When someone’s behaviour is causing distress — to themselves or the people around them — it’s easy to focus on the behaviour itself. Positive Behaviour Support takes a different, more hopeful view: it asks why the behaviour is happening, and works to meet the unmet need behind it. When that need is understood and addressed, the behaviour very often changes as a natural result.
This guide explains what Positive Behaviour Support is, how it works under the NDIS, who can deliver it, and how the everyday support team fits in — all in plain language for Adelaide families.
- PBS is evidence-based and person-centred — it focuses on understanding the reasons behind behaviour and improving quality of life, not punishing or suppressing behaviour.
- A behaviour support plan is written by a registered practitioner — only practitioners deemed suitable by the NDIS Commission can develop one.
- Support workers implement the plan — the everyday team carries out the agreed strategies consistently, at home and in the community.
- It takes time — PBS is a gradual, collaborative process, not a quick fix.
What is Positive Behaviour Support?
Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) is an evidence-based framework for supporting people whose behaviour is creating barriers to a good life. Rather than treating behaviour as a problem to be managed, PBS looks at the whole person — their quality of life, their environment, and the unmet needs that may be driving behaviours of concern.
The core idea is simple but powerful: all behaviour serves a purpose. It’s a form of communication. A behaviour might be a way of asking for something, escaping something stressful, or coping with a sensory or emotional need. When we understand that function, we can teach new skills and change the environment so the person can meet that need in a safer, more positive way.
PBS is not punishment, restraint or seclusion. It’s not a quick fix, and it’s not only for people labelled “difficult.” It’s a respectful, human-rights-based approach for anyone whose behaviour is getting in the way of the life they want — focused on dignity, understanding and lasting positive change.
How does PBS work under the NDIS?
Under the NDIS, PBS follows a clear, structured process led by a qualified practitioner and carried out by the person’s everyday support team. It generally looks like this:
1. Assessment
A practitioner completes a functional behaviour assessment to understand what’s happening, and why — the triggers, patterns and unmet needs.
2. The plan
A behaviour support plan is written, setting out proactive strategies to prevent behaviours and safe, respectful ways to respond.
3. Implementation
Support workers and family are trained in the plan, then carry out the strategies consistently at home and in the community.
4. Review
The plan is monitored and adjusted over time as the person grows, circumstances change, and new information emerges.
A good plan is built around the person — developed in consultation with them, their family and their support team, and reflecting their likes, dislikes, history and goals.
Who can deliver Positive Behaviour Support?
This is important to understand, because PBS is a regulated area. There are two distinct roles:
| Role | Who does it | What they do |
|---|---|---|
| Behaviour support practitioner | A specialist deemed “suitable” by the NDIS Commission | Completes the assessment and writes the behaviour support plan |
| Implementing provider | Trained support workers (like Humanity Care) | Carries out the plan’s strategies day to day, consistently and safely |
Humanity Care is an implementing provider. We don’t write behaviour support plans — that’s the role of a registered behaviour support practitioner. What we do is put a plan into practice: our trained support workers carry out the agreed strategies consistently and respectfully, day to day. If you need a practitioner to develop a plan, we can help connect you with the right specialist.
How is PBS funded in an NDIS plan?
PBS funding usually appears in one or two parts of a participant’s NDIS plan:
- Capacity Building — Improved Relationships (labelled “Behaviour Support” in newer plans): funds the practitioner’s time for assessment, writing the plan, training and review.
- Core Supports — Assistance with Daily Life: funds the support workers who implement the plan — for example, support during community participation, structured routines and skill-building.
In other words, the specialist assessment and plan-writing come from one part of the plan, and the everyday support that brings the plan to life — the part Humanity Care provides — typically comes from Core Supports. A support coordinator can help you understand what’s in your plan and arrange both.
What good implementation looks like
A behaviour support plan is only as good as the consistency with which it’s carried out. This is where a skilled, reliable support team makes all the difference. Quality implementation means:
Consistency
The same strategies, applied the same way, by workers who know the person — so the plan actually works.
Proactive focus
Using the plan’s preventive strategies and spotting early warning signs to de-escalate calmly, before a situation grows.
Respect & dignity
Responding in ways that protect the person’s rights and dignity at every step, never through punishment.
Communication
Sharing observations with the practitioner and family, so the plan can be reviewed and improved over time.
Our Adelaide support workers are trained to implement behaviour support plans with consistency, patience and respect. We work closely with the participant’s practitioner and family, follow the plan’s proactive strategies, and focus on what really matters — a better quality of life. Where a plan is needed, we’ll happily help you connect with a registered practitioner.
A note on restrictive practices
Sometimes a behaviour support plan includes what are called “regulated restrictive practices.” These are tightly controlled under the NDIS, can only be included in an authorised plan written by a registered practitioner, and must always be a genuine last resort — with a clear goal of reducing and eventually eliminating them. The aim of PBS is always to reduce reliance on these practices by building skills and improving the person’s environment and quality of life.
Frequently asked questions about Positive Behaviour Support in Adelaide
What is Positive Behaviour Support (PBS)?
PBS is an evidence-based, person-centred approach that supports people whose behaviour is creating barriers to a good life. Rather than punishing or suppressing behaviour, it seeks to understand why the behaviour happens, then teaches new skills and improves the person’s environment so their needs can be met in safer, more positive ways.
Who can write a behaviour support plan?
Only a behaviour support practitioner deemed “suitable” by the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission can develop a behaviour support plan. Support providers who aren’t registered practitioners — like Humanity Care — implement the plan, but do not write it.
Does Humanity Care provide Positive Behaviour Support?
Humanity Care is an implementing provider. We don’t write behaviour support plans — that’s the role of a registered practitioner — but our trained support workers carry out an existing plan’s strategies consistently and respectfully, day to day. If you need a plan developed, we can help connect you with the right specialist.
How is PBS funded in an NDIS plan?
The practitioner’s assessment and plan-writing are usually funded under Capacity Building (Improved Relationships, or “Behaviour Support” in newer plans). The support workers who implement the plan are usually funded under Core Supports (Assistance with Daily Life). A support coordinator can help you arrange both.
How long does Positive Behaviour Support take to work?
PBS is a gradual process, not a quick fix. Meaningful, lasting change takes time, consistency and skill-building. The plan is reviewed and adjusted over time as the person grows and circumstances change. Consistent implementation by a reliable support team is key to good outcomes.
Do you implement behaviour support plans across Adelaide?
Yes. Humanity Care’s trained support workers implement behaviour support plans across Adelaide, working closely with the participant’s practitioner and family. We focus on consistency, proactive strategies and respect — and we can help connect you with a registered practitioner if a plan needs to be developed.
Understanding, not just managing
At its heart, Positive Behaviour Support is about seeing the person, not just the behaviour — and believing that with the right understanding and support, life can get better. For that to work, the everyday support team matters enormously: they’re the ones who bring a plan to life, day after day, with patience and care.
If you’re looking for a reliable Adelaide team to implement a behaviour support plan — or you’d like help connecting with a registered practitioner — our friendly local team is here to help.
Reliable support, guided by the plan
Our Adelaide support workers implement behaviour support plans with consistency, patience and respect — working alongside your practitioner and family.
