Getting PBS right in Domiciliary Care: Training, planning and tech that works
Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) is much more than a set of documents to be filed away. It’s an approach that, when done properly, can transform everyday support. It enables people to feel safe, understood, and in control of their lives. For teams working in domiciliary care, this means more than knowing what PBS is. It means weaving it into the fabric of how support is designed, delivered and evolved over time.
If you’re looking to build confidence and capability across your team to deliver great PBS, here’s a practical guide that covers everything from staff development and creating the plan itself, to using tech to bring it all together.
Build understanding from the ground up
PBS is rooted in values. That means teams need more than procedural knowledge, they need to understand why it matters. Start by setting the tone. Talk about PBS not just in terms of behaviour, but in the context of quality of life, communication, agency and autonomy. It should feel like a shared purpose, not a top-down policy.
Embed shared language and culture
Care teams thrive when there’s a consistent, shared understanding of the people they support. Use your regular team meetings to reflect on what PBS looks like in practice. What’s going well? Where is there friction? Lead with stories and real examples. Keep it real, not theoretical.
Creating internal PBS champions can work brilliantly. These are individuals who can coach peers, help with reflective practice and act as local points of expertise. These champions don’t need to be senior, but they do need to be trusted and well-supported.
Focus training where it matters most
Training is often seen as a one-off event, but PBS requires something deeper and more iterative. A one-day course may introduce the framework, but ongoing, practical reinforcement is where confidence takes root.
Start with the essentials
- Values-led care: Use case studies and reflective exercises to help staff recognise how PBS supports dignity, rights and inclusion.
- Functional understanding of behaviour: Teach staff to look beyond the behaviour itself and consider what the person may be communicating.
- Consistent communication: Explore individual preferences, use of visual tools like Talking Mats or PECS, and encourage everyone to develop adaptable communication skills.
Reinforce through practice
Use weekly reflective sessions to check in with teams. Give staff space to ask questions and share what’s working (or not). Involve outside professionals when possible—psychologists, PBS coaches or even peers from other providers can offer fresh insight and boost confidence.
Plan with (not for) the person
A PBS plan should reflect someone’s life, not just their support needs. It should celebrate what makes them unique, while providing a practical roadmap for how their team can support them when things get difficult, and when things are going well.
Make time for genuine assessment
A good plan starts with knowing the person inside-out. This means going beyond diagnoses or historical behaviours and exploring:
- What excites them?
- What causes distress?
- How do they like to spend time?
- How do they communicate (especially when upset)?
Tools like the ABC chart or the Motivation Assessment Scale can help you spot patterns, but these should sit alongside genuine conversation and observation.
Co-create the blueprint
Plans should be developed collaboratively and with the person at the centre, supported by their family, carers, and any professionals involved. This isn’t just a nice-to-have. It’s what makes the plan usable, relevant and likely to succeed.
Good plans include:
- Proactive strategies (what helps prevent distress?)
- Reactive strategies (what to do in the moment, and how?)
- Recovery strategies (how trust and calm are rebuilt after incidents)
Where appropriate, split these using systems like the traffic-light model, so staff can easily navigate levels of escalation.
Shape an environment where PBS can thrive
In domiciliary care, the environment is someone’s home. That creates both opportunity and responsibility. You’re supporting someone in their own space, so it needs to reflect their needs, routines and sensory preferences.
Prioritise predictability
People feel safer when they can anticipate what’s next. Visual timetables, daily planners, and consistent routines help reduce anxiety and provide structure, especially important for individuals who find transitions difficult.
Avoid rigid schedules by allowing choice and autonomy. Think “structured flexibility”: a rhythm to the day, but with space for the person to lead.
Match support thoughtfully
Whenever possible, consider how staff are matched with individuals. Shared interests, similar communication styles, or a good personality fit can help build rapport and trust. If agency staff are involved, equip them with quick-access one-page profiles that highlight essential info like preferences, communication needs, and triggers.
Let technology lighten the load
Tech is playing a bigger role than ever in care, and PBS is no exception. When used well, digital tools don’t replace relationships—they support them.
Centralise your PBS planning
A digital care management system like Log my Care makes it easy to:
- Document proactive and reactive strategies in one place
- Link goals and outcomes directly to the PBS plan
- Log behaviour patterns using built-in ABC charts or incident forms
- Review changes over time through accessible dashboards
This helps keep everything up to date, accessible, and consistent—especially important for teams working across different shifts or homes.
Spot patterns and celebrate progress
Data is only useful when it leads to action. Regularly review trends in behaviours, incidents or goal progress. Is a particular intervention working? Are incidents increasing at a certain time of day? Use the data to adapt and personalise the plan. Also, don’t forget to highlight successes. PBS should be a living document, not a list of problems to solve.
Keep the plan alive through review and feedback
PBS isn’t a “set it and forget it” framework. It evolves as people grow, change, and experience new things.
- Schedule regular reviews—monthly is ideal, more frequent if someone is in crisis or transition.
- Encourage feedback from everyone involved—including the person being supported.
- Use digital logs to revisit what’s happened between reviews and track the impact of any changes made.
When teams can see the difference PBS makes—not just in behaviour, but in relationships, independence and wellbeing—it reinforces the value of getting it right.
What comes next?
Delivering great PBS in domiciliary care isn’t about finding a magic formula. It’s about doing the everyday things well: listening closely, responding thoughtfully, and staying curious about what matters to the people you support.
With the right tools, training, and culture in place, your team won’t just be writing PBS plans—they’ll be living them.
Tools like the ABC chart or the Motivation Assessment Scale can help you spot patterns, but these should sit alongside genuine conversation and observation.