PBS Staff Training: What Good Looks Like (And What Inspectors Expect)

If your Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) answer in a tender focuses mainly on incidents and interventions, it’s time to rethink.

PBS isn’t about managing behaviour. It’s about improving someone’s life so that behaviour becomes less of a barrier.

That means your PBS answer should reflect:

• Relationships built on trust, not control
• Support that starts with curiosity — asking “what’s behind this behaviour?”
• Daily routines that reduce stress and build confidence
• Environments that are calm, predictable and meaningful
• Active co-production — the person is at the centre of the plan

You can reference low-arousal approaches and evidence-based tools — but keep the heart of the answer human. One of the best PBS answers I’ve seen simply said: “We start with what matters to the person, not what’s difficult about them.”

That’s the kind of sentence that lands with commissioners.

Want to go further? Talk about:

• How your team reflect on behaviour as communication
• How plans are reviewed with families or advocates
• How your service reduces restrictions over time

Ultimately, PBS isn’t a policy — it’s a value system. Show that in your tender, and you’re already a step ahead.