Positive Behaviour Management — Regency Source Alternative Provision

Positive Behaviour Management Policy

Statute and Scope

This policy complies with the Equality Act 2010, the School Standards and Framework Act 1988 and The Education and Inspections Act 2006 by describing for the whole school community how the school promotes self-discipline and proper regard for authority, encourages good behaviour and respect for others and prevents all forms of bullying.

It applies to all the school’s activities in conjunction with the aims and requirements of the following policies:

· Managing Allegations

· Attendance

· Attitude to Learning

· Child Protection

· Child on Child

· Internet Safety

· Disability Equality Duty Scheme

· Equal Opportunities for Pupils

· Equality Policy

· Exclusions

· Health and safety

· Internet & E-Safety

· Physical Restraint and positive handling

· Complaints

· PSHE (including Drug Prevention)

· Staff Code of Conduct

· Special Educational Needs and Disabilities

· Safer Recruitment

· Teaching and Learning Framework

· School Visits

The implementation of this policy is supported by the Staff Handbook and Code of Conduct.

Introduction:

Regency Source Ltd staff will use positive behaviour management techniques when needing to address behaviour that is unsatisfactory. This approach is based on both pupils and staffs right to learn, teach and be respected. With these rights come responsibilities for pupils and staff. We are all responsible for ensuring that our teaching and learning environment is safe and that everyone is treated with respect and integrity.

There might be odd incidents of behaviour which falls short of our expectations.

When these occur, Regency Source Ltd has adopted very clear guidelines about the consequences of given behaviours. These are outlined in the, ‘Behaviour Contract’ (Appendix one).

These outline the expectations of conduct whilst on site at Regency Source Alternative Provision.

Regency Source Ltd will not accept the use of isolation or seclusion for any student under any circumstances. However learners are able to request ‘time out’ in the break room outside of our scheduled breaks. Any staff members who have concerns for student and/or staff wellbeing, as a result of behaviours demonstrated by a particular student, should speak to a member of the management team immediately.

Staff, students, parents and commissioning bodies (including schools) are made fully aware of the expectations of behaviour and consequences of not adhering to these set expectations.

Aims

This policy provides clear guidance for the whole learning community in providing and maintaining a non-coercive ethos. Using restorative approaches, dialogue and narrative skills, we develop in our students a better understanding of themselves and their relationships, which enables them to take responsibility for their good conduct and be ready and willing to engage fully in learning.

It also describes how we promote learning by providing and maintaining social harmony, teaching students to not do social harm, and supporting students to develop social and community skills.

Values:

At Regency Source Alternative Provision, we pride ourselves our care, nurture and support of all our students. Our values permeate everything we do. From our first meeting together, our planning, our support and everything in between – we respect, show routine, recognise where you are at and ultimately are real.

- Respect – we will always treat you with respect, kindness and care. We expect the very best from you and will always support you to become the best version of yourself.

- Routine – we will always provide a clear structure of how to succeed, learn, enjoy and grow as you spend time with us. We are a safe and caring place for you to flourish.

- Recognise – we will help you recognise your own potential, your own self-worth, your strengths, your areas to develop but above all to recognise that you are wanted here.

- Real – we will always be honest and open with you, we expect the same in return. We will always be the same on your good days and your bad as they all form part of your learning journey with us.

Rationale:

At Regency Source Alternative Provision, we recognise that behaviour is communicative and often reflects an emotion or feeling. Our Relationships and Behaviour Policy is grounded in the belief that we are able to develop our ability to self-regulate our emotions and behaviour. Adult and student relationships are integral for this to occur. Through co-regulation of feelings, students learn to become more independent and develop self-regulation.

Key Principles:

The most effective way to develop and increase positive motivation in students is to use non-coercive approaches because motivation is, fundamentally, a voluntary process. If we are forced to do something, when the force is removed we are likely to stop.

Students form positive relationships much more easily with adults who are as non-coercive as possible. Strong and trusting relationships are a most advantageous thing, rich in positive shared memories and mutual understanding.

Students (and adults) are more co-operative with those they like and will even do things they don’t want to do, to please someone they trust and respect. When the relationship is good, so is communication. It’s easier to say ‘hard things’ in a good relationship and so change becomes easier.

We want students to feel they belong to our community, value it, and are valued by it.

We use restorative intervention combined with responsive planning instead of sanctions to ensure that students are able to manage their own behaviour. We consider restorative responses to be more challenging to wrong-doers and more productive than punishment.

Supporting Staff:

We provide training and professional development for staff so that they can apply this policy consistently and effectively as part of the whole learning community. We support staff to nurture and develop positive relationships with students who do not have good relationships skills, find it hard to trust or talk to adults, or are very anxious and insecure.

We will fully support staff who have adhered to this policy without negligence or recklessness, in the event of allegations being made against them, malicious or otherwise. Above all, we promote the safety, security and well-being of our staff and students at all times.

Roles and Responsibilities

Our learning community comprises students and their families, the staff team including senior leaders. Every member of the staff team is expected to understand the principles of this policy and ensure all their practice remains within our ethos. Our staff team works collaboratively, we value and appreciate the perspectives and observations of every staff member and take these into account in decision-making. We also value our students views and those of their parents and carers.

All staff are responsible for the effective implementation of this policy and ensure that they participate in training to understand how to apply it effectively. All staff have a responsibility to recognise when they need support to achieve this and ask one of the senior leaders for advice and help.

This policy also applies when students are involved in any activity or session which occurs not at the main teaching site.

Regency Source Alternative Provision believe parents and carers are key partners in supporting their children whilst with us in order to achieve their aspirations. We maintain good communications with parents and carers. We inform them whenever there are significant or prolonged conduct issues. We collaborate with parents and carers in guiding and supporting their children to participate and engage positively in school-life and learning. We may call or text parents and carers, invite them to a meeting, or request a home visit. We engage available professionals from social, welfare, psychology and mental health services, when appropriate, to help us plan intervention and support if children need this. Parents agree to a Home School Agreement (see Appendix Two) and a Behaviour Contract (see Appendix One) once a placement has been commissioned or is likely to be.

The expectations are that parents adhere to both the above and support the actions of Regency Source Alternative Provision. Parents are able to address any queries regarding our approaches and Positive Behaviour Management Policy. We aim to work with parents to achieve a shared approach and consistent message between home and school to support their child’s social, emotional and behavioural development.

Trauma Informed Approaches & Restorative Practice

Regency Source Alternative Provision value relationships and nurture all our students to develop positive relationships with staff and students on site. We recognise that students may, from time to time, need support and guidance in managing personal relationships. We have begun a journey of trauma informed approaches in order to inform the way in which we manage and restore relationships between our students.

Relationships flourish when both participants believe that their involvement is their free choice, that the ‘cost-benefits’ to each of them is fair. Staff are trained to engage children in equitable dialogue and make agreements with them to address any issues, and we teach children the co-operative skills they need to engage in school-life and learning as part of the conduct curriculum.

Our approach has three elements.

· We apply our understanding of relationships to all our interactions with students (and in fact the whole community), modelling good relationship skills, and teaching them to the students.

· We practise language and communications skills which de-escalate conflicts and promote co-operation.

· We respond restoratively when events occur which have caused social harm.

In a non-coercive setting, punishment is out of place. Restorative approaches are more reliable and teach students valuable social skills. Students with emotional and social difficulties are less likely to react in a volatile way to intervention. Sanctions may make the wrong-doer feel like a victim instead of helping them to take responsibility, and is inappropriate when the issues arise because the student is trying to deal with emotional distress and well-being issues.

Restorative responses can be therapeutic, drawing hidden issues into the open. Our approach is patient, calm and engaging.

Our restorative approach involves 4 simple steps. It is important to separate the child from the behaviour before we start.

Step 1: Label and validate - Allow children to give their side of a story and express their thoughts and feelings

Step 2: Recognise, empathise and soothe - Enable children to understand how what has happened has impacted on others

Step 3: Set limits - Think about how the incident can be prevented from happening again

Step 4: Problem solve - Give the children the chance to accept responsibility and think about how everyone has their own needs. Finally plan how needs can be met and how we move forward.

The process is triggered when social harm is done - someone has been hurt in some way (not just physically). Please see Appendix 5 for prompts to aid these conversations.

Steps we support students to take

A wrong-doer takes responsibility for their actions by being willing to talk about them. If they can do this then the next stage is for them to listen to others talk about how the events have affected them - the aggrieved, people close to the aggrieved and people close to the wrong-doer, too.

Being able to respond to concerns raised by the aggrieved represents a further step in social confidence. In an ideal world, the aggrieved person will hear the wrongdoer acknowledge the wrong by saying (in some form of words): ‘I am sorry, I was wrong, please forgive me, what can I do to put things right?’

By doing so, they demonstrate they have understood the social harm done and now seek to put things right.

If the restorative action is to be fully effective everyone involved needs to agree to a plan for dealing with problems in the future. Finally, if it is possible, the wrong-doer should volunteer to provide reparation. Ideally, the type of reparation should be suggested by the wrong- doer. This can be difficult for a child and some guidance from the facilitator is often needed.

The ‘support’ is our responsibility and the ‘accountability’ is the child’s. We understand that sometimes putting the child back into the setting where the issue arose may make too great a demand, so we always consider the need to offer a change of opportunity (to remove or reduce the likelihood of reoccurrence) when we ask for a change of outlook on their part.

· The wrong-doer agrees to repair any harm done as far as a possible in a way which satisfies the aggrieved and removes any threat to them.

· The parties make an agreement which: -

o resolves bad feeling about what has happened

o reconciles those affected •

o defines the future plan which will prevent a reoccurrence

When something happens which causes social harm the immediate requirement is to de- escalate and neutralise the risks in the situation - the welfare of every child is paramount. A restorative response can take many forms from informal 1:1 engagements (‘in-situ and at the time’) to full scale conferences involving families and other professionals, with a facilitator to guide the parties through a process of engagement, dialogue, solution-finding, and reparation.

Any breach of expectations is an injury to our learning community.

Most issues are dealt with by the teaching team at the time. Negative behaviours often ‘self-extinguish’ if they do not elicit a response. So we ask staff to ignore low-level issues at the time, if doing so is less disruptive to purposeful class activity than intervening. Instead staff will engage with the child at the end of the lesson to discuss the issues.

If the issues cannot be resolved in that way, the problem is discussed with other staff and senior leaders, and a restorative meeting conducted.

Restorative meetings are structured through the use of ‘mini-scripts’ which set out the format of the key restorative questions.

Language and Communication

Behaviour as communication

Most of the time, problematic behaviour is more usefully viewed as a communication of feelings and needs.

At Regency Source Alternative Provision we:

· Respond to the communication rather than the behaviour itself.

· Teach children to verbally articulate feelings and needs.

· Seek to make agreements and teach students the importance of doing so.

We all need to think about how our language shapes our approach. Students and other adults build a view on us by the way we speak about each other and our Students. We need to think about how we can rephrase what we say.

For example is a child lazy or is there a genuine reason they cannot complete a piece of work. Alternatively, autistic student or student with autism. Rather than saying a student is kicking off, can we say that they are distressed or that they are struggling?

Labelling students or adults is not helpful. Perhaps the only label we should give anyone is their name.

Staff are trained to use language which give the student an experience of a greater sense of choice, opportunity, good humour, and respect. We discourage nagging, sarcasm, shouting, threatening, harassing, and frightening language and encourage agreeing, negotiating, persuading, requesting, convincing, and enquiring. We do not shout.

We ask staff to have an enquiring mind and be genuinely interested in what our students are saying including the emotional content, recognise the student is making an effort and showing trust in sharing, reflect inwardly on what they hear, and avoid making judgmental statements.

We understand that even if a student appears to have listened to us they may not have heard what we meant. So we ask often students to repeat back to us what they think they heard, and correct this if necessary. We also know students forget, so we repeat and reinforce key messages until they are securely learned.

Day to Day

A non-coercive approach does not undermine the use of many other successful learning and conduct management strategies. We recognise that, with experience, each staff member brings to the job their own toolkit of skills and techniques. We encourage staff to use these provided they are compliant with this policy.

When dealing with low level issues and distractions, staff will consider keeping the student near them, careful use of voice tone, discretionary ignoring, acknowledgment and encouragement of positive conduct, body language and brief meetings before or after lessons to share their concerns restoratively and seek a mini-agreement covering potential issues in advance.

Voluntary quiet time

Students may request a 5-minute break in a designated area (first aid room on second floor). This is given for the purpose of reflection and/or removal from a potentially hazardous incident or disagreement. However, this could also be due to the needs of the student needing to be met e.g. tiredness, hunger, emotional distress or a need to rebalance themselves.

1:1 mediation meeting

Where a child’s conduct causes concern and this was not resolved during the lesson (or during break) a 1:1 restorative meeting should take place immediately after the session, and before the next session if this is not possible. The focus of a 1:1 meeting is to ask for the child’s help in explaining and understanding their behaviour and seeking their working agreement to steps which will avoid a repetition. Staff will also consider what change of opportunity they should provide to support the child to keep this agreement.

Supervised quiet time

Occasionally a child may be unable to participate in class activities and their distress is disrupting class progress. If this situation persists arrangements can be made to provide short- term 1:1 supervised quiet time for as long as necessary for the child to re-engage positively on a 1:1 basis. A restorative mediation meeting usually follows, or referral to the Restorative Lead for further consideration.

Group level mediation meeting

When there are conduct concerns, or there are peer conflicts involving a small group of children, a teacher may hold a mediation meeting either at break or at lunch-time. This meeting follows the restorative process but with more emphasis on reconciliation and reaching a working agreement.

Rules

At Regency Source Alternative Provision, we expect high standards of behaviour and behaviour learning. We feel this can be achieved by having:

· A uniquely developed curriculum with flexibility in timescales and timetables.

· A safe, stimulating and nurturing environment which supports learners and minimises risk.

· Positive and consistent approaches to behaviour management.

Our positive behaviour management is underpinned by:

· A positive approach by all

· Clear and consistent expectations of behaviour, behaviour for learning

· Clear and consistently applied rewards and sanctions

· Organised, stimulating, nurturing and safe environment for students

· Bespoke learning journey for our students

· Modelling of appropriate behaviours

· Restorative justice approach to conflict

· Emphasis on positive contributions in learning, behaviour (including at home)

· Celebrations of success

· Openness in communication with students, staff, parents/carers, schools and commissioning organisations

Rewards

Our rewards are unique for each child. We encourage collaboration and teamwork with all our learners so they can work together to achieve half termly rewards. These may include:

· Ice skating

· Go karting

· Beach trip out

· Escape rooms

· Trips to a fair

· Outdoor Adventurous Activities (Sherwood Pines, Rother Valley, Go Ape, Rufford)

· Climbing

· Trampoline Park

· Bowling

· Cinema

· Lunch Out

· Theme Park day trip

· Butterfly House

· Beauty Treatments

These rewards are voted for by the students. Each half term, three chosen events are up for a ‘vote’ and every time a student achieves an individual ‘point’ they have the choice to then vote for the end of half term treat.

We also recognise that whilst it develops a family and team ethos in our rewards, we know that students often thrive when a reward is personalised to them and their interests. This may be that a student chooses an appropriate bronze, silver and gold level award to achieve over the length of a term. These rewards are personlised and selected in collaboration with the teaching team at the beginning of the term.

Students can achieve points towards their personal and collaborative goals by:

· Arrival on time

· Completion of tasks set to a high standard

· Respectful behaviour

· Achievement of key targets

· Going above and beyond

· Demonstration of our values

· Teamwork

· Trying something new

These are a few examples of achievement points. The points are given out regularly in discussion with the student. There is no set limit to the number of points which can be given out in a day / week / month. The different level of achievement is:

Bronze - 30 points

Silver – 75 points

Gold – 160 points

Bespoke approach

When a serious incident occurs requiring significant intervention a restorative justice conference will be called, facilitated by the Head of Alternative Provision. A serious incident occurs when a wrong-doer causes substantial social harm to the aggrieved. At this point the Individual Learner Risk Assessment is updated and a Risk Assessment may be generated.

When problems are persistent and seem intractable a restorative family conference will be convened. Family conferences focus on issues and solutions rather than wrong-doers and aggrieved but follow a similar pattern, with more emphasis on the details of an intervention plan.

Personalised planning

Formal restorative conferences usually result in the drafting of a personalised support plan. This plan describes how the child will be supported to engage with the provision and learning positively.

The plan describes: -

· The conduct curriculum objectives which the student has not yet attained and the impact this has on learning and the provision.

· The intervention plan to help the student achieve these conduct goals. Including but not limited to an individual Risk Assessment

· What unmet social, emotional and well-being needs the student may have.

· Steps to address these.

· The changes of opportunity needed to support a change of outlook and conduct on the part of the student.

· Ways in which parents and carers can support the plan.

· Ways in which we may be able to support family life.

Bullying and E-safety

Our staff understand the importance of responding effectively when students are abused by other students, and that children with SEN are additionally vulnerable to bullying, especially online (as well as to grooming and radicalisation).

We believe our non-coercive ethos and focus on relationships creates a community in which bullying does not flourish.

Although instances of bullying are treated using the same process as for other conduct problems, such as sexual violence or harassment; hitting, hair pulling, or otherwise causing physical harm; sexting and initiation or hazing, each of these is recorded separately so that we can demonstrate the effectiveness of this policy and ensure we are addressing the underlying issues.

Staff know the best way to prevent such incidents is to engage the children concerned in a restorative meeting, involving parents in more serious cases, and openly discuss the reasons why there are concerns, and their attitudes to the differences which often underly bullying such as religion, ethnicity, or appearance.

Our priority is to ensure that the learning progress of bullied students is not interrupted.

E-safety, Mobile phones and wearable technology

Our policy with regard to all aspects of information technology usage including mobile phones is covered by our E-safety and IT safety policy. Our response to any conduct issues relating to these matters is guided by thus policy.

When children have not completed their work

One purpose of this policy is to enable our students to be ready and willing to engage fully (as much as is practicable for our students) in learning. In practise, this means engaging with the weekly tasks set for each student. We offer a bespoke and unique approach whereby we set our student weekly tasks and give them the chance to complete the work set at their own pace. Our teaching team intervene, scaffold, model and support the learning (see Regency Source Teaching and Learning Policy). We adopt a, ‘little and often’ approach to our learning.

The teaching team respond flexibly when work is not completed, and recognise that even this can be a level of communication of need.

When we need to intervene assertively

If a student becomes very agitated and volatile, and their conduct threatens immediate harm to themselves or others, staff will focus on engaging with the student to calm them and the situation. Staff may remove the student (or other students) from the vicinity, if necessary, and engage directly with the student to calm them and re-engage them with a trusted adult.

We understand that when students become very agitated it is because they feel unsafe or threatened to the point where their emotions are driving them to fear, fight or flight.

Staff will respond to these situations by speaking and acting to reassure the student and help them feel secure and safe.

Students are more likely to lose control when they are hungry or tired so we ensure that there is adequate food and drink on site along with the first aid room which is equipped with a bed for those wishing (or need to) go to sleep. Food and drink act quickly to change blood sugar levels and help to adjust mental state.

When the child is recovered a restorative process can begin.

Use of reasonable force

It is the intent of this policy that the use of reasonable force is rarely or never required. However we recognise that (from time to time) we may be required to use reasonably force. We comply fully with statutory guidance ‘Use of reasonable force, Advice for headteachers, staff and governing bodies, 2013’.

To maintain the safety of all the students and adults all the time, all members of staff are authorised to use reasonable force to prevent pupils from hurting themselves or others, from damaging property, or from causing disorder. All members of staff receive training which is refreshed annually in positive safe handling, control measures and restraint.

We rely on the professional judgement of our staff to make decisions based on the circumstances at the time. We record all instances of the use of reasonable force on our significant incident referral form. SIRF. This forms a basis from which we can be reflective practitioners and learn from what has happened and implement strategies which may then alter our future practice.

Searching children and confiscating property

The Senior Leadership Team may use ‘such force as is reasonable given the circumstances’ to search without consent for the following “prohibited items”: -

· Knives and weapons

· Alcohol

· Illegal drugs

· Stolen items

· Tobacco and cigarette papers

· Fireworks

· Pornographic images

· Any article that has been or is likely to be used to commit an offence, cause personal injury or damage to property.

Force cannot be used to search for items banned under the school rules. All staff are authorised to carry out a search with consent for any of the items above or for any item banned under school rules.

Monitoring and reporting behaviour patterns

Every adult is able to report behaviour using our school monitoring system (CPOMS). This system is monitored by the Head of Alternative Provision, who produces a record of any behaviour patterns emerging to present to the senior leadership team.

Patterns, trends, actions and impact are discussed in Senior Leadership Meetings and (where relevant) staff briefings.

Support for adults to ensure consistency

All new staff attend induction training during which includes the ethos, vision and values of our setting; this policy is outlined and explained. All staff have received in-house training which is reviewed regularly.

Short-term staff are inducted into provision systems on arrival by being provided with a copy of this policy. Staff get feedback on learning, behaviour and other forms of pupil encouragement and engagement and motivation in lesson observations and sharing best practice with colleagues.

All staff are encouraged to take responsibility for their own development in this area and to seek support/guidance where they feel a need is arising.

Exclusion

In our provision we recognise that behaviour can be significant and the needs are increased. Ultimately, we value relationship and trauma informed approaches along with restorative, calm and approachable methods of engagement. We are aware that this (from time to time) can break down.

We try out upmost to ensure this does not happen. We recognise that students and families will have encountered this before even arriving to us.

If an exclusion is likely, we will endeavour to support the student, family, school and/or commissioning body. Decisions around exclusion and termination of provision are made solely by senior leadership team and will always factor in:

· Dynamics of the staff team

· Appropriateness of provision including location

· Support and guidance for staff

· Dynamics of the learning environment

· Impact of behaviours upon other learners

· Needs of student

· Needs of family

We will always ask, ‘what else can we do?’ as we aim to support, value, nurture and care for our students and their families.

Risk assessment

At times at it may be necessary to conduct a risk assessment for the particular behaviour displayed by a student. This will be informed after updating the Individual Learner Risk Assessment following a SIRF.

We will attempt to reduce risk by managing:

· The environment

· Our body language

· The way we talk to the children

· The way we act

· Personalising our curriculum

A range of staff have been trained on positive safer handling.