Questions and answers
Restrictive interventions data system and electronic support plan Questions and answers1
When does a behaviour support plan become operational?
A BSP becomes operational when:
•the APO has authorised the BSP; and
•the person with a disability has received notice in writing at least two days before the use of proposed restraint or seclusion; and
•a copy has been provided to the Senior Practitioner within 2 working days of APO approval.
How can Authorised Program Officers (APOs) change/adjust the dates on shared eBSPs on RIDS?
One service provider develops an eBSP in collaboration with other service providers. The date on which this eBSP was developed remains the beginning date of the BSP. When a second service provider becomes involved, the date of the BSP remains as this same beginning date, reflecting the date the BSP was initially authorised by the first service provider.
Please note that the shared BSP becomes operational from your service’s point of view two days after your APO has authorised the BSP and has sent a copy to the Senior Practitioner.
OSP will create a report in RIDS so all service providers who share a BSP, can see when other service providers sign off on that BSP. This will be available in mid January 2012. The sharing of plans helps services to work together to improve outcomes for individuals.
Who reports the administration of chemical restraint that is given on a routine basis?
This depends on where the person is living:
•If the person is living in a disability funded service (e.g., supported accommodation), the accommodation service is responsible for the reporting of all chemical restraint that is given on a routine basis to RIDS.
•If the person is living in their own home and the medications are administered by a disability funded service during the day (e.g, day, respite, leisure etc), then the service that administers the chemical restraint needs to report to RIDS.
How do I deactivate a person's record if a current authorised e-BSP is no longer required at any agency for that person?
A RIDS user from the person's Primary Service Setting can deactivate a person's record by the following steps:
- Confirm with all agencies and service settings accessing the person's record that they are no longer required to have a current authorised e-BSP in RIDS for the person.
- Log in to RIDS and navigate to Main Features in the main menu, then Person With a Disability in the sub-menu.
- Enter the person's first and last names, or their CRIS number, and press Search.
- When the person's record appears, click on the Edit link on the far right hand side next to their record.
- When the Person Details screen is displayed, scroll to the bottom of the screen and tick the box next to Deactivate.
- A drop-down list will appear to the right of the Deactivate check box. Select a reason for deactivation from the list.
- Click on Save at the bottom right hand corner of the screen.
How do I reactivate a person's record if an authorised e-BSP has previously been deactivated at an agency for that person?
If a person has previously been deactivated in RIDS-eBSP and that person is currently being subjected to restrictive intervention or seclusion of some form or another, then the person’s record needs to be reactivated. It is only possible for RIDS users from the person's Primary Service Setting to edit and therefore reactivate their record.
To reactivate a person's record, a RIDS user from the person's Primary Service Setting must:
- Confirm with all agencies and service settings that will have access to the person's record that a current authorised e-BSP is required for the person and is to be reactivated on RIDS/e-BSP system.
- Log in to RIDS and navigate to Main Features in the main menu, then Person With a Disability in the sub-menu.
- Enter the person's first and last names, or their CRIS number, and press Search.
- When the person's record appears, click on the Edit link on the far right hand side next to their record.
- When the Person Details screen is displayed, scroll to the bottom of the screen and remove the tick in the box next to Deactivate.
- Click on Save at the bottom right hand corner of the screen.
What is a replacement behaviour?
A replacement behaviour is a specific behaviour or skill that serves the same function or purpose as a behaviour of concern. It is identified through a functional behaviour assessment.
For example, a functional behaviour assessment found that Jack may be banging his head in order to communicate to his carers that he “needs to use the toilet”. Teaching Jack to ask to be taken to the toilet using words (or sign language/pictures etc.) is teaching him a replacement behaviour. The behaviours (head banging and using words) are functionally equal because they serve the same purpose and gain the same outcome for Jack (gaining access the toilet). In this example, the use of words to tell carers he needs the toilet is a replacement behaviour, as it replaces the behaviour of concern (head banging) with a more appropriate behaviour, ie., use of words.
Replacement behaviours must be able to be taught by staff and able to be learnt by the person. So the type of communication to be taught will depend on Jack’s individual needs and interests and staff’s ability to teach.
How does copying and editing an e-BSP work?
BSP can be copied or edited once it has been Authorised, by selecting the View option associated the BSP.
Copy: To create a new version of an old BSP, select the Copy option. This will copy the whole BSP but not the dates or the name of the Independent Person because it will need new dates for a new period.
It is important to review and modify the BSP information where necessary and delete and or attach the relevant documents associated with the new BSP. For example, the restrictive interventions have increased this would indicate that the BSP needs to be reviewed. This would then trigger the "copy" option and also require that the independent person needs to be consulted (see Section 61 of the Disability Amendment Act 2012 for changes to the role of the Independent Person in the review of a BSP).
Only use copy when:
•you want to create a new version of an old BSP or
•you need to change the BSP (due to a material change)
Please note: If the restrictive intervention has been changed because of a change in behaviour of concern you will need a new BSP and select Copy to be able to make changes to the behaviours of concern for a new period.
Edit: Use the Edit option to update the restrictive interventions during the BSP period, but only if the change is not more restrictive. This will copy the whole BSP including the dates (which cannot be changed) and the Independent Person as it will be an edit of the existing BSP for a same period. For example, if a medication change is a reduction this would trigger the "Edit" option and would not necessitate the independent person to be involved (see S. 61 of the Disability Amendment Act 2012).
Only use edit to update an existing BSP
How can a RIDS e-BSP be shared?
Sharing a BSP
A BSP should be shared when there is more than one disability service provider (DSP) or service setting providing disability support to the person. (Section 52 (2) (k) Disability Act 2006). This is in order that the person is supported appropriately and consistently by all service providers (see Section 141, 3 of the Disability Act 2006).
Each DSP can create their own version of a shared BSP if, for example, one agency does not use all restrictive interventions listed in the original shared BSP.
To create a shared eBSP:
•All disability service providers collaborate / be consulted in planning the person’s BSP. This includes a discussion on differences in restrictive intervention use by services.
•The lead agency (usually the disability service provider where the person accesses disability services the majority of the time) enters the BSP using the information from all parties.
•Lead agency submits eBSP for Authorisation.
•Other agencies view and edit BSP. After gaining access to the person’s profile, the disability service provider can View the Authorised BSP, and make changes by clicking Edit. You will then be asked to confirm that you want to create a new ‘shared’ BSP - click OK.
•Other agencies can
–Record additional behaviours of concern that might only occur by selecting Copy and Edit or
–Add, or select Use for behaviours that might occur at both settings and submit these for approval.
–This submission goes to all APOs to approve the sharing of a BSP.
When an e-BSP is shared then all APOs have to approve it before it can be used.
What is a behaviour of concern?
A behaviour of concern refers to any behaviour that causes physical harm to the person with a disability or another person, or destroying property resulting in the risk of harm to the person or any other person.
How do you describe a behaviour of concern?
A clear description of a behaviour of concern should be observable and measureable and include:
- Exactly what the person does; e.g., TJ can kick people in the legs with his right foot.
- How often the behaviour occurs (its frequency); e.g., ...about eight times a day.
- How long the behaviour lasts (its duration); e.g., …for up to 10 secs.
- The harm or risk of harm that results (its intensity); e.g.,…with enough force to cause injury.
Example: TJ can kick people in the legs with his right foot with enough force to cause injury (bruising and swelling). He does this about eight times a day. The behaviour can last for up to 10 secs.
Clear definitions like the above are observable (i.e. any person will know exactly what to look for) and can be measured over time to work out how effective an intervention is.
What are triggers and setting events?
Triggers are events that occur immediately before the behaviour and usually result in the behaviour occurring. Examples include; a sudden pain, seeing someone else having a good time, being misunderstood or ignored, an unexpected change to their day.
A setting event can be something that’s either in or missing from the person’s life that increases the chances of the behaviour occurring. The setting events for the triggers listed above are; illness, not having enough interesting activities to do, the person having difficult communicating their needs and the staff having difficulty understanding the person, a lack of planning for the person’s day.
Putting strategies in place to address the setting events can reduce the likelihood of the person using the behaviour of concern.
Example: The trigger for TJ’s behaviour is staff using his first name rather than TJ. The setting event (or what’s missing) is that staff either haven’t been told to only use the name “TJ” or they have forgotten. A strategy for ensuring that staff know and remember to use the correct name should be added to the behaviour support plan. The best way to do this is to only refer to him as TJ throughout his BSP.
What are de-escalation strategies?
A BSP should contain de-escalation (reactive) strategies for managing the behaviour of concern when it occurs to maintain the safety of the person and all others. The information is also needed to meet requirements of the Disability Act 2006 which specifies that the restrictive interventions used are the least restrictive possible and used only as a last resort.
•For each behaviour or groups of behaviours, the BSP should clearly state what the staff should do at each stage of behaviour escalation prior to using a restrictive intervention.
•Important strategies to consider include: assessing safety, prompting the replacement behaviour, removing the cause/ providing what the person needs, removing others, leaving the area, post incident debriefing and a review of the incident.
•Describe the process for deciding to use a restrictive intervention and how it is to be administered.
What is the role of an Independent Person?
The Independent Person has an advocacy role that is set out in the Disability Act 2006 to oversee the proposed use of restrictive interventions for a person with a disability.
Restrictive interventions can include any interventions that prevent or restrict the rights or freedom of movement of a person with a disability. Restrictive interventions can be: chemical, mechanical, physical restraint, seclusion or other restrictive interventions.
The independent person is usually a person who knows the person with a disability well (e.g. family and friends), and is someone who is independent of disability services; that is, not involved in providing disability services.
The Independent Person has to:
- Explain the restrictive intervention/s to the person with a disability, including what will be done, how it will be done, and when it will be done and
- Let the person with a disability know that they have a right to question the use of restrictive interventions.
Restrictive interventions must be described in the person’s behaviour support plan, and the Independent person will need to see a copy of the person’s proposed behaviour support plan.
The Independent Person and disability service provider must provide information to the person with a disability in a way that the person can best understand using the communication the person uses.
Further Information
For general information on the Office of the Senior Practitioner contact 9096 8427 or . For information or feedback on the RIDS - eBSP please contact Anthony La Sala on (03) 9096 0223 or Robin Dale on 9096 7024 or email .
To receive this publication in an accessible format phone 9096 8427using the National Relay Service 13 36 77 if required, or emailAuthorised and published by the Victorian Government, 1 Treasury Place, Melbourne.
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Restrictive interventions data system and electronic support plan Questions and answers1