About our principles

A lightbulb and an importance icon.

In this bulletin, we explain the principles in our policy.

Principles are important ideas we should always think about.

A person with disability pointing to themselves. Next to them is a behaviour support plan document.

The principles in our policy help make sure behaviour support plans protect the rights of people with disability.

A person supporting someone else. Above them is a question mark.

A behaviour support plan is a document that explains what support a person needs.

The number 5.

Our policy includes 5 principles.

An arrow pointing from a provider supporting someone to a restrictive practices icon.

1. Providers must try other ways to manage behaviour before they use a restrictive practice.

A person with restraints around their body, but still able to move their arms. Next to them is a locked padlock.

2. Providers must use a restrictive practice that doesn’t limit the person too much.

A risk icon and a problem icon.

3. Providers must only use a restrictive practice when people are at risk of harm.

A safety icon.

4. Providers must use a restrictive practice as much as is needed to keep people safe.

A stopwatch with a small amount of time highlighted on it.

5. Providers must use a restrictive practice for the shortest time possible.

How people use our principles

A behaviour support plan with a tick next to it.

Our principles guide behaviour support practitioners when they create behaviour support plans.

2 people at a desk looking at a computer together. Above them is a behaviour support plan. Next to the behaviour support plan is a locked padlock inside a speech bubble.

Behaviour support practitioners work with a person to create the person’s behaviour support plan.

This plan might include restrictive practices.

They follow the rules in our policy about restrictive practices.

A group of 3 people behind a bench. Above them is a behaviour support plan with a tick next to it.

The principles in our policy also guide providers when they check a behaviour support plan before a Quality Assurance Panel.

A restrictive practices icon and a speech bubble. Inside the speech bubble is a cross and a tick.

A Quality Assurance Panel is a group of people who check behaviour support plans.

They decide if a restrictive practice can happen.

They follow the rules in our policy about restrictive practices.

A justice scales icon and a safety icon.

Quality Assurance Panels use the principles in our policy to check that behaviour support plans protect the rights of people with disability.

This includes making sure:

A document and a speech bubble.

people with disability have had a say in creating their behaviour support plan

A restrictive practices icon and an arrow pointing down.

the behaviour support plan includes ways to use less restrictive practices over time

3 pages from a calendar and a stop sign.

the behaviour support plan includes ways to stop using restrictive practices over time.