Behaviour Management

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Behaviour Management

REGULATIONS AND STANDARDS

The Fostering Services (England) Regulations 2011:

Regulation 11 - Independent fostering agencies—duty to secure welfare

Regulation 13 - Behaviour management and children missing from foster parent's home

Regulation 17 - Support, training and information for foster parents

Fostering Services: National Minimum Standards
STANDARD 3 – Promoting positive behaviour and relationships

RELEVANT GUIDANCE

Positive and Proactive Care: Reducing the Need for Restrictive Interventions - Department of Health and Social Care

SCOPE OF THIS CHAPTER

This chapter provides guidance for carers and staff in relation to promoting positive behaviour.

Introduction
Positive Behaviour Support
Minimum House Rules
Managing Challenging Behaviour
Sanctions
Searching
Serious Incidents and use of Physical Intervention

1. Introduction

The Fostering Agency are committed to an holistic approach that draws on established theoretical bases, research, best practice and guidance in order to promote and develop positive behaviour. We believe in a multi-disciplinary approach to understanding and supporting children and young people. There is an acknowledgment and commitment that our foster carers cannot and should not be expected to manage what can be very challenging behaviour in isolation in the absence of guidance and a shared understanding and agreement with regards to the strategies of support available.

The Fostering Agency are committed to gaining and sharing a robust assessment of need that determines the approach to be taken and the most effective matching of foster carers. The referral information, Placement Plan and reviews are central to the ongoing planning and evaluation of the support in relation to behaviour.

The Fostering Agency's approach to behaviour support:

Aims to create a safe, caring environment;
Ensures that all children have opportunities to become confident and achieve their full potential;
Encourages the child's consultation and participation in setting rules and consequences;
Ensures that all children and young people live in homes where they have clear expectations in relation to their behaviour, are supported to understand and to develop alternative positive approaches to challenges within their lives;
Ensues that all children and young people understand how positive behaviour is recognised and rewarded;
Ensures that all children and young people are supported to understand the consequences of negative behaviour;
Ensures that all foster carers and support staff understand and share the principles of positive approaches to behaviour;
Accepts the individuality of children and young people and celebrates the diversity of their backgrounds;
Recognises that placements are different, unique and represent many notions of family, yet they share a common value base.

2. Positive Behaviour Support

Foster carers play an important part in the day-to-day life of a child, therefore good parenting, supported by training on behaviour management techniques and strategies, will enable them to achieve and develop a more positive relationship with the child and a more harmonious life and will enable the child to feel good about themselves.

Foster carers are expected to understand, manage and deal with children's behaviour including encouraging them to take responsibility for their behaviour and helping them to learn how to resolve conflict.

All foster placements will have clear, fair boundaries, to enable children to feel safe, encouraged and appropriately rewarded; and to help ensure that they will thrive and do well. Foster carers who tend to adopt this approach may also experience less instability and disruption.

The culture of the household, generated by the carers, is crucial.

When caring for foster children, foster carers should at all times endeavour to:

Listen to and empathise with children, respect their thoughts and feelings and take their wishes into consideration;
Look for things that are going well, or any step in the right direction, and appropriately reward it;
Use rewards in a creative and diverse way, specific to children's needs, capabilities and interests. This may mean that children are rewarded with activities or rewards that they enjoy. But all 'tangible' rewards should be accompanied by use of 'non tangible' encouragement and support - by carers demonstrating to children that they have done well. Such 'non tangible' rewards include praising, smiling, and hugging children.

Children usually benefit, early on, from rewards which may appear to outweigh that which is expected. This is normal; over time rewards can be more relevant as children's self-esteem and skills improve.

For example:

Children who have few social or life skills and whose self-esteem and confidence is low may require forms of encouragement and reward which are intensive, frequent or even excessive in order to help/remind them that they are doing well and appreciated;
A child who has previously been unable to get up for school may be offered an incentive for getting up on time for a few days.

Over time, as children achieve what is expected, such rewards should be reduced or children should be expected to achieve more for the same or a similar reward.

3. Minimum House Rules

All carers should have house rules, setting out their expectations for how things are managed within the home. This should be explained to children, with the reasons for the rules and they should also know that that there are rules for everyone. They should not feel that they are being treated with less regard than other members of the household. Ideally children should know these expectations before they are placed.

House rules will cover the following expectations:

Keep own bedroom clean and tidy;
Do not go into any other bedroom;
If you have gone out, return home at the time your carer has said;
Always be where you say you will be;
If you want to change your plans when you are out ask permission from your carer first;
Do not hurt any member of your foster family;
Do not hurt any pet of the foster family;
Homework must be done;
No smoking;
If you have been excluded from school, school work will be done at home or in the relevant setting;
When you use the bathroom or toilet always close the door;
If you have any problems try and talk to your carer;
Try to consider other people's feelings.

4. Managing Challenging Behaviour

Difficult or challenging behaviour in children can occur for a number of reasons, for example:

As a way of expressing emotions;
As a result of developmental delays or learning disability;
As a result of attachment/relationship difficulties with staff/carers;
Learned behaviours in which challenging responses have become habit in the face of frustration or anxiety.

It is helpful if staff and carers can understand the causes of the child's behaviour and provide the child with help and support to manage their difficulties in a more acceptable way. It is unusual for challenging behaviour to be targeted at an individual because of dislike or any wish to harm them. Therefore, although it may seem personal at the time, this is not the case and the response to the incident should be calm and controlled.

When working with, or caring for, children with challenging behaviour it is useful to bear in mind the following:

The age and emotional maturity of the child;
That the aim of any positive behaviour management is to help the child learn how to behave more appropriately and not to punish or to purely keep the child under control;
Challenging or undesirable behaviour should not result in emotional distance between the child and the staff/carer;
No matter how difficult or challenging a child's behaviour, staff/carers should never resort to similar behaviour;
The more staff/carers are able to understand a child's behaviour and are able to meet their needs in a consistent manner, the less likely they are to encounter difficulties with control.

Children need clear boundaries and to know what is expected of them.

The key points of a positive behaviour approach are:

The ground rules are discussed with the child and their family/carers so that their views can be taken into account;
Staff and carers should be honest about any non-negotiable issues, such as smoking on the premises;
Rules need to be realistic and ideally phrased as a "do" rather than a "do not". If "do not" predominates in your rules, consider what children are supposed to do if they are cross/angry for good reason, when your rules say they cannot, for example, shout, swear or hit out? Children need to be helped to express themselves and need to know what is acceptable for them to do when they are faced with a situation which will provoke unacceptable behaviour;
Children may need to be reminded from time to time of the expectations we have regarding their behaviour and of why we have rules.

A child may have disabilities that affect their behaviour, social skills and understanding and so require extra help to be able to behave within acceptable boundaries. Others may be faced with a variety of stresses that are difficult for them to manage without support.

It is imperative that we have realistic expectations of children according to their age and ability. Children with disabilities, however, are unlikely to benefit when adults fail to assist them to realise their potential to behave appropriately.

Staff/carers need to be aware that children under pressure can have strong feelings of frustration, distress or anger. Adults can help children to behave in a more socially acceptable manner when they legitimise children's feelings. For example, acknowledging that a child's feelings are legitimate may help them to understand that their behaviour e.g. hitting out or swearing is not legitimate.

Some disabled children may resort to challenging or unpredictable behaviours due to difficulties in making themselves understood. It is important that such behaviour is seen in the context of the child's disability. Any behaviour plans to address these situations should use appropriate communication methods and any sanctions should be suitable and understood by the child. If there are known trigger factors which appear to impact on how the child/young person behaves then these should be recorded clearly in the care plan and every effort made to avoid such situations happening - such information should be sought from parents, teachers, and college staff or from anyone who has worked with and knows the child well.

5. Sanctions

5.1 Guidance on use of Sanctions

Sanctions can be very effective, but care must be exercised in imposing them. If they are used on their own they become punitive and ineffective.

Many looked after children have come to view themselves, and may be viewed, as failures. Sanctions may have been imposed inconsistently or unfairly or as acts of revenge.

Before imposing sanctions, carers should do all they can to support and encourage children to do well. If children do not behave acceptably, strategies should be adopted that are encouraging and rewarding.

Rather than noticing and sanctioning misbehaviour it is always better to notice and reward good behaviour - or any step in the right direction. For example, it may be more effective to allow a child to have use of a TV at bedtime for getting up on time; rather than taking the TV away for getting up late.

The former is discouraging and causes resentment; the latter is encouraging, can improve self-esteem and relationships between children and carers.

Be creative, think outside the box!

If children continue to behave in unacceptable ways, they should be reminded about what is expected and given further encouragement to get it right. If misbehaviour persists or is serious, effective use of reprimands can act as a disincentive or firm reminder. If this does not work, or may not, sanctions may be effective.

Where sanctions are used they must be reasonable and the minimum necessary to achieve the objective. Also, there should be a belief that the sanction will have the desired outcome - increasing the possibility that acceptable behaviour will follow.

If sanctions are imposed, carers should apply the following principles:

Sanctions must be the exception, not the rule, a last resort;
Sanctions must not be imposed as acts of revenge or retaliation;
Thought must be given before imposing a sanction, rather than it being applied in the heat of the moment;
Sanctions may only be imposed upon children for persistent or serious misbehaviour; where reminders and reprimands have already failed or are likely to fail;
Sanctions should only be used if there is a reasonable chance they will have the desired effect of making the point and in reducing or preventing further unacceptable behaviour;
Before applying any sanction, make sure the child is aware that his/her behaviour is unacceptable and, if possible, warn him/her that sanctions will be applied if the unacceptable behaviour continues;
It is the certainty not the severity of sanctions that is important;
Sanctions should only last as long as they need to, allowing the child the opportunity to make a fresh start as quickly as possible.

5.2 Non Approved Sanctions

The following sanctions are non-approved, which means they may never be imposed upon children:

Any form of corporal punishment; i.e. any intentional application of force as punishment, including slapping, punching, rough handling and throwing missiles;
Any sanction relating to the consumption or deprivation of food or drink;
Any restriction on a child's contact with his or her parents, relatives or friends; visits to the child by his or her parents, relatives or friends; a child's communications with any of the persons listed below*; or his or her access to any telephone helpline providing counselling or advice for children. This does not prevent contact or communication being restricted in exceptional circumstances, where it is necessary to do so to protect the child or others:
- Any officer of the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service appointed for the child;
- Any social worker for the time being assigned to the child by his placing authority;
- Any Independent Visitor;
- Any person authorised by the Regulatory Authority.
Any requirement that a child wear distinctive or inappropriate clothes;
The use or withholding of medication or medical or dental treatment;
The intentional deprivation of sleep;
The modification of a child's behaviour through bribery or the use of threats;
Any sanction which may humiliate a child or could cause them to be ridiculed;
The imposition of any fine or financial penalty, other than a requirement for the payment of a reasonable sum by way of reparation. (The court may impose fines upon children which staff should encourage and support them to repay);
Any intimate physical examination of a child;
The withholding of aids/equipment needed by a disabled child;
Any measure which involves a child in the imposition of any measure against any other child; or the sanction of a group of children for the behaviour of an individual child;
Swearing at the child or the use of foul, demeaning or humiliating language or measures.

5.3 Approved Sanctions

The following sanctions may be imposed upon children:

Confiscation or withdrawal of a telephone or mobile phone in order to protect a child or another person from harm, injury or to protect property from being damaged;
Restriction on sending or receiving letters or other correspondence (including the use of electronic or internet correspondence) in order to protect a child or another person from harm, injury or to protect property from being damaged;
Reparation, involving the child doing something to put right the wrong they have done; e.g. repairing damage or returning stolen property;
Restitution, involving the child paying for all or part of damage caused or the replacement of misappropriated monies or goods. No more than two thirds of a child's pocket money may be taken in these circumstances if the payment is small and withdrawn in a single weekly amount. Larger amounts may be paid in restitution but must be of a fixed amount with a clear start and end period. If the damage is serious or the size of payment particularly large then the child's social worker should be informed of the matter;
Curtailment of leisure activities, involving a child being prevented from participating in such activities;
Additional chores, involving a child undertaking additional chores over and above those they would normally be expected to do;
Early bedtimes, by up to half an hour or as agreed with the child's social worker;
Removal of equipment, for example the use of a TV or DVD player;
Loss of privileges, for example the withdrawal of the privilege of staying up late;
Suspension of pocket money for short periods.

5.4 Recording of Sanctions

If a child receives a sanction, this should be recorded on their daily log.

6. Searching

Carers are not permitted to conduct body searches, pat down searches, searches of clothing worn by children or of their bedrooms.

Should carers suspect that a child is carrying or has concealed an item which may place the child or another person at risk, they should try to obtain the item by co-operation/negotiation.

If carers suspect that a child is concealing an item which may place themselves or another person at risk, they must notify the agency or, in an emergency, the Police.

7. Serious Incidents and Use of Physical Intervention

In the event of any serious incident (e.g. accident, violence or assault, damage to property), carers should take what actions they deem to be necessary to protect children/themselves from immediate harm or injury; and then notify the agency immediately.

If there is a risk of serious injury/harm or damage to property, carers should not use any form of physical intervention except as a last resort to prevent themselves or others from being injured or to prevent serious damage to property. If any form of physical intervention is used, it must be the least intrusive necessary to protect the child, carer(s) or others.

At no time should carers act unless they are confident of managing the situation safely, without escalation or further injury.

The agency will endeavour to deal with as many as possible of the challenges that are involved in caring for children without recourse to the involvement of the police, who should only be involved in two circumstances:

An emergency necessitating their immediate involvement to protect the child or others;
Following discussion with the Supervising Social Worker, fostering manager, or the fostering agency Out of Hours.

If any serious incident occurs or the police are called, the Supervising Social Worker, fostering manager or the fostering agency Out of Hours (if out of office hours) must be notified without delay and will then notify the relevant social worker(s) and arrange for a full report to be made of the incident and actions taken. The Regulatory Authority must also be notified.

Foundation FosteringIndependent Fostering Agency Procedures