Before You Write a PBS Plan, Ask This One Question
Most behaviour support plans jump straight to what to do. But effective PBS starts by understanding why.
And there’s one question every team should ask before writing any strategy, setting any goal, or assigning any intervention:
“What is this person trying to communicate through their behaviour?”
🧠 Behaviour Has Meaning
In Positive Behaviour Support, we don’t see behaviour as a problem to eliminate — we see it as a message to decode. Challenging behaviour is usually a person’s best available way of telling us something’s not right.
That message might be:
- I’m overwhelmed by noise
- I don’t understand what’s expected of me
- I feel unsafe or ignored
- I need a break, but I don’t know how to ask
If we jump to solutions without understanding the meaning, we’re fixing the surface — not the cause.
📋 Functional Assessments Aren’t Just Paperwork
Analysing what happens before, during, and after behaviour (ABC charts, functional assessments) isn’t a tick-box task. It’s an act of respect. It says, “We believe there’s a reason, and we care enough to find it.”
The more curious we are, the more person-centred our response becomes.
✅ Tips for Practice
- Ask “What does this person gain or avoid through this behaviour?”
- Involve people who know the individual best — family, support workers, advocates
- Be cautious about assumptions — test your theory with real-world changes
Understanding doesn’t slow us down. It saves us time, reduces incidents, and improves outcomes in the long run.
💼 Rapid Support Products (fast turnaround options)
- ⚡ 48-Hour Tender Triage
- 🆘 Bid Rescue Session – 60 minutes
- ✍️ Score Booster – Tender Answer Rewrite
- 🧩 Tender Answer Blueprint
- 📝 Tender Proofreading & Light Editing
- 🔍 Pre-Tender Readiness Audit
- 📁 Tender Document Review
🚀 Need a Bid Writing Quote?
If you’re exploring support for an upcoming tender or framework, request a quick, no-obligation quote. I’ll review your documents and respond with:
- A clear scope of work
- Estimated days required
- A fixed fee quote
- Any risks, considerations or quick wins
🔁 Prefer Flexible Monthly Support?
If you regularly handle tenders, frameworks or call-offs, a Monthly Bid Support Retainer may be a better fit.
- Guaranteed hours each month (1, 2, 4 or 8 days)
- Discounted day rates vs ad-hoc consultancy
- Use time flexibly across bids, triage, library updates, renewals
- One-month rollover (fair-use rules applied)
- Cancel anytime before next billing date
🚀 Ready to Win Your Next Bid?
Chat on WhatsApp or email Mike.Harrison@impact-guru.co.uk
Updated for Procurement Act 2023 • CQC-aligned • BASE-aligned (where relevant)