is grounded in real care settings rather than theory for its own sake.
The programme is delivered entirely online and fits around shifts and other commitments. Most learners finish in three to four hours, and you keep access for a full year. Complete the closing assessment and your CPD-certified certificate is generated straight away. The content is mapped to Care Quality Commission expectations and reflects the Restraint Reduction Network training standards.
Your goals
What you’ll be able to do
Finish the course and you’ll be ready to:
Describe the PBS approach and the rights-based thinking that drives it.
See behaviour as meaningful communication rather than a problem to be managed.
Work out the purpose behind a behaviour and the triggers that set it off.
Take part in a functional assessment and keep clear, factual behaviour records.
Put proactive, person-centred strategies into everyday practice.
Use calm, respectful de-escalation when someone is distressed.
Explain the law on restrictive practice and why we aim for the least restrictive option.
Help review and sharpen a support plan alongside the wider team.
What’s inside
Eight modules to work through
Each module finishes with a short knowledge check. Take them in the order that suits you and revisit anything as often as you like while your access lasts.
1Getting Started with PBSWhere the approach comes from and the principles that make it work.⌄
- What “behaviour that challenges” really means
- How and why PBS developed, and the evidence for it
- Putting a good quality of life at the centre
- Dignity, choice and a rights-based mindset
- Getting ahead of problems versus reacting to them
2Behaviour Is a MessageReading behaviour as an attempt to communicate something that matters.⌄
- How behaviour communicates an unmet need
- Why behaviour happens: sensory, escape, attention and access to things
- Triggers from inside the person and from the environment
- The part played by pain, distress and communication barriers
- Steering clear of labels and quick judgements
3Making Sense of It: the ABC ApproachA simple structure for spotting what drives behaviour and why.⌄
- Antecedent, Behaviour, Consequence — and how they connect
- Pulling information together from different people and sources
- Writing records that are objective and useful
- Spotting patterns, triggers and likely functions
- How your observations feed a functional assessment
4Preventing Distress: Proactive SupportShaping the day so difficult moments are far less likely to arise.⌄
- Adjusting the environment to reduce pressure
- Teaching new skills that meet the same need more safely
- Routine, structure and activities that have meaning
- Offering real choice and supporting communication
- Wellbeing and strong, trusting relationships
5Bringing It Together: the Support PlanHow everyone agrees to support the person, written down and shared.⌄
- What a behaviour support plan contains and why
- Proactive, early-response and reactive strategies side by side
- Noticing the early signs that someone is struggling
- Why every team member needs to respond the same way
- Turning the plan into what actually happens on shift
6When Things EscalateStaying calm, safe and respectful in the difficult moments.⌄
- Recognising escalation and how a crisis builds and fades
- What to say and do — and what not to — to de-escalate
- Keeping the person and everyone around them safe
- Checking in and learning after an incident
- Protecting your own wellbeing too
7Restrictive Practice and the LawKnowing the rules, the rights and the duty to use the least restriction possible.⌄
- Recognising when a practice is restrictive
- Why “least restrictive” is the legal and ethical standard
- The Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Human Rights Act 1998 in plain terms
- What the Restraint Reduction Network standards expect
- Recording, reporting and your safeguarding responsibilities
8Keeping Support WorkingUsing evidence and reflection so support stays effective over time.⌄
- Collecting and reviewing the right outcome information
- Judging success by quality of life, not just fewer incidents
- Working with specialists and the PBS practitioner
- Reflecting as a team and learning from experience
- Knowing when a plan needs to change
Who it’s for
Is this course a good fit?
If part of your role involves supporting someone whose behaviour can challenge, this course is written for you — whether you’re just starting out or topping up what you already know.
Support & care workers
Anyone delivering hands-on support in supported living, residential or community settings.
Learning disability & autism teams
People working alongside those with a learning disability or autistic individuals.
Older people’s services
Care staff supporting older adults, including people living with dementia.
Mental health settings
Workers in mental health, crisis and recovery-focused services.
Schools & SEN settings
Teaching assistants and SEN staff supporting children and young people.
Service leads & managers
Those accountable for staff training and CQC readiness.
Completing the course
How it’s assessed
There’s one short multiple-choice quiz at the end. If you don’t pass first time, you can simply try again — there’s no extra charge and no limit.
Final quiz
The practical detail
Stop and pick up where you left off whenever you need to — your progress is kept automatically, and the final quiz isn’t timed.
On completion
Your CPD-certified certificate
Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) — CPD Certified
Pass the final quiz and your certificate is ready to download and print right away, showing your name, the course and the date you finished. Keep it as proof of your continuing professional development and use it to show inspectors that your team is trained. A yearly refresher is a good habit to keep your knowledge sharp.
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