PBS in Learning Disability Tenders — Going Beyond the Basics
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In learning disability tenders, Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) can make the difference between a good score and a top score. This follow-up to our original PBS blog focuses on the deeper, less-often evidenced aspects of PBS that can help your bid stand out and better reflect best practice.
It’s not enough to say you ‘use PBS’ — commissioners want to see how you apply its principles day-to-day, how you embed them in staff training, and how they translate into measurable quality-of-life improvements.
🧠 Understanding Behaviour — Start With the ‘Why’
Behaviour is communication. In PBS, this isn’t a slogan — it’s a working assumption that shapes assessment and intervention. In tenders, go beyond describing incidents; explain how your service analyses the function of behaviour, using data and observations to identify triggers, unmet needs, and environmental factors. This shows commissioners you don’t react to behaviour in isolation but address its root causes.
👩🏫 PBS Staff Training — Building Skills and Confidence
Staff competency is a key commissioning priority. Your bid should demonstrate that PBS training is:
- ✅ Delivered to all relevant roles, from support workers to managers
- ✅ Refreshed regularly and evaluated for impact
- ✅ Linked to reflective practice sessions and supervision
- ✅ Grounded in real-world case studies from your own service
Where possible, evidence your training outcomes — e.g., reductions in incidents, improved engagement, or feedback from people supported.
🔄 Proactive Support Strategies — Prevention Over Reaction
Commissioners value prevention. Show how your service uses proactive strategies, such as personalised routines, structured activities, sensory adjustments, and communication tools, to reduce the likelihood of behaviours of concern. Include examples where proactive changes have improved outcomes for individuals.
Link these strategies to independence, choice, and dignity — all core outcomes in learning disability commissioning.
⚖️ Restrictive Practices & Human Rights
PBS is committed to minimising restrictive practices. In your tender, be clear about:
- ✅ How you avoid restraint and seclusion unless absolutely necessary
- ✅ How you follow human rights principles and relevant legislation
- ✅ How incidents are reviewed, learned from, and used to improve practice
Commissioners look for services that can balance safety with freedom — make sure your examples illustrate that balance.
🤝 Co-Production & Family Involvement
Co-production is a scoring theme in many tenders. Demonstrate how people with lived experience and their families are involved in:
- Service design and policy review
- Individual PBS plan development
- Recruitment and training of staff
- Regular feedback loops to assess service impact
Highlight any tools, forums, or working groups you use to make co-production meaningful — not tokenistic.
📈 Pulling It Together in Your Tender
A strong PBS section in your tender isn’t a single paragraph — it’s woven throughout your answers on care planning, staff training, safeguarding, and outcomes. Use consistent terminology, refer to measurable impacts, and always tie PBS back to the tender’s specification and scoring criteria.
Above all, make sure PBS isn’t an afterthought. When commissioners see PBS integrated across your service model, it signals consistency, competence, and quality.
Before submitting your tender, consider a specialist bid proofreading or tender review to ensure your PBS content — and the rest of your submission — is clear, compliant, and compelling. If you need a writer who specialises in learning disability bids, see our Bid Writer for Learning Disability Providers service.