Understanding Behaviour Through Repeated Failure Experiences in PBS

Positive Behaviour Support requires services to understand how repeated failure affects confidence, motivation and behaviour. The Positive Behaviour Support knowledge hub supports providers to connect behaviour, communication, proactive support, rights and reduction of restrictive practice.

In specialist services, understanding behaviour through PBS means asking whether the person has experienced repeated correction, unsuccessful attempts, public mistakes or tasks that regularly ended in frustration.

This reflects PBS principles and values, because support should build confidence and dignity. Strong services do not interpret avoidance or anger without considering whether the person expects to fail.

Concept Explained Clearly

Repeated failure can make ordinary activities feel unsafe. A person may avoid tasks not because they lack interest, but because previous attempts ended in embarrassment, correction, disappointment or loss of control.

Behaviour linked to repeated failure may include refusal, joking to avoid a task, pushing materials away, saying “no” quickly, becoming angry before starting, giving up, hiding work, asking others to do it, or withdrawing from activities where mistakes feel visible. In PBS, these behaviours should be understood as possible communication about confidence, shame or fear.

Why It Matters in Real Services

If repeated failure is missed, services may keep presenting the same task in the same way and record the same refusal. The person may then be described as unmotivated, resistant or difficult to engage.

This can reduce opportunity. People may stop trying, lose skills and avoid activities that could support independence. Commissioners and CQC will expect providers to evidence that support is enabling, personalised and focused on outcomes rather than repeated unsuccessful exposure.

What Good Looks Like

Strong services demonstrate that confidence is actively supported. Staff know which tasks feel risky for the person, where past failure has occurred, what level of support protects dignity and how success can be built gradually.

Good PBS practice uses graded success. Tasks are broken down, expectations are realistic, errors are handled privately and progress is evidenced through confidence, participation and skill growth. Providers should be able to evidence how reduced fear of failure improves behaviour and quality of life.

Operational Example 1: Refusal of Cooking After Repeated Correction

Step 1 – Avoidance pattern identified: A person in supported living refused to cook evening meals, despite previously showing interest in food preparation.

Step 2 – Confidence history explored: Records and family feedback showed that the person had been corrected repeatedly for spilling ingredients and using the wrong utensils. Cooking had become associated with getting things wrong.

Step 3 – Support approach: The provider rebuilt the routine around one achievable contribution: choosing ingredients and stirring a prepared mixture.

Step 4 – Day-to-day delivery detail: Staff set up equipment in advance, avoided correcting minor errors publicly and used calm comments about what was working.

Step 5 – How effectiveness was evidenced: Cooking refusal reduced, the person began entering the kitchen voluntarily and confidence increased. The provider evidenced that success-based support improved participation.

Deepening the Understanding: Avoidance Can Protect Self-Esteem

Avoidance may be a protective response. If the person expects criticism, confusion or embarrassment, saying no may feel safer than trying.

Strong providers should be able to evidence how they protect self-esteem during support. This includes reducing public correction, offering discreet help and designing tasks where the person can experience real success.

The article on seeing behaviour as communication in PBS reinforces why refusal, withdrawal or anger before a task may communicate fear of failure rather than lack of interest.

Operational Example 2: Money Skills and Public Embarrassment

Step 1 – Community issue noticed: During shopping, a person refused to pay at the till and pushed money back toward staff.

Step 2 – Meaning reviewed: The provider identified that previous till experiences involved queues, pressure and uncertainty about coins. The person had felt embarrassed when transactions took too long.

Step 3 – Support adjusted: Staff introduced payment practice at home using real coins, then moved to quieter shop visits with a prepared amount.

Step 4 – Practical delivery: The person held the money in a small wallet and handed it over when ready. Staff stood beside them and only supported if requested.

Step 5 – Outcome evidence: Payment participation improved, queue-related distress reduced and the person showed greater confidence after purchases. The provider evidenced that reducing failure pressure restored independence.

Systems, Workforce and Consistency

Confidence-building must be consistent. If one staff member supports graded success and another corrects quickly, the person may lose trust in the task again.

Strong services include confidence risks in PBS plans, activity plans, keyworker reviews and supervision. Handovers should record what the person achieved, what support level worked and what should not be rushed.

Operational Example 3: Literacy Task Avoidance at a Day Opportunity

Step 1 – Activity refusal reframed: A person refused sign-in sheets and written activity choices at a day opportunity. Staff had viewed this as non-cooperation.

Step 2 – Failure risk identified: Review showed the person found reading difficult and had previously been corrected in front of others. Written tasks felt exposing.

Step 3 – Support response: The provider replaced public written sign-in with a private symbol-based choice system.

Step 4 – Delivery detail: The person selected activity cards in a quieter area and could ask for help without peers watching.

Step 5 – Evidence reviewed: Refusal reduced, activity choice improved and the person became more willing to try new sessions. The provider evidenced that protecting dignity improved engagement.

Governance and Evidence

Governance should show how confidence, skill development and repeated failure are reviewed. Providers should be able to evidence PBS plan updates, skill assessments, activity adaptations, outcome reviews, incident analysis, supervision notes and feedback from the person and family.

Strong governance connects behaviour to confidence. Records should show where failure experiences occurred, what was changed, how success was rebuilt and whether outcomes improved. This creates a clear line of sight from behaviour to confidence barrier, from confidence barrier to support action, and from action to improved participation.

Commissioner and CQC Expectations

Commissioners expect providers to support independence and progression. They need assurance that people are not being exposed repeatedly to tasks that undermine confidence.

CQC will expect care to be empowering, respectful and person-centred. Inspectors may review whether people are supported to develop skills, make choices and participate without avoidable embarrassment. Strong services demonstrate that confidence is treated as part of PBS.

Common Pitfalls

• Recording refusal without reviewing past unsuccessful attempts.
• Correcting mistakes publicly or too quickly.
• Repeating the same task format after repeated failure.
• Assuming avoidance means lack of interest.
• Setting goals that are too large to create early success.
• Measuring completion without measuring confidence.

Conclusion

Understanding behaviour through repeated failure experiences helps PBS teams recognise when avoidance, anger or withdrawal reflects loss of confidence. Behaviour may communicate fear of embarrassment or expectation of getting things wrong.

Strong providers rebuild confidence through graded success, dignity and practical adaptation. They evidence how confidence-aware support improves participation, independence and quality of life. This gives commissioners and CQC confidence that PBS supports growth, not repeated frustration.