Supporting behaviour

Support behaviour of children and young people CHCCHILD301B

This unit is about guiding children to behave responsibly in a safe and supportive environment.

Requirements

1. Contribute to a safe, supportive environment

1. Identify characteristics of a supportive environment, for example:
• A pleasant atmosphere is the norm
• Everybody is respected, valued, and included
• Furniture and fittings are ergonomically appropriate
• Accessible
• Designed to stimulate learning and eliminate stimuli that could cause behaviour problems
• Caters for a variety of levels of activity, experiences and/or learning
• Resources are well maintained and appropriately stored according to OHS guidelines
2. Use safe, supportive and equitable practices appropriate to the development stage and needs of the child
3. Identify any behaviour that indicates disabilities, learning difficulties or mental health issues

2. Give positive support in cooperation with staff and others

1. Establish expectations for behaviour in consultation with supervisor and in line with your organization's expectations, for example:
• Behaviour inside and outside e.g. walk on the cement, sit while you eat, take turns to speak, listen to instructions, keep your hands to yourself, etc.
• Group rules developed with children
• Use equipment and resources with respect
• Help others
• Show respect for others and their opinions
2. Give instructions in a manner appropriate to the child's need and the context of the work environment and activity
3. Use positive reinforcement to support responsible and appropriate behaviour
4. Use clear, age-appropriate non-verbal communication to acknowledge responsible behaviour
5. Use appropriate ways of redirecting behaviour and defusing situations e.g.
• Establish eye contact
• Use a quiet, even tone of voice
• Lower the volume and pitch of your voice
• Calmly repeat instructions/directions
• Give verbal help to clarify misunderstandings
• Reposition students/ resources/materials
• Encourage children to solve problems
• Divert their energy and attention to something or someone else
• Remove stimuli
• Remove the child from the situation
• Physically restrain the child if their safety is at risk.

3. Observe and collect data to help develop appropriate support strategies

1. Observe and collect data as a basis for functionally analyzing when, where and what a child is doing while involved in a task
2. Use data to demonstrate the frequency, intensity and duration of problem behaviours

4. Implement strategies designed by a specialist to support children or young people with additional needs

1. Follow the guidance of your supervisor
2. Follow the specialist's directions
3. Identify issues of concern for discussion with supervisor
4. Contribute effectively developing personalized behaviour support plans

5. Monitor and review strategies

1. Closely monitor new strategies and record children's responses according to your organization's policy and procedures
2. Adapt levels of support required and provided based on need and response of child or young person, after consultation with supervisor
3. Confirm the parameters of additional needs by discussion with your supervisor
4. Identify, document and offer to your supervisor opportunities for additional support through observation
5. Through observation, identify and document opportunities for extra support and offer them to your supervisor.

6. Other skills

1. Give clear directions, communicate issues, negotiate solutions and use body language and tone of voice to best effect.
2. Maintain your emotional equilibrium when managing inappropriate behaviour
3. When you need advice, confer with other staff (and any relevant specialists) and accept their advice.
4. Accurately observe and record children's interactions
5. Use good judgement to determine when to get other staff to support you in an intervention.
6. Demonstrate an understanding of a safe, supportive environment
7. Maintain your equilibrium when managing inappropriate behaviour
8. Confer with others and accept guidance
9. Work with others when solving problems and planning
10. Treat all parents and children equitably, including Indigenous people
11. Work with cultural diversity.