In this bulletin, we talk about restrictive practices in all behaviour support plans.

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

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

The behaviour support plan might include restrictive practices.

They follow the rules in our policy about restrictive practices.

In this bulletin, we just call them practitioners.

If a behaviour support plan includes restrictive practices, a practitioner must also include a plan to:

• use less restrictive practices over time

• stop using restrictive practices over time.

This plan will help support the rights of people with disability.

Practitioners must include this plan before a Quality Assurance Panel can decide if a restrictive practice can happen.

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.

Practitioners must work with other people to create a plan to:

• use less restrictive practices
• stop using restrictive practices.

This includes the:

• person who needs support
• families and carers
• providers.

When practitioners make the plan, they should also think about how the restrictive practice:

• has affected the person’s life.

• will affect the person’s life.

Practitioners should also make sure everyone has the support they need to follow the plan.

If a provider uses a restrictive practice, then everyone needs to keep working together to understand how better to support the person.

It is important to think about all the parts of the person’s life to better understand:

• what supports they need
• how to give them the supports they need.

There are 5 things practitioners need to include or explain in the plan to:

• use less restrictive practices
• stop using restrictive practices.

The plan needs to:

1. Clearly explain each restrictive practice.

2. Include clear goals for providers to use less or stop using each restrictive practice.

This includes:

• choosing goals they can reach
• explaining how they will know when they have reached each goal
• explaining when they will reach each goal.

1. Explain what information providers will need to find out if they have reached their goals.

2. Explain what each person will do to reach each goal and when they will do this.

3. Explain how practitioners will check to see how they are going with each goal.

We will know the plan is working if providers:

• use less restrictive practices
• stop using restrictive practices.