Supporting children displaying behaviours of concern.

Policy and Procedure for Supporting Children Displaying Behaviours of Concern

Purpose

The purpose of this policy and procedure is to provide a consistent, respectful, inclusive and supportive approach to responding to children who display behaviours of concern.

The service recognises that behaviour is a form of communication and may reflect a child's developmental stage, emotional state, communication skills, relationships, environment, individual needs or other contributing factors.

The service is committed to understanding the underlying reasons for behaviour and responding in ways that promote children's wellbeing, dignity, rights, inclusion, learning and development.

The aim is to identify concerns early, provide appropriate support, engage families collaboratively, implement consistent strategies and seek professional assistance where required, while ensuring the safety and wellbeing of all children and educators.

This policy is intended to support educators and management to respond to behaviours of concern in a calm, consistent and proactive manner rather than through punishment or exclusion.

Policy statement

The service is committed to:

• maintaining the dignity, rights and wellbeing of every child;
• recognising behaviour as a form of communication;
• understanding the possible reasons and contributing factors behind behaviour;
• building secure, respectful and trusting relationships with children;
• using positive guidance and encouragement to support children to develop self-regulation and social skills;
• providing children with appropriate support to express their emotions, needs and opinions;
• considering each child's age, developmental stage, abilities, family circumstances and cultural values;
• providing an inclusive environment where every child is supported to participate;
• identifying triggers, patterns and environmental factors that may contribute to behaviours of concern;
• working collaboratively with families;
• consulting with relevant professionals where additional support may be beneficial;
• ensuring educators use consistent and appropriate strategies;
• protecting the safety and wellbeing of all children and educators; and
• reviewing the effectiveness of strategies and making reasonable adjustments where required.

The service will support the child rather than punish the behaviour.

No child will be subjected to corporal punishment or discipline that is unreasonable, inappropriate or inconsistent with the child's rights and dignity.

Understanding behaviours of concern

The service recognises that children develop at different rates and that behaviour may be influenced by a range of developmental, emotional, social, environmental and individual factors.

Possible contributing factors may include:

• developmental stage;
• communication difficulties;
• difficulty expressing emotions or needs;
• changes in routine;
• transitions;
• sensory needs;
• fatigue, hunger or illness;
• changes within the child's family or environment;
• relationships with peers or adults;
• difficulty managing frustration;
• trauma or significant life experiences;
• additional developmental or learning needs; and
• environmental or program factors.

Educators will seek to understand what the child may be communicating through their behaviour, rather than simply focusing on stopping the behaviour.

The service will maintain a strengths-based view of the child and recognise their abilities, interests, relationships and successes.

The term “behaviours of concern” refers to behaviours that may indicate a child requires additional support, guidance, environmental adjustments or further assessment. The term is not intended to label or define the child.

Positive behaviour guidance

Educators will use positive behaviour guidance strategies that support children to develop the skills required to regulate their emotions and behaviour.

Strategies may include:

• building warm, responsive relationships;
• acknowledging children's emotions;
• modelling appropriate social behaviour;
• using clear and age-appropriate expectations;
• providing choices where appropriate;
• preparing children for transitions and changes;
• using visual supports and predictable routines;
• identifying and responding to early warning signs;
• providing additional support during known triggers;
• reducing unnecessary demands or stimulation when a child is becoming overwhelmed;
• redirecting behaviour where appropriate;
• teaching alternative ways to communicate needs;
• acknowledging and reinforcing positive behaviour;
• supporting children to problem-solve and resolve conflicts;
• providing opportunities for movement, quiet time or regulation;
• modifying the environment where reasonably practicable; and
• providing individualised strategies based on the child's needs.

Educators will remain calm, respectful and emotionally available when responding to children who are distressed or dysregulated.

Where a child requires a period to regulate, educators will remain appropriately available to support the child. A child will not be isolated or subjected to punitive "time out" practices.

This approach reflects National Quality Standard Element 5.1.2 (Dignity and rights of the child) and Element 5.2.2 (Self-regulation).

Family engagement and collaboration

The service recognises families as children's primary source of support and acknowledges that effective partnerships between families, educators and relevant professionals are essential when a child is experiencing ongoing behaviours of concern.

Communication with families will be respectful, open, timely, factual and focused on achieving positive outcomes for the child.

Educators and management will:

1. Establish and maintain open and respectful communication with the child's parents or carers.
2. Share observations using factual and objective language.
3. Discuss patterns, triggers and possible contributing factors.
4. Share information about strategies being implemented at the service.
5. Seek information from families about the child's routines, experiences and successful strategies at home.
6. Consider appropriate strategies that may be used consistently across home and the service.
7. Develop an individualised Behaviour Support Plan where appropriate.
8. Schedule regular meetings to review the child's progress and support strategies.
9. Focus discussions on the child's strengths, abilities and progress as well as areas of concern.
10. Maintain confidentiality and share information only where appropriate and authorised, except where disclosure is required by law.
11. Encourage families to seek appropriate professional advice where the child's needs may benefit from further assessment or intervention.

The service will approach family discussions as a partnership. Families will be given reasonable opportunities to contribute information, raise concerns and discuss barriers that may affect their ability to access additional support.

Collaborative partnerships with families are an important component of the National Quality Standard.

Engagement with external professionals

Where a child's ongoing behaviour, development, communication, emotional regulation or social functioning indicates that additional support may be beneficial, the service may recommend that the family seek advice from an appropriately qualified professional.

Depending on the child's individual circumstances, this may include:

• KU Inclusion Support;
• paediatrician;
• psychologist;
• occupational therapist;
• speech pathologist;
• behaviour specialist;
• developmental specialist; or
• another relevant qualified professional.

Where a qualified professional recommends further assessment, intervention or support, the service will work collaboratively with the family to implement relevant recommendations, where appropriate and consistent with the service's responsibilities.

With appropriate consent, families may be asked to provide relevant professional recommendations, reports or strategies that will assist educators to provide consistent support.

The service may also seek assistance from relevant inclusion or support agencies where appropriate.

Individual Behaviour Support Plans may be developed in consultation with families and, where appropriate, relevant professionals.

Where ongoing concerns have been identified and additional professional support has been recommended, the service expects families to:

• participate in meetings with educators and management;
• provide relevant information that may assist educators to understand and support the child;
• share strategies that are successful at home;
• work collaboratively with the service on agreed strategies;
• participate in the development and review of a Behaviour Support Plan;
• communicate relevant information received from health or other professionals;
• consider recommendations for additional professional assessment or support where concerns continue;
• communicate with the service regarding progress in accessing recommended support; and
• work collaboratively with the service and relevant professionals to promote consistency between home, the service and other environments.

The service recognises that families may experience barriers when accessing professional support. Management will seek to understand and discuss these barriers wherever possible and identify reasonable ways to support the family.

Three-level support and escalation framework

The service will use the following three-level framework when behaviours of concern are identified.

The framework is designed to:

• identify concerns early;
• provide appropriate intervention;
• ensure strategies are implemented consistently;
• engage families;
• monitor the child's progress;
• seek additional support where required; and
• maintain the safety, wellbeing, learning and participation of all children and educators.

The levels are not intended to be punitive or to label the child. Movement between levels will be based on the frequency, duration, intensity and impact of the behaviour, together with the child's response to strategies already implemented.

A child may move between levels depending on their individual circumstances, progress and support needs.

Level 1 – Emerging behaviours of concern

Level 1 applies when behaviours of concern are beginning to emerge or occur occasionally and are not currently having a significant impact on the safety or wellbeing of the child, other children or educators.

Examples may include:

• increasing difficulty following routines or transitions;
• frequent emotional outbursts;
• difficulty sharing, waiting or managing frustration;
• repeated conflict with peers;
• increased physical behaviours such as pushing, hitting or biting;
• withdrawal or difficulty participating; or
• behaviour that is becoming more frequent or intense.

Educator responsibilities

Educators will:

1. Observe and document behaviour objectively.
2. Identify possible triggers, patterns and contributing factors.
3. Consider the child's developmental stage, communication skills and individual needs.
4. Identify the child's strengths, interests and successful strategies.
5. Implement positive guidance and proactive strategies.
6. Use consistent expectations, language and responses.
7. Provide additional support during known triggers or challenging routines.
8. Modify the environment or program where reasonably practicable.
9. Communicate observations with the room leader, Nominated Supervisor and/or Responsible Person.
10. Monitor the child's progress and document whether strategies are effective.

Management responsibilities

Management will:

• review information provided by educators;
• ensure educators have appropriate guidance and resources;
• support educators to identify preventative strategies;
• review environmental, programming or supervision arrangements;
• monitor the situation;
• determine whether family engagement is required; and
• ensure appropriate documentation is maintained.

Family responsibilities

Families will:

• be informed of emerging concerns in a respectful and timely manner;
• be invited to share information about the child's behaviour, routines and experiences at home;
• be asked about strategies that work well for the child;
• be encouraged to work collaboratively with educators; and
• be kept informed of strategies being implemented.

Review

Level 1 strategies will be reviewed after an agreed period or earlier if the behaviours of concern escalate.

Move to Level 2 when:

The behaviour:

• becomes persistent;
• increases in frequency or intensity;
• does not respond adequately to implemented strategies;
• begins to significantly affect the child's participation; or
• begins to significantly affect the learning and wellbeing of other children or educators.

Level 2 – Persistent behaviours of concern

Level 2 applies when behaviours of concern are persistent, recurring or increasing despite the implementation of Level 1 strategies.

The behaviour may be having an ongoing impact on:

• the child's learning and participation;
• relationships with peers;
• the learning and wellbeing of other children;
• educator wellbeing; or
• the child's emotional wellbeing.

At this level, the service will increase individualised support, documentation, family engagement and consideration of additional professional advice.

Educator responsibilities

Educators will:

1. Continue implementing agreed proactive strategies consistently.
2. Increase observation and documentation.
3. Record frequency, duration, intensity, triggers and outcomes.
4. Identify early warning signs of escalation.
5. Develop and implement individualised strategies.
6. Provide additional support during high-risk routines or times.
7. Communicate regularly with the room leader, Nominated Supervisor and management.
8. Document significant incidents in accordance with service procedures.
9. Provide positive reinforcement for appropriate behaviour and attempts at self-regulation.
10. Participate in the development and review of an Individual Behaviour Support Plan.

Management responsibilities

The Nominated Supervisor/management will:

1. Arrange a meeting with the family.
2. Present factual observations and documentation.
3. Discuss the impact of the behaviour on the child and others.
4. Seek information from the family about possible contributing factors.
5. Develop an Individual Behaviour Support Plan in collaboration with the family and educators.
6. Identify clear strategies, responsibilities and review dates.
7. Ensure relevant educators understand and consistently implement the plan.
8. Review staffing, supervision, environment and programming arrangements.
9. Consider whether additional professional advice or assessment may be appropriate.
10. Monitor the effectiveness of the plan.

Family responsibilities

Families are expected to:

• participate in meetings with the service;
• provide relevant information that may assist educators;
• share strategies that are successful at home;
• work collaboratively with educators on agreed strategies;
• participate in the development and review of the Behaviour Support Plan;
• communicate relevant information received from health or other professionals;
• consider recommendations for additional professional assessment or support; and
• communicate with the service regarding progress where additional support has been recommended.

Where a qualified professional has recommended that the family engage another professional, the service will encourage the family to follow up on that recommendation.

Review

A formal review date will be established as part of the Behaviour Support Plan.

Move to Level 3 when:

The behaviour:

• continues or escalates despite consistent implementation of the Behaviour Support Plan;
• has a significant impact on safety or wellbeing;
• presents an ongoing risk that cannot be adequately managed through existing strategies; or
• significantly affects the participation, learning or wellbeing of the child, other children or educators.

Level 3 – Significant safety and wellbeing impact

Level 3 applies when behaviours of concern are significantly affecting the safety or wellbeing of the child, other children or educators, or when there is an ongoing risk that cannot be adequately managed through existing strategies.

Examples may include:

• repeated physical aggression resulting in injury or significant risk of injury;
• behaviour presenting a serious risk to the child or others;
• repeated significant incidents despite an established Behaviour Support Plan;
• behaviour significantly disrupting the safety, wellbeing or learning of the group;
• behaviour resulting in significant distress for other children;
• behaviour having a sustained impact on educator wellbeing; or
• circumstances where the service requires additional professional support to safely meet the child's needs.

At this level, the priority is to maintain safety while continuing to provide respectful, individualised and supportive responses to the child.

Immediate educator response during an escalation

During an escalation, educators will:

1. Remain calm and use appropriate de-escalation strategies.
2. Follow the child's Behaviour Support Plan.
3. Seek assistance from the Responsible Person or another educator.
4. Prioritise the immediate safety of all children.
5. Move other children away from the immediate area where necessary.
6. Reduce stimulation and verbal demands where appropriate.
7. Remove hazards where reasonably practicable.
8. Maintain appropriate supervision.
9. Support the child to regulate in a safe and respectful manner.
10. Use only responses that are appropriate, lawful, proportionate and consistent with the child's dignity and rights.
11. Document the incident objectively and promptly.
12. Notify management and the family in accordance with service procedures.

The service will never use physical punishment, humiliation, threats, intimidation or other inappropriate or unreasonable discipline.

Management responsibilities at Level 3

Management will:

1. Assess the immediate safety and wellbeing of everyone involved.
2. Ensure appropriate staffing and supervision arrangements are in place.
3. Review the circumstances surrounding significant incidents.
4. Review and amend the Behaviour Support Plan where required.
5. Arrange a formal meeting with the family.
6. Clearly communicate the seriousness of the ongoing concerns.
7. Review the impact on the child, other children and educators.
8. Consider whether additional professional assessment or support is required.
9. With appropriate consent, collaborate with relevant professionals and support agencies.
10. Establish clear expectations, actions and timeframes with the family.
11. Document meetings, incidents, recommendations and agreed actions.
12. Review the service's capacity to safely and appropriately meet the child's needs.

Family responsibilities at Level 3

Families are expected to:

• participate in formal meetings with management;
• actively participate in the development and review of the child's support plan;
• provide relevant information about professional assessments and recommendations;
• follow up on recommendations made by the child's paediatrician or other relevant professionals;
• engage recommended professionals where additional assessment or support has been recommended;
• communicate with the service regarding progress in obtaining professional support;
• work collaboratively with the service and relevant professionals; and
• participate in regular reviews of the child's support arrangements.

The service will seek to work with families in a respectful and solution-focused manner, recognising that the shared objective is to support the child while maintaining a safe and inclusive environment for everyone.

Behaviour Support Plan

Where required, an Individual Behaviour Support Plan will be developed collaboratively with educators, management and the child's family.

Where appropriate and with consent, relevant professional recommendations may also be incorporated.

The plan should identify:

• the child's strengths and interests;
• the behaviours of concern;
• possible triggers and contributing factors;
• early warning signs;
• the child's communication and regulation needs;
• proactive prevention strategies;
• strategies to use when the child begins to escalate;
• strategies to support recovery and regulation;
• environmental or programming adjustments;
• educator responsibilities;
• management responsibilities;
• family contributions;
• professional recommendations;
• safety considerations;
• documentation requirements;
• review dates; and
• indicators of progress.

The plan will be reviewed regularly and amended when strategies are not effective or the child's needs change.

Documentation

Documentation relating to behaviours of concern must be factual, objective and respectful.

Documentation may include:

• observations;
• incident records;
• frequency and duration of behaviour;
• identified triggers;
• strategies implemented;
• the child's response to strategies;
• communication with families;
• meetings and agreed actions;
• Behaviour Support Plans;
• professional recommendations; and
• review outcomes.

Educators must avoid language that labels, judges or negatively characterises the child.

Documentation should describe what happened, what was observed, what support was provided and what the outcome was.

All documentation must be maintained confidentially in accordance with service policies and legislative requirements.

Safety and service capacity review

Where significant behaviours of concern continue despite reasonable strategies, family engagement and attempts to obtain appropriate professional support, management will undertake a formal review of the service's capacity to safely and appropriately meet the child's needs.

The review will consider:

• the child's individual needs;
• the child's rights and best interests;
• reasonable adjustments already implemented;
• the effectiveness of the Behaviour Support Plan;
• professional recommendations;
• staffing and supervision requirements;
• the impact on other children;
• the impact on educators;
• the physical environment;
• available resources and supports;
• whether further reasonable adjustments can be implemented; and
• whether additional external support is required.

Attendance and enrolment considerations

Where behaviours of concern continue or escalate and are having a significant impact on the safety and wellbeing of the child, other children or educators, management may need to consider whether the service can continue to safely and appropriately meet the child's needs.

Before making any decision regarding attendance or enrolment, management will:

• review the strategies and reasonable adjustments already implemented;
• review the child's Behaviour Support Plan;
• consider relevant professional recommendations;
• consider the impact on the child, other children and educators;
• consider staffing and supervision requirements;
• consider the service's available resources and capacity;
• consult with the family;
• consider whether additional support or reasonable adjustments may be available; and
• ensure that any decision is consistent with applicable legislation, regulatory requirements and service policies.

Any decision to alter attendance arrangements or terminate enrolment must be made by authorised management and must be carefully considered in accordance with the National Law, National Regulations, applicable NSW requirements, the child's rights and other relevant legal obligations.

Related policies and procedures

This policy should be read in conjunction with relevant service policies and procedures, including:

• PPOL 07 - Positive Behaviour Guidance Policy;
• PPOL 08 - Interactions Between Educators and Children Policy;
• PPOL 05 - Inclusion Policy;
• PPOL 06 - Additional Needs Policy;
• PPOL 09 - Building Relationships with Families Policy;
• PPOL 02 - Curriculum and Educational Practices;
• HSPOL 01 - Child Protection Policy;
• HSPOL 21 - Supervision Policy;
• HSPOL 26 - Incident, Injury, Trauma and Illness Policy;
• HSPOL 28 - Providing a Child Safe Environment Policy;
• PROCED 02 - Enrolment Procedure;
• PPOL 10 - Orientation Policy; and
• MPOL 04 - Privacy and Confidentiality Policy.

Regulatory and quality framework alignment

This policy supports the service's obligations under the National Quality Framework, including:

Quality Area 1 – Educational Program and Practice

Supporting children's individual learning, development and participation through intentional and responsive practice.

Quality Area 2 – Children's Health and Safety

Supporting the safety, health and wellbeing of children and maintaining appropriate responses to risks and incidents.

Quality Area 5 – Relationships with Children

Supporting responsive, respectful relationships and children's developing capacity for self-regulation.

Quality Area 6 – Collaborative Partnerships with Families and Communities

Working collaboratively with families and relevant professionals to support children's inclusion, learning and wellbeing.

Quality Area 7 – Governance and Leadership

Ensuring clear policies, procedures, responsibilities, documentation and continuous improvement processes.

The policy particularly supports NQS Element 5.2.2 (Self-regulation), under which each child is supported to regulate their own behaviour, respond appropriately to the behaviour of others and communicate effectively to resolve conflicts, and Element 6.2.2 (Access and participation), under which effective partnerships with families and, where appropriate, other professionals support each child's access, inclusion and participation in the program.

Shared goal

The shared goal of the service, family and relevant professionals is to ensure that:

the child receives appropriate, respectful and meaningful support while protecting the safety, wellbeing, dignity, rights, learning and participation of the child, other children and educators.

The service is committed to maintaining an inclusive environment where children are supported to learn, develop self-regulation, build positive relationships and participate successfully in the program.

*This procedure is the property of Eikoh Seminar Australia Pty Limited and must not be reproduced without the consent of management.