Oldham Safeguarding Adults Board (OSAB) are pleased to share an essential 7-Minute Briefing about communication with people who have a Learning Disability and ‘behaviours that challenge’. The briefing covers what behaviours that challenge are; the language that should be used and why; examples of needs and emotions somebody might be trying to communicate; and a brief explanation of Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) Plans created to help understand and manage behaviours that challenge.

7-Minute Briefings are based on research which suggests that seven minutes is an ideal time span in which to concentrate and learn. Learning for 7 minutes is manageable in most services and often more memorable as it is necessarily brief and not clouded by other issues and pressures. These short, safeguarding snapshots can be a helpful way to support team learning. Please discuss this briefing within your teams, complete the OSAB 7-Minute Briefing Team Discussion Feedback Form to record and evidence how you have used the briefing and send a copy to OSAB.

In addition, OSAB are pleased to share new, detailed guidance to support Health and Social Care settings to understand the approach of PBS and to develop effective support plans. PBS is a person-centred framework for providing long-term support for people who have, or may be at risk of, developing behaviours that challenge. It involves understanding the reasons for behaviours, considering the person as a whole to develop and implement a range of evidence-based support to better meet their needs, improving the quality of life of the person and those around them, thus reduce the likelihood of behaviours that challenge occurring in the first place.

Click on the links or images below to take a look.